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MIDDLETOWN - Pharmacy giant Walgreens is closing its store at Middletown Plaza on Route 35 at the end of the month.
The store, a former Rite Aid at 1447 Route 35, is expected to close on Feb. 28 and will automatically transfer patient files to other nearby stores, a spokesperson said. Pharmacy customers will receive a letter with more information about their records.
In Middletown, Walgreens has stores on Leonardville Road in the township’s Belford section and on Route 36 in Port Monmouth. There’s also a store on Route 35 in Hazlet and Water Street in Red Bank.
“As we continue to execute our strategy to expand Walgreens role as a leader in the delivery of health care, we are focused on creating the right network of stores in the right locations to best meet the needs of the communities we serve,” the spokesperson said in a statement to What’s Going There.
"There are a number of factors that we take into consideration when opening and closing locations, including dynamics of the local market and changing buying habits of our customers.”
The Middletown Plaza store was one of 13 Rite Aid stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties that were purchased from Rite Aid by Walgreens Boots Alliance and converted in 2019.
The departure of Walgreens, which occupies more than 14,000 square feet, adds another vacancy to the shopping center at the corner of Route 35 and Harmony Road. Last year, ShopRite, a major anchor that occupied a large 77,000-square-foot store, moved to a new store across the highway.
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David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Walgreens will close Route 35 Middletown NJ pharmacy