Rite Aid shoppers have just days left to act as the pharmacy chain begins closing 47 stores this week — part of its second bankruptcy filing in under two years. New York locations are among those affected, and customers have only until June 6 to use gift cards and rewards.
The company has confirmed it will no longer accept returns or exchanges after June 4. Some locations may remain open briefly to assist with prescription transfers, but full closures will be underway in days.
Why is Rite Aid closing stores again?
Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy again in early May, citing years of financial struggles and a rapidly changing retail pharmacy market. CEO Matt Schroeder said the chain is now focused on selling off its assets and transitioning pharmacy services to competitors such as CVS, Walgreens, and Albertsons.
The company has already secured $1.94 billion in financing and is winding down more than 1,000 locations, with 360 store closures approved or pending as of June.
“For more than 60 years, Rite Aid has been a proud provider of pharmacy services,” Schroeder said. “But market conditions have made this transition necessary.”
Rite Aid stores closing in New York this week
More than 40 locations in New York are slated for closure. These include:
- Brooklyn: 1631-43 Pitkin Ave, 5224 Fifth Ave
- Buffalo: 2175 South Park Ave, 1941 Seneca St, 424 Elmwood Ave, 350 Niagara St, 845 Abbott Rd, 284 Connecticut St, 476 William St
- Elmira: 1000 Pennsylvania Ave
- Horseheads: 2898 Westinghouse Rd
- Corning: 100 Conhocton St
- Beacon: 320 Main St
- Brewster: 1511 Route 22 Ste A
- Springville: 40 W Main St
- Jamestown: 963 Fairmount Ave
- Hamburg: 5999 South Park Ave, 140 Pine St
- Williamsville: 5447 Main St, 480 Evans Rd
- West Seneca: 798 Harlem Rd, 1454 Union Rd
- Plus additional locations in Akron, Angola, Attica, Bath, Eden, Grand Island, Fredonia, Montgomery, North Tonawanda, Clarence, Gowanda, Lockport, Hampton Bays, and more.
Closures are pending court approval, but most stores are expected to cease operations by mid-June.
What Rite Aid customers need to know right now
If you shop at Rite Aid, take these steps immediately:
- Use gift cards and wellness rewards by June 6
- Complete returns or exchanges by June 4
- Transfer your prescriptions to another pharmacy (CVS and Walgreens are accepting many Rite Aid customers)
- Watch for signage at your local store about closure timelines
“Customers should not wait until the last minute,” financial expert Alex Beene said. “Once these stores shut down, services will end quickly.”
What happens next?
Rite Aid has made it clear this isn’t the final wave of closures. Hundreds more stores could shut down through the summer, and many may be taken over by competitors.
Shoppers should expect more consolidation in the pharmacy sector as companies attempt to streamline operations and shift toward digital and mail-order services.
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