American Drugstore Retailer Rite Aid Closes Its Final Stores
This major US pharmacy retailer Rite Aid has announced the closure of its last stores.
On Saturday, the company's online portal was updated with a message stating: "All Rite Aid locations have now shut down. We appreciate our dedicated customers for their many years of patronage." The site also provided a link for customers to obtain their prescription records.
Established in 1962, the firm was at one time a leading drugstore retailers in the United States. At its peak, Rite Aid had approximately 5,000 outlets.
But in the past few years, the chain faced monetary difficulties and a Justice Department probe. As of last Friday fewer than 100 locations were still open.
Rite Aid had entered Chapter 11 in late 2023 and then in mid-2025.
The firm also faced legal troubles over its involvement in the opioid epidemic. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to settle lawsuits claiming it contributed to the spread of opioids in the US.
The following year, in its 2023 submission, the firm indicated that restructuring would help it "resolve legal claims."
Rite Aid also faced a Justice Department complaint in which authorities claimed the firm's locations processed illegal prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl. The firm agreed to resolution in mid-2024.
Other US drugstore chains have likewise been closing retail locations throughout the United States, though different factors have been cited.
Over the past few years, CVS has shut down over 1,000 locations as part of a strategic move.
In a similar vein, Walgreens, which was not long ago purchased by investment group Sycamore Partners, shut down 500 locations over the past year.
Experts have expressed concerns about growing "drugstore deserts" in the US, where millions of people live lacking a pharmacy nearby and must travel to get prescriptions dispensed.
