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By Jenna deJong

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Rite Aid, once a cornerstone of American pharmacy retail, is preparing to shut down more stores as part of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The move marks a significant contraction for a chain that, at its peak, operated more than 4,500 stores nationwide. Store closures are already underway, with many locations posting liquidation signs and transferring prescription services to competitors.

Rite Aid, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023, recently updated its restructuring plans amid ongoing financial distress. This marks its second bankruptcy filing in recent years. The company initially targeted 47 store closures, but court documents later added 68 more across nine states, according to USA Today. These shutdowns await court approval.

New court filings and statements from company leadership indicate the complete winding down of all operations is expected by mid-2025. While some locations have started liquidation, closure timelines vary. Rite Aid intends to keep stores temporarily open as it seeks buyers and manages its winding down process.

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Why It Matters

Rite Aid's exit from the retail pharmacy landscape leaves a notable gap in pharmaceutical access in many communities, particularly in states where the chain has had a heavy presence, such as California, Pennsylvania, and New York. The company has 1,240 stores across 15 states as of this month, a steep fall from its former count of more than 2,300 stores just two years ago.

CEO Matt Schroeder attributed the bankruptcy filing to mounting financial difficulties worsened by rapid changes in both the retail and healthcare sectors, according to USA Today. "As we move forward, our key priorities are ensuring uninterrupted pharmacy services for our customers and preserving jobs for as many associates as possible," he said in a new release.

Why is Rite Aid Closing All Stores?

Rite Aid's closures stem from a combination of factors, primarily its debt burden and legal liabilities. The company has been entangled in hundreds of lawsuits related to its alleged role in the opioid crisis. Coupled with a shift in the retail environment and rising operational costs, the company's leadership determined that selling or liquidating the stores would be the most effective strategy to maximize creditor repayment.

Financial advisers to the company concluded that selling or closing all stores was the most viable strategy and said efforts to keep stores open through a sale had failed to meet necessary thresholds from potential buyers, Newsweek previously reported.

Will Walgreens or CVS Buy Rite Aid?

Neither Walgreens nor CVS plans to acquire the remaining Rite Aid stores. According to Newsweek, while Walgreens previously agreed to purchase 1,932 stores in a $4.4 billion deal finalized in 2018, the companies had abandoned an earlier full-scale merger due to regulatory opposition. No new acquisition plans are underway, and the bankruptcy court will instead oversee piecemeal asset sales.

CVS and Walgreens have indicated the pharmacy market is oversaturated, with CVS actively closing locations and shifting to smaller formats and health center integrations. Both companies may acquire Rite Aid's prescription files during liquidation, but neither is expected to purchase Rite Aid's physical store locations due to reduced brick-and-mortar demand, Forbes reported.

What To Know

Closures are occurring in waves, with some stores shutting immediately and others expected to close by early summer. Many locations have already terminated pharmacy operations and are transferring customer prescriptions to other providers. Employees have been informed that stores in several states, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, will be shuttered by late May or early June.

Store closures began appearing with signs and liquidation sales on or around May 1. The company has also acquired $1.94 billion in financing to maintain operations during bankruptcy and facilitate a sell-off of its remaining assets.

List of Rite Aid Stores Closing

Rite Aid has begun closing stores in nearly every state where it still operates. Pennsylvania leads the latest round of closures, with 44 pharmacies slated to shut down. Below is a comprehensive list of Rite Aid locations scheduled for closure as of May 12, with asterisk entries indicating those included in the most recent update, according to ABC10.

California

• *3860 Sepulveda Boulevard – Torrance
• *5075 Olivehurst Avenue – Olivehurst
• 211 East 17th St. – Costa Mesa
• 1038 East Colorado Blvd. – Pasadena
• 6150 Van Buren Blvd. – Riverside
• 220 West East Ave. – Chico
• 4774 West Ln. – Stockton
• 4920 La Sierra Ave. – Riverside
• 1331 Wilshire Blvd. – Santa Monica
• 446 East Washington Blvd. – Los Angeles
• 23 Peninsula Center – Rolling Hills Estates
• 3300 East Anaheim St. – Long Beach
• 1203 West Imola Ave. – Napa
• 1550 Hamilton Ave. – San Jose
• 501 South Gaffey St. – San Pedro
• 4840 Niagara Ave. – San Diego
• 1534 East Florence Ave. – Los Angeles
• 32450 Clinton Keith Rd. – Wildomar
• 720 Sutton Way – Grass Valley
• 34420 Yucaipa Blvd. – Yucaipa
• 2751 Del Paso Rd. – Sacramento

Connecticut

• 180 Main St. – Cheshire
• 113-115 Mill Plain Rd. – Danbury
• 56 Rubber Ave. – Naugatuck

Massachusetts

• 1031 Main St. – Clinton

New Hampshire

• 360 Summer Street – Bristol
• 41 Carroll Street – Pittsfield
• 75 Portsmouth Ave., Unit 1 – Exeter
• 19 Wilton Rd., Suite 1a – Peterborough
• 354 Winchester St. – Keene

