BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Transition time for first West Seattle drugstore to convert to CVS

Crews are changing the signage on the facade of the 5217 California SW Rite Aid, first of three West Seattle drugstores set to be taken over by CVS over the next several weeks. What was a “CVS Pharmacy coming soon” banner on the left side now says “open during remodel,” and CVS-branded signs are on the posts in the parking lot too. The other two local stores that will convert to CVS are the Admiral and Jefferson Square Bartell Drugs; the Rite Aid in Westwood Village is currently scheduled to simply close. Meantime, as we reported over the weekend, same industry though different company – Walgreens has announced it’s shutting down the store at 9456 16th SW on September (corrected) 10.

Andrew August 4, 2025 (2:13 pm)

All I really wanna know is this. Is CVS going to carry the Thrifty ice cream? Because that’s really what’s important here with losing Rite Aid.

Gibby August 4, 2025 (7:10 pm)

For real. I went to a Rite Aid near my parents house and took the girl to have her first Thrifty Ice Cream. Went in and was informed it’s only available in the tubs in the freezer. Womp womp. I was so disappointed and confused because they had the Thrifty Ice Cream signage out front. Plz keep Thrifty, CVS
- ACG August 5, 2025 (12:47 am)
  
  What is Thrifty? Not familiar with it, but I love ice cream!
  - WSB August 5, 2025 (1:08 am)
    
    Thrifty was originally a drugstore chain that had ice-cream counters. I don’t know what their history was here, but when I was a kid in Los Angeles, we had a Thrifty drugstore and Sav-On drugstore across Ventura Boulevard from each other in the nearest business district, and I remember the Thrifty ice cream. Didn’t know until now that somehow it had continued to be a thing all these decades later
Jackson Hyatt August 5, 2025 (4:17 pm)

Thrifty Ice Cream was sold by Rite Aid to a group including a couple of owners of Monster. I suspect it will eventually show up in lots of stores. CVS doesn’t carry any ice cream. Disclosure: I am currently a Rite Aid employee and will soon be a CVS employee.

Jake August 4, 2025 (2:18 pm)

This used to be a Safeway many moons ago. Miss it.

WSCurmudgeon August 4, 2025 (2:30 pm)

About a decade ago, I entered a CVS for the first time, looking for a small item that I usually purchased at Bartell’s. I was SHOCKED at how much more expensive it was. I have avoided the chain since. At least I won’t be surprised.

They August 4, 2025 (2:49 pm)

If I remember correctly back in the day this store was a Safeway….

Seaguy August 4, 2025 (3:35 pm)

I know it was a pay n save drugstore before it was Rite Aid.
D Martin August 5, 2025 (2:25 am)

And Pay N’ Save too

Gina August 4, 2025 (3:22 pm)

Safeway, Pay’n’Save…

Rhonda August 4, 2025 (3:40 pm)

The Westwood Village Target should install a pharmacy as so many other Targets have.

Seattlite August 4, 2025 (4:29 pm)

Rhonda…I agree. I wonder what has held WV back from adding a Pharmacy.
- anonyme August 4, 2025 (6:50 pm)
  
  Crime? As for CVS, I went into the SOLU location once expecting it to be nice, but it was sleazier than Rite Aid.
- Paul August 4, 2025 (9:09 pm)
  
  The size of the store is too small.
  - Rhonda August 4, 2025 (10:14 pm)
    
    They have room in their seldom-used seasonal area at the back of Target for a nice pharmacy window similar to the one at the Roxbury Safeway.
    - k August 5, 2025 (7:03 am)
      
      They need the Seasonal area at Christmas and for Back-to-School. That justifies the space for the rest of the year. Pharmacies also require more space than what you see from the window. The Roxbury Safeway has a whole back room behind it that the pharmacy can use for logistics. But mostly, Target is a corporation. They can only have store configurations that are designed and approved by corporate. Individual stores do not have the leeway to change the store’s layout because Rhonda from the West Seattle Blog comments said they could.
    - Rhonda August 5, 2025 (2:25 pm)
      
      K, the Westwood Village Target General Manager told me a month ago that there’s plenty of room for a pharmacy at her location. She showed me their warehouse in the back and it’s almost the size of the retail area.

Stephanie August 4, 2025 (5:25 pm)

The Walgreen’s on 16th and Roxbury is closing Sept. 10. So sad…Bartell’s closed and now Walgreens.

WSB August 4, 2025 (6:59 pm)

Sorry, fixed. Had it correct in our original story from the weekend, then misquoted my own story in this one!

Admiral-2009 August 4, 2025 (5:43 pm)

Rhonda/Seatlite – There is a Drugstore in the Southeast Corner of WV, thus a restriction in the Target Lease may exist not allowing another Drugstore.

BlairJ August 4, 2025 (8:20 pm)

Not for long.

pixie August 4, 2025 (6:05 pm)

According to a source, Rite aide had opened in Westwood with the understanding that they would be the only pharmacy . Therefore Target and QFC could not open one. Would like to know if this is correct.

WSB August 4, 2025 (6:55 pm)

Certainly could be, as it’s not uncommon to have stipulations – you even see them in listings sometimes – that certain kinds of businesses would not be permitted, because they’d compete with something existing.

WS Resident August 4, 2025 (9:22 pm)

I’m cool with CVS. With the GoodRX app, they are the cheapest around for my very necessary, in order to stay alive and functioning medication.

MKN August 4, 2025 (9:48 pm)

No one knows how sad it is to lose our local drug stores then me. Bartells was an institution. Family owned and local for over 125 years . Where else could you get Seattle’s Theo chocolate? A Funko toy, a snack or some JP patches socks? Bartells!

Wsresident August 5, 2025 (1:06 am)

Just goes to show ya, what seems like typical family business- its always about the P & L and cash they make when they sell. They didn’t have to sell, they chose to. Probably with a pretty sweet financial nest egg to carry their families along for a long time. The pharmacy at Bartelll was the WORST!
- k August 5, 2025 (9:39 am)
  
  Not sure who in the Bartell family you spoke to, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. CVS move into the Seattle market aggressively, and parked all of their new stores as close to existing pharmacies (mostly Bartell’s) as they could. They came in with the goal to squeeze out local competition and succeeded. Bartell’s also had a few missteps with the business (a POS software “upgrade” that slowed everything down and created massive issues with inventory tracking, that they sunk millions into and all but scrapped in the end) that coincided with the beginning of the pandemic and a downturn for retailers in general. Those conditions combined with the ongoing pressure and predatory tactics employed by CVS took out Bartell’s.
- Brandon August 5, 2025 (10:11 am)
  
  Of course its the Profit and loss. You think businesses are going to stick around just for losses and survive off of hopes and dreams? With a wasteland of drug stores about, you’d think another company could step in besides CVS to takeoff at an opportune moment and be the new local Bartells. Methinks it wont happen because of various factors in this region.
Mariem August 6, 2025 (1:01 am)
- I completely agree! I used to shop at my Admiral Bartells 3-4 times a week. They had such a wide range of merchandise and wonderful employees.

BARTELL...DRUG ...STORE August 5, 2025 (9:28 am)

Underneath all the fluff comments is the reality that our local family owned wonderful Bartell Drugs was crushed and put out of business. I miss that store.! They had excellent products., wonderful staffing, and were a giant ASSET to our community. Thank you to Bartell Drugs for the high-level store you were.. miss you 😢