Walgreens is laying off 256 employees from its support center as part of a strategy to realign its focus on core retail pharmacy services, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker's in an emailed statement.
"While decisions like these are always difficult, we believe this action is necessary to position us to rapidly respond to the changing external environment so we can best serve the millions of patients and customers who depend on us every day for their healthcare needs," Walgreens' statement reads. "We are grateful for the many contributions by team members who will be leaving, and we are committed to supporting them as much as possible during this transition."
All impacted team members will be offered outplacement support and severance, Walgreens said.
This announcement follows Walgreens' recent plan to close approximately 1,200 stores over the next three years, with around 500 closures scheduled for fiscal year 2025.