Rite Aid to close South Richmond store on Hull Street

The Rite Aid at 1801 Hull St. in South Richmond will close on June 16, a spokesperson for the drugstore chain confirmed to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The company has notified the bankruptcy court of "certain underperforming stores we are closing to further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance," the spokesperson said. The Hull Street store's pharmacy closed earlier this month. Rite Aid operates 38 stores in Virginia, including one at 520 W. Broad St. in Richmond.

The 8,000-square-foot store was constructed in 1995, according to city property records. The Times-Dispatch spoke to residents in the area who were surprised by the closure. Martha Buck, a Church Hill resident, said she did not expect the Rite Aid to close, despite the closing of other stores nearby. Mary Howard, who lives downtown, was also surprised and said she would have to go out of her way to find a new pharmacy now. Howard mentioned that she could go to Walgreens or the CVS Pharmacy at 7511 Forest Hill Ave.

Rite Aid has also notified the bankruptcy court of closures in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, California, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Maryland.