The trend: Some of the biggest US pharmacy chains closed stores in 2025, which has accelerated the shift of prescription sales to online channels.
- CVS closed about 900 stores (10% of its stores) between 2022 and 2024, with plans to shutter an additional 270 locations this year.
- Walgreens is closing about 500 locations this year as part of plans to cut about 15% of its physical footprint (~1,200 stores) over three years.
- Rite Aid, which at one point operated nearly 5,000 stores, closed all remaining locations earlier this year. CVS recently acquired 63 of those stores.
Brick-and-mortar pharmacy struggles: As consumers buy fewer everyday items at drugstore chains, big pharmacy retailers need fewer stores.
Shoppers are shifting to online merchants like Amazon, which often offer better deals on household staples, per a November 2025 Profitero report. For product categories like vitamins and supplements, CVS and Walgreens were 63% and 66% more expensive than Amazon, respectively. Amazon also ranks as the lowest-cost retailer for household supplies. Notably, CVS and Walgreens have each cited declining front-of-store sales at different points throughout the past year.
Due to rising theft, drugstores are locking up more products, severely disrupting the in-person shopping experience.
- 27% of shoppers say they would rather switch retailers or abandon their purchase than wait for assistance for a locked-up item they need, per a November 2024 Numerator survey.
- Shoppers most commonly see locked-up items at mass retailers (68%) and drugstores (62%).
The opportunity for digital pharmacy services: The decline in traditional, in-person pharmacy access is creating a massive opportunity for digital pharmacy services. In response, online-only pharmacies and established incumbents are rapidly enhancing their digital offerings.
Key stats: Nearly one-third (31.4%) of US adults will purchase a prescription drug at an online pharmacy this year, per EMARKETER’s estimates.