Rite Aid Shuttering Half Of Its Astoria Outposts By Mid-February

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Astorians will be down to two Rite Aids by mid-February.

The pharmacy chain, which previously operated four neighborhood locations, told Patch that its store located at 32-14 31st Street will close on Feb. 15.

This closure comes a couple of months after Rite Aid shuttered its Steinway Street location, but there are "no plans to close" the neighborhood's outpost at 33-01 30th Avenue or 21-25 Broadway, a spokesperson told Patch.

The spokesperson attributed the two closures to the "business conditions and viability" of those specific stores, not of the company's overall business health (of which much has been made in recent months after Rite Aid, and other pharmacy chains, announced the closures of dozens of stores).

While the spokesperson acknowledged that loosing two neighborhood stores in such short succession might raise "concerns" for neighbors, Rite Aid is working to help customers through the change, the spokesperson said.

Customer prescriptions from the 31st Street location, for instance, will be transferred to the Rite Aid at 21-25 Broadway, which is less than a half-mile away.

Every worker at the store will be offered a job at "nearby Rite Aid locations," the spokesperson added.

As to what will happen to the buildings, Rite Aid doesn't know, the spokesperson said, since the pharmacy chain doesn't own either building,

Permits for demolition or new buildings haven't been filed at either location as of Jan. 20, Patch found.