Another New Haven pharmacy is closing, this time the Walgreens at Whalley and Ellsworth avenues near Ella Grasso Blvd.
A recorded message at the store’s phone number states that the store is closing on March 20. It refers customers to the Walgreens at 88 York St.
The closing follows the loss of the Walgreens at 1471 Whalley this past November, following the shuttering of other pharmacies between Downtown and Westville.
The closings mirror a national consolidation trend: Megachains Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid have closed hundreds of drug stores since 2021, following a decade in which close to an estimated three out of 10 US drug stores shuttered, with Black and Latino neighborhoods the hardest hit.
“The economics of the west side are weakening, and we need a plan for economic growth from the city,” said State Rep. Patricia Dillon. “Chain retailers are closing, the state is cutting Southern, nonprofits are underfunded, and the restaurants can’t rely on Yale like State Street eateries can.”
She called for a strategy emphasizing homegrown job growth and business retention less reliant on national chains.
“It’s fixable and we have a lot of talent and drive. But all of these pieces amplify each other. We need more than job loss and empty storefronts.”