US Drugstore Chain Rite Aid Closes Its Final Outlets

This prominent American pharmacy chain Rite Aid has confirmed the closure of all its remaining outlets.

Over the weekend, the company's online portal was updated with a message stating: "Every Rite Aid stores have currently shut down. We appreciate our loyal patrons for their many years of patronage." The website also provided a option for patrons to request their prescription files.

Founded in 1962, the firm was at one time a leading drugstore chains in the United States. At its peak, Rite Aid operated up to 5,000 outlets.

However in the past few years, the chain encountered monetary difficulties and a federal probe. Recent data showed under 100 locations remained.

Rite Aid had filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and again in mid-2025.

The firm also faced legal troubles over its role in the opioid crisis. In 2022, Rite Aid paid up to $30 million to resolve lawsuits claiming it contributed to the spread of painkillers in the United States.

In the subsequent year, in its 2023 filing, the company indicated that reorganization would help it "settle litigation disputes."

Rite Aid also faced a Justice Department complaint in which officials claimed the firm's locations filled unlawful orders for oxycodone and fentanyl. The company reached a resolution in mid-2024.

Other US pharmacy retailers have also been shutting down stores throughout the United States, though various reasons have been cited.

Over the past few years, CVS has shut down over 1,000 stores as part of a broader move.

In a similar vein, Walgreens, which was recently acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, closed 500 locations in the last twelve months.

Analysts have raised concerns about growing "pharmacy dead zones" in the US, where a large number of residents live lacking a pharmacy close by and must commute to have medications filled.