Massachusetts retailers continue to struggle to stay above water. A few examples include Stop and Shop closing down seven stores in Massachusetts on October 31. Restaurants are also calling it quits in some areas of the Bay State. Friendly's in Greenfield and Springfield recently shut their doors along with 99 Restaurants in the Holyoke Mall. It's a sign of the times as people tighten their belts and find other ways to shop and dine.

Another retailer feeling the changes in the way people shop is CVS. Various online sources have reported that CVS will eliminate 800 employees this January. This round of layoffs is part of a bigger layoff goal which will be a total of 3,000 employees getting the axe throughout various locations.

The reason behind the planned layoffs is quite simple. People are finding new, easier and cheaper ways to get their prescriptions. I can relate, I know Walmart is a corporate giant but aside from my mail-order company for prescriptions, Walmart is one of the easiest and cheapest in-store retailers I have done business with when needing to pick up a last-minute prescription. The lines aren't that long, the folks behind the desk are on the ball and they are very easy to speak with you. They don't keep me waiting much longer than a couple of minutes.

At this point, it hasn't been revealed which CVS stores will be cutting employees or if any layoffs will be from Massachusetts stores. CVS has nearly 400 locations in the Bay State including Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and many more. Keep checking back for updates.

LOOK: 50 Beloved Retail Chains That No Longer Exist

Stacker takes a look at 50 major retail chains that no longer exist and the reasons for their demise.  

Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer

LOOK: 50 Famous brands that no longer exist

Stacker compiled a list of more than four dozen famous consumer brands that no longer exist, consulting sites such as TheStreet, Good Housekeeping, and Eat This, Not That!, along with numerous throwback sites dedicated to consumer brands.

Gallery Credit: Liz Barrett Foster

LOOK: Things from the year you were born that don't exist anymore

The iconic (and at times silly) toys, technologies, and electronics have been usurped since their grand entrance, either by advances in technology or breakthroughs in common sense. See how many things on this list trigger childhood memories—and which ones were here and gone so fast you missed them entirely.

Gallery Credit: Stacey Marcus