Crystal Walgreens Store to Close
The northwest metro is losing another pharmacy, as the nation’s two largest pharmacy chains, Walgreens and CVS, continue to downsize.
CCX News has learned that the Crystal Walgreens, located at the corner of West Broadway and Bass Lake Road, plans to close.
In October, Walgreens announced a plan to close 1,200 stores over the next three years, starting with 500 this year.
Business experts say the closure comes down to several factors.
University of Minnesota Marketing Professor George John says pharmacies don’t generate much revenue for prescriptions. Competition from Amazon has increased, and John says the retail component — where pharmacies make most of their money — has deteriorated.
An employee of Walgreens, located at the corner of West Broadway and Bass Lake Road in Crystal, told CCX News that the store will be closing.
“The bottom line is they don’t control their own fate in pharmacy — they’re basically a service operation,” John said of Walgreens. “So, when you lose control of that front end of it, meaning your retail space is not as welcoming as it used to be, the whole edifice sort of crumbles. And that’s kind of what’s happened to Walgreens.”
No date has been specified for the closure.
There are two other Walgreens stores located within minutes of the Crystal location. One is in Robbinsdale, and another is in New Hope.
Related: Brooklyn Center CVS Pharmacy Store To Close Jan. 30
