American Drugstore Chain Rite Aid Shuts Down Its Remaining Outlets
The prominent US drugstore retailer Rite Aid has announced the closure of all its remaining locations.
On Saturday, the company's website was replaced with a notice stating: "Every Rite Aid locations have now closed. We appreciate our loyal patrons for their long-standing of support." The website also included a link for customers to request their pharmacy records.
Founded in 1962, the firm was once one of the largest pharmacy retailers in the country. At its peak, Rite Aid had approximately 5,000 stores.
But in the past few years, the chain faced financial struggles and a federal probe. By Friday under 100 locations remained.
Rite Aid had entered Chapter 11 in late 2023 and again in mid-2025.
The company also encountered legal troubles over its involvement in the prescription painkiller crisis. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to resolve lawsuits alleging it fueled the flow of opioids in the United States.
The following year, in its 2023 filing, the company said that restructuring would help it "resolve legal claims."
Rite Aid also encountered a federal complaint in which officials alleged the firm's stores processed unlawful orders for oxycodone and fentanyl. The firm reached a settle in July 2024.
Additional US drugstore retailers have also been shutting down outlets across the United States, though different reasons have been mentioned.
From 2021 onward, CVS has shut down over 1,000 stores as part of a strategic move.
In a similar vein, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, shut down 500 stores over the past year.
Industry observers have raised concerns about expanding "drugstore deserts" in the US, where millions of people reside lacking a drugstore nearby and must travel to get medications filled.
