A drugstore chain plans to close all nine of its Colorado stores as part of a reorganization.



Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Long’s Drugs, whose Colorado stores sit in El Paso, Weld and Larimer counties, will close 31 locations altogether, eliminating its presence in Washington and Oregon as well.

The retailer had 476 stores in six states at the end of its last fiscal year, the lion’s share in California, according to its annual report.

Long’s plans to focus on markets where it has been able to gain more significant market share, said spokeswoman Farra Levin.

"We just didn’t have the critical mass in Colorado," she said. "We’re also trying to stress that, just because we’re leaving, doesn’t mean we’d never come back."

The retailer, which opened its first two Colorado stores in 1985, hasn’t set a firm date for the closures, Levin said, and will continue honoring customers’ prescriptions.

Levin didn’t have an exact number of job cuts in Colorado, but said that the stores employ an average of 27 workers apiece.