CVS Health has confirmed it will close 271 retail pharmacy locations across the United States in 2025, continuing a multi-year effort to reshape its national presence. The company’s strategic restructuring aims to optimize store locations, streamline operations, and better respond to evolving healthcare needs.
The announcement follows the closure of approximately 900 CVS stores between 2022 and 2024. Executives say the decision reflects long-term planning rather than a reaction to market conditions or financial pressure, with a focus on aligning services with population changes and community health priorities.
Closures Driven by Demographic and Healthcare Trends
According to a statement provided to Newsweek, based its decision on several key criteria: population shifts, consumer behavior patterns, pharmacy and store density, access to pharmacy care, and local health demands. The closures are part of what the company described as an “enterprise-wide restructuring plan intended to streamline and simplify the organization.”
Despite the reduction in locations, CVS emphasized that the vast majority of Americans will remain in proximity to their services. “Even after the realignment work, 85% of people in the U.S. will still live within 10 miles of a CVS Pharmacy,” a spokesperson said.
Affected Locations Span Multiple Major Markets
While CVS has not published a comprehensive list of store closures, numerous confirmed addresses have been reported by local news outlets and retail watchdogs. According to The Krazy Coupon Lady and additional regional sources, closures have been identified in over a dozen states.
In California, stores are closing at 499 Haight Street in San Francisco and 1701 K Street in Sacramento. Florida will see closures at 3090 S. Monroe Street in Tallahassee and two locations in Orlando. In Illinois, three stores including 8639 S. Cicero Avenue and 401 W. Armitage Avenue in Chicago are affected. New York will lose locations in Albany, Staten Island, New York City, and North Tonawanda.
Additional closures include addresses in Texas, Maryland, Iowa, Massachusetts, Ohio, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. In Hagerstown, Maryland, the CVS at 34 N. Cannon Avenue is scheduled to close on June 26, according to The Herald-Mail.
CVS closing all 23 pharmacy locations in Arkansas
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 26, 2025
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law House Bill 1150, ENDING the conflict interest of pharmacy benefits managers owning pharmacies
PBMs are who set the insane prices
Instead of complying CVS is leaving. This is HUGE! pic.twitter.com/1Ve3zXFeXO
CVS Plans Selective Expansions Despite Downsizing
Although the company is reducing its total number of retail outlets, CVS confirmed it intends to open 30 new pharmacy locations in 2025. These additions will include sites inside Target stores, part of a strategy to enhance convenience and integrate pharmacy services within broader retail experiences.
The expansion supports CVS’s goal of adapting its footprint to changing consumer preferences and ensuring that new locations serve areas with unmet healthcare needs. The company did not disclose specific sites for the new stores but noted that placement would be data-driven.
Regulatory Changes May Impact Arkansas Operations
A separate challenge for CVS has emerged in Arkansas, where Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently signed a new law targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These third-party administrators, which manage prescription drug plans, will face restrictions on owning or operating pharmacies in the state.
CVS, which owns and operates several pharmacies under PBM entities, warned that the legislation could affect its 23 locations in Arkansas. The company has not detailed how it will respond to the new law but acknowledged the potential implications for its business model in the state.
Realignment Continues Multi-year restructuring Plan
The 2025 closures represent the latest phase of CVS’s long-term transformation strategy, initially announced more than three years ago. The company has repeatedly stated that its objective is to adapt to long-term healthcare delivery trends, rather than react to short-term financial pressures.
By refining its retail presence and prioritizing strategic markets, CVS aims to position itself as a more agile and accessible provider of health, wellness, and pharmacy care across the United States.
