The Smithfield Rite Aid at 1200 Benns Church Blvd. will close its doors Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Company spokeswoman Catherine Carter confirmed the local closing, one of 17 stores in the Hampton Roads area being shuttered as Rite Aid works through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The company states in bankruptcy court documents it is closing stores that are underperforming.

“Rite Aid regularly assesses its retail footprint to ensure we are operating efficiently while meeting the needs of our customers, communities, associates and overall business,” Carter said in a statement. “In connection with the court-supervised process, we notified the court of certain underperforming stores we are closing to further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance.”

Carter said the decision to close a store is not one the company takes lightly. 

“The company, with the assistance of its advisors, carefully considers various factors in its decision-making, including business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and viability, and store performance,” she said.

For customers, Rite Aid makes every effort to ensure it has access to pharmacy-based health services, whether at another Rite Aid or other nearby pharmacy, and we work to seamlessly transfer their prescriptions to ensure there is no disruption of service, Carter said.

For associates, the company strives to transfer them to other Rite Aid locations where possible. 

“In fact, approximately 75% of our associates have accepted opportunities to transfer locations if their store has been or is part of the ongoing store closures,” Carter said.