New Jersey

• 75 South Main St. – Neptune
• 403 Sicklerville Rd. – Sicklerville

New York

• *9 Broad Street – Salamanca
• *1070 Genesee Street – Buffalo
• 5901 Bay Pkwy.– Brooklyn
• 8222 18th Ave. – Brooklyn
• 55-60 Myrtle Ave. – Ridgewood
• 50-15 Roosevelt Ave. – Woodside
• 60-26 Woodside Ave, – Woodside

Oregon

• *728 South West 4th Avenue – Ontario
• *4041 Nw Logan Road – Lincoln City
• *2049 West Cascade Avenue – Hood River
• *178 West Ellendale Avenue – Dallas
• *1217 Campbell Street – Baker City
• *44 Michigan Avenue Ne – Bandon
• *313 South Roosevelt Drive – Seaside
• *626 Mcclaine St – Silverton
• 1400 West 6th St. – The Dalles
• 514 Ne 181st Ave. – Portland
• 2521 South Sixth St. – Klamath Falls
• 700 S.E. 3rd St. – Bend

Pennsylvania

• *805 Huntingdon Pike – Huntingdon Valley
• *6 Bochicchio Boulevard – Moscow
• *601 Delaware Avenue – Palmerton
• *315 West Fourth Street – Quarryville
• *2201 West Alleghenny Ave. – Philadelphia
• *10 Newport Plaza – Newport
• *801 Grow Avenue – Montrose
• *2503-05 Welsh Road – Philadelphia
• *5 Friendly Drive – Duncannon
• *260 West Lehigh Avenue #80 – Philadelphia
• *3145 Main Street – Morgantown
• *205 Center Street – Tamaqua
• *9635 William Penn Highway – Huntingdon
• *15 West Centre Street – Mahanoy City
• *4530 North 5th Street – Philadelphia
• *101 East Shirley Street – Mt Union
• *4390 Richmond Street – Philadelphia
• *5201 Spring Road Suite 6 – Shermans Dale
• *1365 Logan Avenue – Tyrone
• *1212 Second Street – Cresson
• *201 West Mahoning Street – Punxsutawney
• *165 Butler Road – Kittanning
• *126 W. Main Street – Grove City
• *111 North Plaza – Apollo
• *5214-30 Baltimore Avenue – Philadelphia
• *1941 Derry Street – Harrisburg
• *5400 Rising Sun Avenue – Philadelphia
• *901 S Saint Marys Street – Saint Marys
• *200 Resort Plaza Drive – Blairsville
• *630 Main St. – Portage
• *207 Route 6 West – Coudersport
• *838 Fifth Avenue – Ford City
• *620 E Allegheny Avenue – Emporium
• *100 South Third Street – Conneaut Lake
• *200 Memorial Blvd. – Connellsville
• *59 North Main Street – Port Allegany
• *610 Broad Street – New Bethlehem
• 1340 Main Street – Burgettstown
• *100 Franklin Street – Mercer
• *1222 Brownsville Rd – Pittsburgh
• *521 North Fraley Street – Kane
• *3939 Butler Street – Pittsburgh
• *1 East High Street – Union City
• *2150 Brownsville Rd Ste120 – Pittsburgh
• 304 Market St. – Harrisburg
• 23 North Elm St. – Kutztown
• 3773 Peters Mountain Rd. – Halifax
• 1039 2nd St. – Pike Richboro
• 843 Rostraver Rd. – Belle Vernon
• 400 West Second St. – Berwick
• Pittsburgh Intl Airport – Pittsburgh
• 209 Atwood St. – Pittsburgh

Virginia

• *115 Brunswick Square Court – Lawrenceville
• *144 Scottsville Center – Scottsville
• *4171 Lee Jackson Hwy, Ste 113 – Greenville
• *200 Augusta Avenue – Grottoes

Washington

• *35013 Snoqualmie Pkwy – Snoqualmie
• *27000 Miller Bay Rd Ne, Kingston
• *909 East Yelm Avenue, Yelm
• *1517 Commercial Ave., Anacortes
• *608 W. Stanley Street, Granite Falls
• *609 Omache Drive, Omak
• 250 Basin St. SW – Ephrata
• 248 Bendigo Blvd S – North Bend

For a complete list of Rite Aid stores, visit the company's website.

What People Are Saying

CEO Matt Schroeder said in a May 5 news release: "I will be forever grateful to our thousands of associates for their commitment to Rite Aid and its mission, and I thank our entire team – from store associates to corporate employees – for their dedication to our customers and our company. With their support, we have played a critical role in supporting the healthcare needs of countless Americans across the communities that we are honored to serve."

What's Next

The bankruptcy court will oversee the ongoing liquidation process. Store fixtures, pharmacy records, and remaining real estate holdings will be auctioned in the coming months. Customers are advised to transfer prescriptions immediately and check with local stores for specific closing timelines.

Rite Aid Rewards points will no longer be issued as of May 6, and all gift cards and returns will cease to be honored starting June 5, 2025, according to company statements.

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