Plainfield patrons are advised to go to Walgreen's.
The recession continues its impact on Plainfield with the closing of the Drug Fair, across from Cafe Vivace and Freshwaters.
As reports began to surface over the weekend of Drug Fair closings, I wondered about the fate of the Plainfield store, in which I never ever saw a crowd.
On my morning newspaper run today, I decided to stop by and check.
Sure enough, the store is now closed, and patrons are advised to have their prescriptions filled at Walgreen's, just down the block at the corner of South and Leland Avenues.
Drug Fair is the second to close of three stores
located in the former FoodTown building.
located in the former FoodTown building.
This is the second closing among the three businesses located in the building once occupied by a FoodTown, before that store's Dutch owners consolidated the chain into its Stop & Shop division. Previously the Family Buffet, which specialized in Chinese cuisine, closed.
The Blockbuster remains open as the only outlet of that chain in the area since its Route 22 location in North Plainfield was closed about a month ago.
Hard times are here for Plainfield businesses.
And the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration seems not to have a clue as to what to do.
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6 comments:
I'm so sorry about the closing of Drug Fair. It was a clean, well-organized store with helpful, pleasant workers. I can't say the same for the Walgreen's. It is poorly laid out, a mess and it's workers are rude....too bad, I'll now have to go to a store outside Plainfield.
Wow Dan. I was just wondering what would be "next" ... and now we know. Really I think this is all a fall out from Muhlenberg. Including an local unemployement rate that reached 20%. It falls into "unintended consequences" A hospital closes, the docors leave, people lose health insurance -- and a store closes.
While the closing of a local business means certain hardship for those employees, chain drugstores and fast food outlets do nothing to improve the character of our city and the "downtown feel" that South Ave could and should have. I hope that entrepreneurial local business owners will move in and open a restaurant, a cafe, an independent bookstore or some other shop that will attract shoppers to our city.
It's a shame. That was actually a very nice store. I enjoyed going there and was always amazed at how there was never anyone there. The proliferation of the BOX drug stores hasn't helped to be sure. I am guessing "restaurant row" hasn't been as great a success as predicted.
I just started to go to Drug Fair after repeated problems with the pharmacy at Walgreens. One pharmacy worker refused to fill my Rx as written, pushing me to take the generic even though my Dr wrote for the brand. Walgreen's person told me they were "losing too much money on this Rx". AWFUL customer service! I was so angry (there were several other incidents as well with other family members and the Walgreens staff) I called Walgreens Headquarters. I transferred Rxs over to Drug Fair. The manager of Drug Fair was always around to chat with customers, and the pharmacist and all the other employees were so pleasant, friendly and helpful. I'm sad they closed. But I won't go to Walgreens on South Ave. Maybe I'll try Rite Aid or CVS.
I have two words:
Trader Joe's
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