After filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, the pharmacy chain Rite Aid announced that most of its locations will go through an auction process. Many of these pharmacies will be closing, especially in New York. If you’re a frequent customer, here’s a list of the branches that will be closing permanently.
How many Rite Aid pharmacies will close in the United States?
The company has not specified the exact number of stores that will close nationwide, although it stated that all locations will either be sold or closed. In the case of New York, around 180 stores will cease operations.
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Which Rite Aid pharmacies will close in the U.S.?
So far, 11 pharmacies are known to have either already closed or will be closing soon. These are:
- Poughkeepsie, NY
- Redmond, WA
- Sunnyside, WA
- Craigsville, VA
- Costa Mesa, CA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Keene, NH
- Ridgewood, NY
- Kutztown, PA
- Neptune, NJ
- Halifax, PA
Why did Rite Aid file for bankruptcy?
Since 2023, the company had been facing economic difficulties, although it initially managed to exit bankruptcy through a Chapter 11 filing. However, the pharmacy chain struggled to fully recover and continued to face major obstacles.
One of the key issues arose when the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid for violating the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act, due to dispensing prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose. This led the company to reach a multimillion-dollar settlement.
Additionally, in 2024, Rite Aid suffered a major data breach that exposed the personal information of 2.2 million customers. This security incident prompted a class action lawsuit, ultimately forcing the company to pay $6.8 million in compensation.
How many Rite Aid pharmacies are there in the U.S.?
According to the company’s website, there are currently 1,240 Rite Aid pharmacies across 15 states in the United States.
Can I still shop at Rite Aid pharmacies?
Yes. The company stated that during the bankruptcy process, its pharmacies will continue to operate normally, so customers can still make purchases and access all available services.
What will happen to Rite Aid gift cards and rewards?
After filing for bankruptcy for the second time, the company informed customers that starting June 5, 2025, it will no longer accept gift cards, and will not process returns or exchanges. Additionally, it will stop awarding Rite Aid Rewards points, and all points already accumulated in members’ accounts will expire according to the program’s terms and conditions.
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History of Rite Aid
The pharmacy chain was founded in 1962 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, under the name Thrif D Discount Center. In 1968, its name was officially changed to Rite Aid Corporation, and one year later, it became the third-largest retail pharmacy chain in the United States.
By 1996, the company expanded to the West Coast and the Gulf Coast region through the acquisitions of Thrifty PayLess Holdings, Inc., Harco, Inc., and K & B Inc., adding more than 1,000 stores. In 2014, it acquired Health Dialog, which offers personalized health advice and disease management services through phone and live online health services.
In 2015, it expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of EnvisionRx (now Elixir), a full-service pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company. The company continued expanding its presence with the acquisition of Bartell Drugs in Washington, where it opened 67 stores in 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the company began administering global vaccines at all of its locations. Later, Rite Aid moved its headquarters from Camp Hill to the Navy Yard district of Philadelphia and, in 2024, completed the sale of its Elixir Solutions business to MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
