RITE AID

One of the highlights for Rite Aid’s business has been Wellness+, its loyalty card program that has played a major role in driving growth in the company’s comps, as well as attracting new and more loyal customers.


Customer loyalty has always been paramount for retailers, but as we wade into 2012 and beyond, it is becoming increasingly evident that retailers have a renewed focus on establishing a strong sense of loyalty and creating an engaging customer experience through cross-channel initiatives that are touching customers both in and — perhaps more importantly — out of the store.


CAMP HILL, Pa. — Despite running fewer stores, Rite Aid grew its sales and narrowed its losses during the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012, thanks to a boost in its loyalty card program membership, a longer fiscal year and the continuing dispute between Walgreens and Express Scripts.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A reported "epidemic" of whooping cough in Washington has prompted at least one retail pharmacy chain to increase supplies of booster vaccines for the disease.

Rite Aid announced Tuesday that it had brought in extra doses of Tdap to its 140 stores in the state. The announcement follows a report from the state's Department of Health that there had been 640 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, so far this year, a sevenfold increase compared with the same three-month period in 2011.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is offering personalized reports designed to increase medication adherence, the company said Tuesday.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — You can't uncrack an egg. That's the preliminary reply Express Scripts gave to the district court hearing the case filed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacist Association to block the merger between Express Scripts and Medco. The pharmacy industry's concern, however, revolves around what kind of beast will hatch from this ESI-Medco merger if that cracked egg isn't unscrambled.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is offering new coupon booklets and other services to help customers make it through allergy season, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's comparable-store sales increased by 3.6% in March, while total drug store sales increased by 3.1%, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

Front-end comps increased by 4.6%, while pharmacy comps increased by 3.2%. Total sales were nearly $2 billion, compared with $1.93 billion in March 2011.