US Drugstore Chain Rite Aid Shuts Down Its Remaining Outlets
This prominent American pharmacy chain Rite Aid has confirmed the closure of its final outlets.
On Saturday, the firm's website was updated with a announcement stating: "Every Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our dedicated customers for their long-standing of patronage." The site also included a option for customers to obtain their prescription records.
Founded in 1962, the company was once a leading drugstore retailers in the country. During its prime, Rite Aid had approximately 5,000 stores.
However in the past few years, the company faced monetary difficulties and a federal probe. Recent data showed fewer than 100 stores remained.
Rite Aid had entered Chapter 11 in late 2023 and then in May 2025.
The firm also encountered legal issues over its role in the opioid epidemic. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to resolve legal claims claiming it contributed to the spread of opioids in the US.
A year later, in its 2023 bankruptcy submission, the company indicated that restructuring would help it "resolve litigation claims."
Rite Aid also encountered a Justice Department complaint in which officials alleged the firm's locations processed unlawful prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl. The company reached a resolution in July 2024.
Additional American pharmacy retailers have also been closing retail locations throughout the United States, though different reasons have been cited.
Over the past few years, CVS has closed over 1,000 locations as part of a strategic initiative.
Separately, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, shut down 500 stores in the last twelve months.
Analysts have expressed concerns about growing "pharmacy deserts" in the US, where a large number of people live lacking a pharmacy close by and must travel to get medications dispensed.
