Rite Aid celebrates reopening of Baltimore location

BALTIMORE — Rite Aid celebrated the grand reopening of the Rite Aid at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Baltimore Tuesday, marking the return of a store that had been operating out of a temporary trailer since May after sustaining significant damage during protests earlier this year. Joining Rite Aid EVP store operations Bryan Everett at a ribbon-cutting ceremony were U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. 

 

(Click here to see photos of the event.)

 

“Rite Aid is proud of its longstanding commitment to the Baltimore community, having had a presence in the city for nearly 40 years,” Everett said. “Reopening and rebuilding at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was a priority for our company, as we know local community residents depend on Rite Aid for both their health and everyday needs. Thanks to the efforts of our many associates, our builders and city, state and federal officials over the past five months, we are here today. We look forward to welcoming back our customers and delivering on our mission of improving the health and wellness of Baltimore.”

 

The rebuilt store features the company’s highly popular Genuine Wellbeing store format. Upon entering the store, there is a direct wooden path leading to the pharmacy department. Wellness Stores have pharmacists with special training in diabetes care, medication management and immunization against about a dozen diseases. The store features a private consultation room adjacent to the pharmacy where Rite Aid pharmacists can have conversations with patients, administer immunizations and offer other clinical pharmacy services. 

 

Also available to customers as a resource is a Wellness Ambassador, who serves as a bridge between the front end of the store and the pharmacy. Wellness Ambassadors work closely with Rite Aid pharmacists to provide customers with access to information on over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements and Rite Aid programs and services. 

 

Other key design features include overhead departmental rings designating each section of the store such as beauty, food, home care and seasonal; a relaxing, warm color palette with soothing wood tones and softer lighting; a reconfigured check-out area; multiple drive-thru pharmacy lanes; hundreds of new health and wellness products including organic and gluten-free foods; expanded vitamin selection; a free-standing nail bar as part of the expanded cosmetics and beauty section; and an expanded food department including the addition of food and beverage coolers. 

 

In honor of the grand reopening, the Rite Aid Foundation presented a $10,000 donation to Bettye Adams, principal of The Historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School. The school, which is located less than a half mile from the Rite Aid at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, serves nearly 500 students and will use the donation to help fund athletic equipment for physical education classes.

 

Also joining the ceremony were Cabinet Secretary and assistant to President Obama, Broderick Johnson, Maryland Sen. Catherine Pugh, Baltimore City Council president Jack Young, Baltimore City councilmen Eric Costello and Nick Mosby and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy dean Natalie Eddington.

 

Rite Aid currently operates 30 stores in the city of Baltimore and an additional 70 locations in the surrounding area.