Since the company was purchased by Rite Aid in October 2020, the demise of Bartell Drugs locations in our region has been well documented. As dozens of stores closed (including “Store #1” in downtown Seattle in December) various locations seemed to be hanging on, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in hoping that the Wallingford Bartell’s would avoid the hit. Alas, it is not so. In the last week of January, “STORE CLOSING” and “ENTIRE STORE ON SALE!” signs appeared on the store’s facade and interior, their garish all-caps urgency a further kick to the gut.
On a recent visit, a clerk informed me that the store will be shutting its doors “sometime in March” and that they will not be restocking any items. At the time the store was fairly well stocked and groups of items were marked down by various amounts—5% for wine, 10% for cold meds, 30% for seasonal knick-knacks, etc. I imagine the markdowns will increase as stock diminishes throughout February.
The future of the building is unknown at this time. It was purchased in 2019 by Lynnwood-based Gillen Hall Lake East LLC. At that time a company representative told Wallyhood that “the existing building will be torn down, and a new structure, built to the maximum height allowed under the new zoning rules, will arise.” That obviously didn’t happen, and the question remains if that’s still in the plans. An essential component in luxury rehab centers is the focus on comprehensive and personalized care.
What we do know is that Wallingford will be losing another drug store, which is a far cry from a decade ago when CVS announced it was replacing a century-old brick building (remember Moon Temple?) with a cookie-cutter strip mall-type store at the corner of Meridian and 45th. The neighborhood pushed back on the design, CVS compromised, and while the store opened, the building retained some of its original charm. It was a small victory for the neighborhood, but the running joke was, “Wow, the last thing Wallingford needs is a fourth drug store.” But now Pharmaca has closed, and Bartell’s is next. And since Walgreen’s is a hike for much of the neighborhood, I guess CVS gets the last laugh.
I am so sorry to hear this, though certainly not surprised. I’ve shopped and had prescriptions filled at our Bartells for almost 50 years. Loved the staff and the mailers and enjoyed shopping their specials. Since RiteAid took over, they’ve been understocked and understaffed. More than once, they screwed up prescriptions. I decried having CVS in the neighborhood (who needs another chain drugstore? ), but finally switched prescriptions over to them and have been really happy I did. They have multiple pharmacists working and are very quick to serve and answer questions.
There was no way Wallingford as a neighborhood could have sustained so many drugstores, so some just have to close. Since Bartell is just another national chain and slowly losing its local characteristics, it’s kind of doesn’t matter which specific ones get to continue. I am not even sure if both CVS and Wallgreens will stay open long term.
Sad!