‘We thank our loyal customers’: Rite Aid, America’s most familiar pharmacy, closes all stores after decades of service

One of America’s most familiar pharmacy names has officially shut its doors. Rite Aid, once one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, has closed all of its remaining stores after years of financial struggle.

As per PennLive, the announcement came quietly on the company’s website. At the bottom of its homepage, a simple line read: “All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support.”

From rise to downfall

The closures mark the end of a long chapter for the company, which was founded in 1962 and at its height operated more than 5,000 stores across the United States, according to Drug Topics as cited by The New York Times.

In 2023, Rite Aid still had about 2,000 stores and 45,000 employees, including 6,100 pharmacists. But the company had faced years of challenges. Rite Aid struggled to compete with larger rivals like CVS and Walgreens and also faced more than 1,000 lawsuits accusing it of filling illegal painkiller prescriptions.

Bankruptcy and store closures

Financial troubles mounted. They filed for Chapter 11 in October 2023 and closed 154 stores. After that did not work, they filed again in May 2025 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

Executives said the only path forward was to sell off assets through the bankruptcy process. Between May and August 2025, Rite Aid filed 20 separate updates in bankruptcy court announcing which stores would close next.

The very last two locations, one in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and another in Bend, Oregon, closed on September 29.

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Customers redirected

Rite Aid customers were told that their prescriptions and records would be transferred to other chains, including CVS, Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger, Weis, and Giant Eagle. CVS also took over 64 stores in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

The company’s departure has left many empty storefronts. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 45 stores in Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Lebanon, Perry, and Lancaster counties have been shuttered in recent years, with many spaces still vacant.

Farewell message

Reflecting on the closure, Rite Aid’s chief executive Matt Schroeder said earlier this year, “The company has played a critical role in supporting the health care needs of countless Americans. I will be forever grateful to our thousands of associates for their commitment to Rite Aid and its mission.”

FAQs

1. Why did Rite Aid close all its stores?

Rite Aid faced years of financial struggles, competition from larger chains like CVS and Walgreens, and legal challenges. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice, the company decided to close all remaining stores.

2. Where can I transfer my Rite Aid prescriptions?

Rite Aid customers can have their prescriptions and immunization records transferred to CVS, Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger, Weis, Giant Eagle, and other participating pharmacies.

3. When did Rite Aid close its last stores?

The final two Rite Aid locations closed on September 29, 2025, in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Bend, Oregon.