Anacortes Rite Aid Among New Round of Store Closures in Washington State as Chain Liquidates

ANACORTES, WASHINGTON – The Rite Aid in Anacortes is one of several Washington state stores set to close as the bankrupt pharmacy chain continues its nationwide liquidation.

According to federal bankruptcy court filings on May 9, newly listed closures in Washington include locations in Anacortes, Snoqualmie, Kingston, Yelm, Granite Falls, and Omak. These are the latest in a growing wave of shutdowns affecting both Rite Aid and its Seattle-based subsidiary Bartell Drugs.

The company is planning to sell off prescription files, in-store inventory, and other assets while closing distribution centers and unloading store properties. While locations will remain open for now, Rite Aid has confirmed it is no longer purchasing new inventory, meaning bare shelves are expected to become increasingly common, which customers have already grown a-custom to since the last bankruptcy.

Additionally, Rite Aid Rewards points will no longer be issued as of Tuesday, May 6, and existing BonusCash and reward points are set to expire. Starting June 5, 2025, Rite Aid will no longer honor returns, exchanges, or gift cards, according to notices posted on storefronts across the country.

The company says it hopes to keep stores open for a few more months while attempting to sell off the remainder of its assets. The closures come as part of Rite Aid’s restructuring efforts under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which began in late 2023.

Customers relying on local Rite Aid or Bartell locations for prescriptions are encouraged to make transfers soon and monitor their store’s final closing timeline.

Whatcom County still has several Rite Aid locations, but their future is up in the air. It’s unclear whether these stores will be picked up by another major pharmacy chain like CVS or Walgreens, or if they’ll eventually shut down for good. Currently, there are two Rite Aid stores left in Bellingham—there used to be four before the downtown and Telegraph Road locations closed. The other remaining stores are in Blaine, Ferndale, and Lynden.

More closures are expected in the coming weeks. This story was first broken by Bellingham Metro News and you can stay up to date by following Bellingham Metro News on Facebook.