A sign attached to the front door of the Rite Aid on E. Third Street in Bethlehem informs customers of the impending closure. To prepare, much of the store’s inventory has been marked down as part of a clearance sale.
One of the major retail stories that will likely be remembered from 2023 is the slow demise of Rite Aid, which has shuttered hundreds of stores nationwide as part of a bankruptcy protection plan.
Locally, stores such as one that was located on Rt. 309 in Richland Township–just outside Quakertown–have closed their doors in recent months, and the closures will continue into the new year.
In December, Rite Aid announced that its store 104 E. Third Street in south Bethlehem will close in early January as part of the company’s ongoing liquidation of assets.
A sign affixed to the store’s front door Sunday said the Third Street location will close Jan. 10, when inventory left over from an ongoing sell-down will be transferred to the Rite Aid at 1781 Stefko Boulevard (Store #836) in Bethlehem.
The sign noted that the store is currently hosting as “clearance event” and will continue to fill prescriptions until Jan. 10. The store will be open limited hours on New Year’s day.
Meanwhile, the Rite Aid located at 110 Main Street in Hellertown borough remains open, as do a number of other Rite Aid stores in the area. However, it remains unclear whether additional waves of closures can be expected in the new year.
The Rite Aid on E. Third Street in South Bethlehem will close Jan. 10 as part of ongoing store closures that are part of a financial restructuring plan approved when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the fall. Another Rite Aid store on W. Union Boulevard in Bethlehem closed recently, and a Rite Aid near Quakertown closed in September due to the ongoing restructuring.