Beloved drug store and Walgreens rival closes after 57 years in business after owner says ‘the world has changed’

A local drugstore that competes with a nearby Walgreens has planned to close its doors after serving the community for decades.

Kel-Save, a drugstore in Sylva, North Carolina, has partially closed as pharmacy owner and co-founder Jeannie Kelley says “the world has changed.”

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The drugstore is reopening only to offload more inventory at low prices for customers to grab before the dispensary closes for good.

Kel-Save has been “a must-have since 1987,” according to a sign on the storefront.

It was a place where you could not only pick up your recipes but also find collectibles and even furniture.

Now customers have switched to a Walgreens location within the community.

Jeannie’s decision to close the beloved drugstore was partly due to the state Department of Transportation’s plan to reconstruct a freeway that Kel-Save is on, she told The Sylva Herald.

Kel-Save could at least have lost some parking space with this redesign.

The 76-year-old shop owner also wished she had more time with her family.

“I have five grandchildren and they need me now and I’m not getting any younger,” Jeannie told the outlet.

“I will probably travel with my grandchildren.”

It was also difficult running a shop at Jeannie’s age and with a changing workforce.

“I don’t want to be in my 80s and have to deal with all of this,” she said. “The world is different now”

Jeannie explained, “It’s hard to find staff. We managed to get some good ones and Walgreens will hire them if they want to go.”

Despite being a rival, Walgreens now plans to help Kel-Save out after its doors shut down.

“They will have a special window for Kel Save customers,” Jeannie said. “My number one goal was to make sure they were taken care of.”

Kel-Save customers’ prescription records were transferred to Walgreens on Thursday.