WILDOMAR, CA — Customers who’ve recently visited the Rite Aid store on Clinton Keith Road in Wildomar know that the retailer’s shelves are pretty bare.
Concerns that the store is closing for good are warranted.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed that the location at 32450 Clinton Keith Road will permanently shutter on June 11. Customers who use the store’s pharmacy should transfer their prescriptions as soon as possible, according to a pharmacy representative.
Many Rite Aid customers saw the writing on the wall, but some were hopeful.
In September, Rite Aid Corporation announced that it had successfully emerged from its 2023 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The emergence involved shrinking the company’s store footprint and its debt.
As part of the bankruptcy process, dozens of Rite Aid stores were permanently closed in California, and many more were shuttered nationwide.
The company offered a positive outlook when it announced the Chapter 11 emergence.
“Emergence is a pivotal moment in Rite Aid’s history, enabling it to move forward as a significantly transformed, stronger and more efficient company,” said Jeffrey S. Stein, who at the time of the emergence served as Rite Aid’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Restructuring Officer. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of our customers, associates and partners, and we look forward to continuing to provide leading pharmacy services designed to improve health and wellness outcomes across the communities we serve. I am excited about Rite Aid’s future as it continues to focus on executing its strategy and delivering for its customers and stakeholders.”
Now Rite Aid’s future appears shakier. A report from Bloomberg this month said that the pharmacy chain was preparing to file for a second bankruptcy.
Rite Aid is reportedly “running low on cash” reserves and heading toward another possible bankruptcy, according to the Bloomberg report.
There are only a few Rite Aid stores left in Southwest Riverside County. The nearest Rite Aid location to the Wildomar store is in Menifee.
A request for comment about other Rite Aid store closures in California was not immediately returned from the company.
