As many retail spaces that were formerly occupied by struggling national pharmacy chains hit the market across Philadelphia, grocers are viewing them as ideal spots to grow their footprint, writes Noah Zucker for BisNow.
A former Walgreens space located at Broad and Snyder streets in South Philadelphia will soon become a Met Fresh supermarket. The 13,000-square-foot store is expected to open next year and add between 30 and 40 jobs to the area, according to owner Omar Hamdan.
Hamdan added that the neighborhood’s walkability, along with the lack of grocery competition, made the space an ideal fit for a new Met Fresh. The popular grocery chain already operates several locations in New York City.
Hamdan plans on adding a pharmacy department to the location, following the closure of the Walgreens that formerly occupied the space last year and a nearby Rite Aid this summer, leaving the nearest drugstore nearly a mile away.
Meanwhile, OCF Realty intends to develop 16 condos and nine single-family homes where the Rite Aid at 801 S. Ninth Street once stood, near the Italian Market. The developer owns the site.
Read more about the vacant pharmacy spaces in Philadelphia and what will become of them at BisNow.
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