Rite Aid stores to close or be sold to new owner in bankruptcy

Axios

07-05-2025

All Rite Aid stores will close or be sold to a new owner in the coming weeks and months as the struggling retailer goes through its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
Why it matters: The Philadelphia-based drugstore chain is looking to sell both its pharmacy business and its stores, according to bankruptcy protection documents.
Rite Aid bankruptcy 2025
The big picture: Rite Aid faced a host of problems following its previous bankruptcy, including inventory shortages as vendors played hardball with the company on trade terms.
That "negatively impacted liquidity and prevented the company from replenishing its front-end stock," according to Fitch Ratings analyst Joshua Clark.
"The lack of inventory led to decreased sales, particularly in high-margin front-end products, exacerbating liquidity problems."
The company has also historically been "significantly burdened by its suboptimal lease portfolio," chief transformation officer Marc Liebman said in a court filing.
What we know about Rite Aid closing stores
By the numbers: The company has 1,240 stores in 15 states listed on its store locator website Wednesday.
California has 347 locations, Pennsylvania has 345 and New York has 178 locations.
The retailer has been closing stores for years before its 2023 bankruptcy filing, which it entered with more than 2,100 locations.
Zoom in: In a letter to customers, Rite Aid says the "majority of our stores will remain open and operating for the next few months where you can continue to access pharmacy services and products in stores and online, including prescriptions and immunizations."
"We are working to facilitate a smooth transfer of customer prescriptions to other pharmacies," the company said.
What they're saying: "There have been some rumors about stores closing immediately and going dark, especially in New York. These rumors are not true," Alice Eaton, an attorney with the Cole Schotz law firm, said during a bankruptcy hearing Wednesday.
Eaton noted five stores would close this week and said those locations are in: Portland, Oregon; Brooklyn, New York; Peterborough, New Hampshire; Vernon, Pennsylvania; and Cheshire, Connecticut.
"We expect Rite Aid is likely facing ongoing challenges similar to its drug retail peers, including rate reimbursement pressure that is constraining pharmacy margins and increased front-end competition from lower-priced competitors in the discount, grocery, and ecommerce space," Fitch's Clar said.
Rite Aid gift cards and returns
State of play: Rite Aid says it will no longer honor its store gift cards or accept any returns or exchanges starting June 5.
The company also has stopped issuing Rite Aid Rewards points on qualifying purchases. It says accrued points and BonusCash will expire per the standard terms and conditions.
Is my Rite Aid closing? See the initial closing list
An initial closing list in court documents lists 47 closing stores.
What's next: More store closings are expected and possible sales of locations.
"There are wildcards, such as Amazon, which could at least buy the Seattle native Bartell Drugs subsidiary. But this is a long shot," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData.
"The most likely outcome is that other chains will cherry pick Rite Aid stores," Saunders said. "Some of these are in rural locations where the chain has more of a captive audience. However, this route would not necessitate a wholesale purchase of the brand or its assets."