The Inter-Mountain photo by Joe Blankenship The Walgreens store and pharmacy in Parsons will close its doors for good on Dec. 14, officials said Tuesday.

PARSONS — The Walgreens store and pharmacy in Parsons will close its doors for good on Thursday, Dec. 14, officials said Tuesday.

“The pharmacy will close at 3 p.m. that day,” a store official told The Inter-Mountain Tuesday. “That will be the last day for the store, as well.

“It’s very, very said. It’s completely out of our control here locally,” the official said. “It’s very sad for the community.”

Walgreens is the second-largest retail pharmacy company.

Walgreens said in 2019 it would close 200 stores, and in June announced an additional 150 store closures in the United States.

The chain is also slated to close 300 locations in the United Kingdom.

Walgreens operates almost 9,000 stores in America. The chain expects to close the 150 U.S locations by the end of its next fiscal year, Aug 31, 2024, officials said.

Corporate officials added that Walgreens also eliminated more than 500 jobs, or around 10% of its corporate and U.S. office support workforce.

Walgreens reported lower earnings in June compared to the same quarter last year. The company earned $118 million, or 14 cents a share, this year, as compared to $289 million, or 33 cents a share, a year ago.

Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer said the store closings would save $3.3 billion by the end of this year, and a projected $800 million more in 2024.

The company has also faced employee discontent, as workers at 500 locations, including pharmacists, technicians and support staff, planned a three-day walkout in October.