A spokesperson told SFGATE that at least six San Francisco CVS branches are scheduled to shut next month.
According to a report that first appeared at San Francisco Business Time, at least three stores in downtown San Francisco will be closed forever starting in the middle of January next year. These locations include:
· 731 Market St. by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts,
· 351 California St. by the Embarcadero Center mall, and
· 581 Market St. by the Montgomery BART station
The Business Times said the location at 581 Market will be the first to close by Jan. 7 while the two others by Jan. 15.
In a confirmation to SFGATE, a spokesperson from CVS said that three more locations will also close in January. These include CVS locations on:
· 2025 Van Ness Ave. by House of Prime Rib,
· 500 Pine St. near St. Mary’s Square, and
· 400 Sutter St. by Union Square
The spokesperson said the Van Ness location will first close on Jan. 8 while the remaining two will be shut by Jan. 22.
“Maintaining access to pharmacy services in underserved communities is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions,” Monica Prinzing, CVS spokesperson, said in a statement to SFGATE. “Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community.”
The announcement on the closures does not come as a surprise as the pharmacy already said last month that 900 of its stores nationwide are being planned to shut. This measure is intended to set CVS’ focus on its in-person retail experience as well as to consolidate present locations.
In a report last month, CNN said that the mass closures are the result of “too many overlapping locations” and a subpar in-person shopping experience. More locations may close by next year. Seventeen standalone CVS branches are currently operating in San Francisco.
