US Pharmacy Retailer Rite Aid Closes Its Final Outlets
The prominent American pharmacy retailer Rite Aid has declared the closure of all its remaining locations.
This past Saturday, the company's online portal was replaced with a announcement confirming: "All Rite Aid locations have currently shut down. We thank our loyal patrons for their many years of patronage." The website also provided a option for patrons to obtain their prescription files.
Founded in 1962, the firm was once a leading drugstore retailers in the United States. During its prime, Rite Aid counted up to 5,000 stores.
But in recent years, the company faced financial struggles and a Justice Department probe. Recent data showed less than 100 locations were still open.
Rite Aid had entered bankruptcy in October 2023 and again in mid-2025.
The company also faced lawsuits over its involvement in the prescription painkiller crisis. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to resolve lawsuits alleging it fueled the spread of painkillers in the US.
The following year, in its 2023 filing, the company said that restructuring would help it "settle litigation disputes."
Rite Aid also encountered a federal complaint in which authorities claimed the firm's locations processed illegal prescriptions for powerful painkillers. The company reached a resolution in mid-2024.
Other American drugstore chains have likewise been shutting down retail locations throughout the United States, though different reasons have been mentioned.
From 2021 onward, CVS has closed over 1,000 locations as part of a broader initiative.
Separately, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by investment group Sycamore Partners, closed 500 locations in the last twelve months.
Analysts have raised concerns about growing "drugstore deserts" in the United States, where millions of people live lacking a pharmacy nearby and must travel to have prescriptions filled.
