Rite Aid Closes All Remaining Stores Amid Financial Struggles

Rite Aid, once among the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, has closed all its remaining stores. The company's website now displays a message stating, "All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support." Customers are provided with a link to request their pharmacy records.

Founded in 1962, Rite Aid expanded to approximately 5,000 stores at its peak. However, in recent years, the company faced significant financial challenges and legal issues. By Friday, data indicated fewer than 100 stores remained operational.

The company filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and again in May 2025. Additionally, Rite Aid confronted legal actions related to its role in the opioid epidemic. In 2022, the company agreed to pay up to $30 million to settle lawsuits alleging its contribution to the proliferation of opioids in the U.S. The following year, during its 2023 bankruptcy filing, Rite Aid stated that restructuring would help it "resolve litigation claims." In July 2024, the company settled a Justice Department complaint alleging that its stores filled unlawful prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl.

Other U.S. pharmacy chains have also been reducing their retail footprints. Since 2021, CVS has closed more than 1,000 stores as part of a strategic shift. Walgreens, recently acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, closed 500 stores over the past year. These closures have raised concerns about the emergence of "pharmacy deserts" in the U.S., where residents must travel significant distances to access pharmacy services.