Walgreens is still closing its weakest stores in 2026. This time, though, the shutdown list is nowhere near as long as the company once predicted.
The effort was built around a three-year timeline.
Reuters reported that about 500 of those stores were expected to shut down in fiscal 2025 alone, mostly locations with negative cash flow, meaning the money going out was more than the money coming in.
Ownership changed, and so did the plan. Inc. magazine says Walgreens trimmed its closure plan after going private in 2025.
The company was able to rethink its real estate footprint once it left the public markets. That left more room for a smaller closure list, even though the original rationale for cutting weak locations had not disappeared.
That kind of trim matters because Walgreens is still one of the biggest pharmacy operators in the country.
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Walgreens gave USA Today the list of locations that have closed or will close. The list touches communities from coast to coast:
The Houston location is not a store but a distribution center, which is a reminder that Walgreens is also trimming its operations behind the counter.
The Chicago story shows the mix of pressures behind the closures. Walgreens said lower prescription sales and high theft were behind the decision to close the store at 86th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood.
Walgreens regional vice president Reginald Johnson spoke about that store in May. "I'm here today because we're closing the store at 86th and Cottage Grove. But I just want to make sure everyone understands closing stores [is] not our goal. This is the last resort," Johnson said.
FOX Business could not reach Walgreens for comment.
The chain is one of the largest in the country, and a slower closure schedule means less disruption for the neighborhoods that count on it.
For investors, the story is about a company choosing its battles.
The quieter approach changes the trade-off for the company. Close fewer doors and the company keeps more sales, but it also keeps weak spots the original plan was meant to cut away.
The next few quarters will test that bet. If the weaker stores are gone and the ones that remain start pulling more weight, the turnaround story gets easier to tell.
If not, the closure list could grow again. For now, at least, the list is short, and that gives your corner of the map some breathing room.
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