Another Big Box falls; Rite Aid to close doors on May 13 in TD

Rite Aid at 1400 West 6th St. in The Dalles is set to close on May 13 as the company faces additional financial difficulty and the industry is going through major transistion.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., April 28, 2025 — Another big box is folding in The Dalles as more than a thousand people have received letters that Rite Aid in Cascade Square is set to lock the doors on Tuesday, May 13. 

Local officials confirmed the story, noting that more than 1,000 people who are currently receiving their prescriptions at the store are being transferred to Fred Meyer.

“We appreciate your loyalty. We’re sorry to tell you we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close your Rite Aid at 1400 West 6th Street…” the letter states.

This letter recently surfaced on Facebook, and locals confirmed the store’s closure earlier today, April 28.

In The Dalles, there are pharmacies at Safeway, Walgreens, Adventist Health Hospital and One Community Health, a non-profit, federally qualified, community and migrant health center. 

The routine work of pharmacies is getting automated and centralized The personal, urgent, or specialized parts are keeping some pharmacies alive — but it appears, nationally,  there will be fewer of them, and they will look different. 

Big companies such as Amazon Pharmacy, CVS, and Walgreens increasingly use robots to fill prescriptions faster and more accurately in centralized fulfillment centers and then mail them. 

However, that does not address same-day prescriptions that are needed for immediate health problems such as the need for pain medications for a broken limb or antibiotics for an ear infection.
Complex medications such as injectables or temperature-sensitive drugs are also harder to mail safely.
And not everyone trusts or has access to online ordering, especially older adults.
The closure comes as Rite Aid grapples with prolonged financial difficulties. 

The company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, which triggered the closure of more than 700 stores across the country. Reports have recently surfaced indicating Rite Aid may be considering a second bankruptcy filing this year as it struggles with cash flow issues and explores options to sell its remaining locations.

Reports from a news publication in Ephrata, Wash., also state the Rite Aid in that Central Washington town is also closing.