The Owl Pharmacy inside Swanson’s Foods grocery store was shuttered this week.

Customers on Thursday found signs on the front doors of the Swanson’s Foods store in South Aberdeen notifying customers that their prescriptions were moved to Rite Aid. The hours of operation for the Rite Aid, which is located at 301 E. Wishkah St., were noted on posters affixed to the front doors of Swanson’s Foods store.

Swanson’s Operations Manager Lewis Bumstead said closing the pharmacy was a tough thing to do.

“This was a difficult decision and not made lightly,” said Bumstead in a post to Swanson’s Foods social media page on Thursday.

He added that, “All business was forwared to (the) Rite Aid Aberdeen location and we have been assured that all of our customers will be taken care of.”

Bumstead told The Daily World that Swanson’s Walk-In Clinic, which opened inside the store in 2017, will remain open and would be unaffected by the change. Swanson’s Foods stores in Aberdeen and Hoquiam are also not affected by the change.

Rite Aid media relations did not immediately return a request for comment on the matter. A large banner in the Aberdeen store’s parking lot facing Heron Street welcomed the new customers to Rite Aid.

Of the former pharmacy employees affected the closure, Bumstead said in his post, “The pharmacy employees have done an excellent job of providing quality service to our customers for these many years and we know this is a difficult time for them and their families.”