American Pharmacy Retailer Rite Aid Shuts Down Its Last Locations
The well-known US drugstore retailer Rite Aid has declared the shutdown of its last stores.
On Saturday, the firm's website was replaced with a message indicating: "All Rite Aid locations have currently closed. We appreciate our loyal patrons for their many years of patronage." The site also provided a option for patrons to obtain their prescription files.
Founded in 1962, the firm was at one time a leading drugstore chains in the country. In its heyday, Rite Aid counted approximately 5,000 outlets.
However in the past few years, the company faced financial struggles and a Justice Department investigation. By Friday under 100 locations remained.
Rite Aid had entered Chapter 11 in October 2023 and then in May 2025.
The firm also faced legal issues over its involvement in the opioid epidemic. In 2022, Rite Aid paid as much as $30 million to resolve legal claims alleging it fueled the flow of painkillers in the United States.
The following year, in its 2023 bankruptcy submission, the company stated that reorganization would help it "settle legal claims."
Rite Aid also encountered a Justice Department lawsuit in which officials alleged the firm's locations filled illegal orders for powerful painkillers. The firm agreed to settle in mid-2024.
Other American drugstore retailers have also been shutting down outlets across the United States, though different reasons have been cited.
Since 2021, CVS has closed over 1,000 locations as part of a longer term initiative.
Separately, Walgreens, which was not long ago purchased by investment group Sycamore Partners, closed 500 stores in the last twelve months.
Industry observers have expressed concerns about expanding "pharmacy deserts" in the US, where millions of residents reside lacking a drugstore close by and must travel to get prescriptions dispensed.