American Drugstore Retailer Rite Aid Closes Its Final Locations
The prominent US pharmacy chain Rite Aid has confirmed the closing of its final outlets.
On Saturday, the firm's website was updated with a message stating: "All Rite Aid locations have now shut down. We appreciate our dedicated patrons for their long-standing of support." The site also provided a link for customers to request their prescription files.
Founded in 1962, the company was once a leading pharmacy retailers in the country. In its heyday, Rite Aid counted approximately 5,000 stores.
However in recent years, the company faced monetary difficulties and a federal investigation. By Friday less than 100 stores were still open.
Rite Aid had entered bankruptcy in October 2023 and then in May 2025.
The company also encountered lawsuits over its role in the prescription painkiller epidemic. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to resolve legal claims claiming it contributed to the flow of opioids in the United States.
A year later, in its 2023 bankruptcy filing, the firm stated that restructuring would help it "resolve litigation claims."
Rite Aid also encountered a federal lawsuit in which authorities alleged the company's locations processed illegal prescriptions for powerful painkillers. The firm agreed to settle in July 2024.
Additional US pharmacy retailers have also been closing outlets across the country, though various factors have been cited.
Over the past few years, CVS has shut down more than 1,000 locations as part of a strategic move.
Separately, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by investment group Sycamore Partners, closed 500 locations over the past year.
Industry observers have raised concerns about growing "drugstore deserts" in the US, where a large number of people live without a drugstore close by and must travel to get medications dispensed.