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Rite Aid sees same-store sales uptick

CAMP HILL, Pa. – Fueled by front-end business, Rite Aid Corp. posted a 1.8% gain in same-store sales for April.

For the four weeks ended April 25, front-end same-store sales rose 3.2%, while pharmacy same store sales —impacted by new generic drug introductions — increased 1.2%, according to Rite Aid.

April and March front-end sales also were impacted by a later Easter (April 12 this year versus March 23 last year), the company noted. Same-store front-end sales for the combined March and April sales period decreased 1.6%.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period were flat at $2.003 billion, the same as last year. Prescription revenue accounted for 67.8% of drug store sales, and third-party prescription revenue represented 96.3% of pharmacy sales, the company said.

Same-store sales for the eight-week period ended April 25 increased 0.6%, with a 1.6% decrease in front-end same-store sales and a 1.6% increase in pharmacy same-store sales, Rite Aid reported.

Total drug store sales for the eight weeks dipped 1.2% to $3.999 billion from $4.047 billion in the year-ago period. Prescription revenue accounted for 68.6% of total drug store sales, and third-party prescription revenue was 96.4% of pharmacy sales.