US Drugstore Retailer Rite Aid Shuts Down Its Final Outlets
The well-known US pharmacy chain Rite Aid has confirmed the closing of all its remaining locations.
This past Saturday, the firm's website was replaced with a announcement indicating: "All Rite Aid locations have now shut down. We thank our dedicated customers for their many years of patronage." The website also included a link for patrons to obtain their pharmacy records.
Founded in 1962, the firm was at one time a major drugstore retailers in the country. During its prime, Rite Aid counted up to 5,000 stores.
However in the past few years, the company faced monetary difficulties and a federal investigation. By Friday less than 100 locations remained.
Rite Aid had entered Chapter 11 in late 2023 and again in May 2025.
The firm also encountered lawsuits over its involvement in the prescription painkiller crisis. In 2022, Rite Aid paid as much as $30 million to resolve lawsuits alleging it fueled the spread of opioids in the US.
The following year, in its 2023 submission, the firm indicated that reorganization would help it "settle litigation disputes."
Rite Aid also encountered a federal complaint in which officials claimed the firm's locations filled illegal prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl. The firm reached a resolution in mid-2024.
Additional US drugstore chains have likewise been closing stores throughout the United States, though various reasons have been mentioned.
Since 2021, CVS has closed more than 1,000 locations as part of a broader initiative.
Separately, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by investment group Sycamore Partners, closed 500 stores in the last twelve months.
Experts have expressed concerns about expanding "pharmacy dead zones" in the United States, where millions of people reside lacking a drugstore nearby and must commute to get prescriptions dispensed.
