CVS Health is continuing to streamline its retail footprint, announcing the closure of an additional 270 locations in 2025 as part of a multi-year plan to reshape its presence across the US.
The move follows the completion of an earlier wave of closures in which CVS shuttered approximately 900 stores beginning in 2021.
The closures were part of a broader strategy to ensure the company operates “the right kinds of stores in the right locations for consumers and the business,” CVS said in a statement.
After those initial closures, CVS now operates just over 9,000 stores nationwide, with more than 1,000 located in California alone.
As CVS closes underperforming or redundant stores, the company plans to launch a dozen or more smaller-format pharmacies over the next year.
These new stores will be tailored to local needs and are expected to improve access to healthcare services such as immunizations, prescription medications, and pharmacist consultations.
“The new pharmacies will be introduced in select neighborhoods to help bridge gaps in care and make it easier for patients to access medications, immunizations, and other pharmacist-provided healthcare services,” a CVS spokesperson told Forbes.
The next generation of CVS locations will include three distinct formats:
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Primary care-focused sites
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Smaller-format retail pharmacies
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HealthHUB stores, which offer expanded wellness products and services
CVS said this “customized approach” will better reflect the specific needs of communities while allowing the company to improve operational efficiency.
CVS has not yet disclosed which specific locations will close, but noted the 270 targeted stores are those with persistently low foot traffic or that are located near better-performing sites.
The company emphasized that these decisions are based on consumer buying behavior and broader shifts in healthcare access.
CEO Karen Lynch said in 2024 that 851 of the original 900 stores marked for closure had already shut down, as part of a strategic repositioning effort aimed at strengthening the company’s core retail operations and healthcare offerings.
“When you look at our stores, the stores that were not on the closure list, we see those stores as being materially stronger,” Lynch said. “Still not where they need to be, but materially stronger than the stores that we’re closing.”
CVS isn’t alone in rethinking its retail strategy. Competitor Walgreens announced last year it would close approximately 1,200 stores as part of a $1 billion cost-cutting initiative.
Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth said about a quarter of its locations were no longer aligned with the company’s long-term plans.
Meanwhile, Rite Aid is undergoing its second bankruptcy in under two years. After emerging from its first in 2024 having shed $2 billion in debt and 800 stores, the company filed again in May 2025.
It is now in the process of closing at least 68 more stores and is in talks to sell off additional locations as part of its restructuring.
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