These WA and ORE Closed Rite Aid Stores Might Not Stay Empty for Long

Rite Aid’s second bankruptcy has left dozens of empty storefronts across Washington and Oregon. So who’s moving in?

From Empty Shelves to New Shops: What’s Moving Into Old Rite Aid Buildings?

I got my first glimpse of who's moving in Kennewick. I was driving down 395 and looked over and saw a draped-over banner that said CVS over the Rite Aid sign on N. Ely.

It's the first sign of change that I've seen with the old Rite Aid buildings here in the Tri-Cities. It does look like the other locations are still open as Rite Aid's, for now.

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CVS is acquiring and operating 64 former Rite Aid stores across WA, OR, and ID, per CVS’s announcement to investors and the bankruptcy court, so I'm sure we'll start seeing the other CVSs pop up around the Evergreen State and in the Tri-Cities.

What Could Replace Rite Aid in Washington & Oregon? The Possibilities May Surprise

Oregon is also seeing another big retailer scooping up the old Rite Aid stores, and it shouldn't surprise you to discover that Dollar General is rapidly expanding. I even saw a new Dollar General store in Pomeroy, Washington, recently, showing how quickly they are growing around the PNW.

Dollar General plans hundreds of new stores this year, with corporate filings/outlets putting 2025 openings in the ~575–725 range, meaning they need space. Drugstore boxes (10k–15k sq. ft., ample parking, neighborhood corners) fit well.

In smaller or rural trade areas (common across Eastern WA and much of OR), DG is a realistic backfill for vacant drugstore shells, especially where grocery options are thin.

So don't be surprised when you start seeing the old Rite Aid stores start filling up with new, unexpected tenants in the future.

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