By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — A longtime pharmacy in the Three Rivers and Vicksburg area closed its doors for good this week without much, if any, warning to its customers.
On Tuesday, both locations of Fred’s Pharmacy in Three Rivers and Vicksburg closed down unexpectedly after decades in business in the area, with no reasoning given on any public-facing company communications.
At the Three Rivers location specifically, which was located next to the recently-shuttered Harding’s grocery store, the storefront had its windows closed and doors papered over, with signs on the window, drive-thru window and front door noting the pharmacy had closed. All signage indicating that the location in Three Rivers had been a pharmacy appeared to either be removed or painted over Tuesday. Such signage had been in place Monday.
The signs also indicated that prescription records would be moved to the Walgreens pharmacy at 301 S. U.S. 131, adding the hours of the Walgreens store and a map of its location. Customers in Vicksburg had their prescriptions sent to the Walgreens at 7920 Shaver Rd. in Portage.
Despite the closed-off nature of the Three Rivers location, employees were seen to be working in some form of manner in the pharmacy on Tuesday afternoon when the Commercial-News stopped by, and were assisting any customers who stopped by and knocked on the door with questions about their prescriptions. No clear indications were given as to the exact date of closure.
When asked by the Commercial-News to speak with someone at the pharmacy about the reasons for the closure Tuesday, an employee at Fred’s Pharmacy said this publication would receive a call from a representative. However, no representative from Fred’s contacted the Commercial-News prior to press time Wednesday.
The website for Fred’s Pharmacy, which was operational on Monday, was taken offline by Tuesday night. An attempt to call the number that was listed on the website Monday for the Vicksburg Fred’s location, after a message requesting comment was left with the Three Rivers location after hours that night, went straight to the Walgreens store in Portage.
The last post on social media for the pharmacy was on Monday, which celebrated Good Neighbor Day, with no indicators or announcements about any impending closures.
The sudden closure of the locally-owned pharmacy, given without much, if any, public notice, is the latest in a string of closures in the last couple of months in Three Rivers. Harding’s closed its doors for good back on Sept. 10, while Dad’s Place closed on Aug. 18. Beacon Health and Fitness in Three Rivers had announced at the beginning of the month that it would close for good on Sept. 30, however the gym will remain open as TRAC under a new lease agreement on Oct. 1.
Fred’s Pharmacy has been in Three Rivers since 1985 at its location abutting Harding’s. Originally started in Schoolcraft in 1974 by Fred Nelson, it expanded to the location in Three Rivers and the location on Prairie Street in Vicksburg over the years. It has won numerous awards in the Commercial-News in its People’s Choice competition, including Best Pharmacy multiple times.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
