New Yorkers are used to grieving the loss of mom-and-pop shops and neighborhood staples, but chain stores? Not so much. But the problems affecting local retailers are taking a toll on some of the city’s bigger and better-known chains—including the once-ubiquitous Duane Reade.
Less than 10 years ago, there were 235 Duane Reade branches in NYC, according to the New York Times, but now, as Gothamist reported, there are 91 locations in total. Most recently, on the Upper West Side, the store at Columbus Avenue and 97th Street closed, and EV Grieve reports that several other drugstores are due to close in the East Village.