CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. posted a slight gain in comparable-store sales for November.
Rite Aid said Thursday that for the five weeks ended Nov. 28, comp-store sales edged up 0.9% year over year, compared with a 1% same-store sales increase for October (covering a four-week period).
In November, same-store sales rose 1.2% in the front end and 0.7% in the pharmacy. Rite Aid said comparable pharmacy sales reflect a negative impact of 267 basis points from introductions of new generic drugs.
Prescription count at comparable stores grew 0.8% versus the year-ago period.
Overall drug store sales for November dipped 0.6% to $2.556 billion from $2.571 billion a year earlier. Prescription sales represented 69.2% of drug store sales.
For the 13-week fiscal 2016 third quarter ended Nov. 28, same-store sales were up 0.9%, including gains of 0.3% in the front end and 1.2% in the pharmacy. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 0.2%.
Drug store sales for the quarter totaled $6.701 billion, up 0.8% from $6.651 billion in the prior-year period. Prescription sales accounted 69.9% of drug store sales.
Rite Aid said comp-store sales for the 39-week fiscal year-to-date period ended Nov. 28 gained 1.9%, with increases of 0.4% in the front end and 2.6% in the pharmacy. Prescription count at comparable stores was up 0.6%.
Total drug store sales for the 39 weeks rose 1.8% to $19.906 billion from $19.553 billion a year earlier. Prescription sales represented 69.5% of drug store sales in the period
As of Nov. 28, Rite Aid operated 4,560 drug stores, compared with 4,572 stores a year ago.
