CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has unveiled an official mobile application, which offers customers using smartphones an array of pharmacy and shopper tools.
The drug chain said Wednesday that its mobile app, available free for users of Android and iPhone devices, offers one-click prescription refill scanning, the locations and features of the nearest Rite Aid stores, and weekly sale and promotion listings.
Members of Rite Aid’s wellness+ customer loyalty program also can manage their accounts on the go by using the app to check their point status as well as access Rite Aid’s Load2Card program to "clip" online coupons and add them to their wellness+ card for instant register savings.
"We’ve seen traffic to our mobile-optimized website grow steadily as proof positive that our customers’ communication preferences are evolving," John Learish, senior vice president of marketing at Rite Aid, said in a statement. "With this new app for Android and iPhone-powered devices, Rite Aid is ready to further engage customers when and how they choose to communicate, adding relevant services inside the app that increase the convenience and value we can offer."
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Rite Aid’s mobile application offers an array of pharmacy and shopper tools. |
With the app, customers can order prescription refills by using their smartphone’s camera to take a picture of the bar code on the prescription bottle, entering the prescription number by keypad or refill from past prescriptions already on file. They also can use the app to transfer prescriptions from another pharmacy or sign up for text, e-mail or phone alerts through Rx Reminders.
The app also enables users to check their wellness+ point total and find out how many points are needed to reach the next reward tier as well as access the Load2Card coupon management program, which aggregates Rite Aid and manufacturer coupons and lets users load them right onto their wellness+ card for redemption at store registers. Customers, too, can browse Rite Aid’s weekly sales circular via the app and get thumbnail page views, zoom in to get details, view items in a list-view format and then add items from the weekly circular to a mobile shopping list.
And to find the nearest Rite Aid store, customers can use their smartphone’s built-in GPS or enter a ZIP code. Filters enable them to show only stores with specific features such as 24-hour service, a drive-through pharmacy, a GNC department and in-store health clinics. Customers also can get store hours and call directly from the locator.
Rite Aid’s free mobile application is available at Play.Google.com for Android users and at iTunes.Apple.com for iPhone users.
Rite Aid said the new app builds on services already offered via its mobile-optimized website and complements other communication channels such as Rx Reminders, its free prescription service that sends text, e-mail and/or phone alerts when a prescription is due for a refill or ready to be picked up. Rite Aid also engages customers through social media including Facebook and Twitter.
Currently, Rite Aid is sizing up the possibilities for its e-commerce business and plans a more robust offering, Learish told Chain Drug Review in a recent interview. For example, in terms of offerings, the company sees a huge opportunity to sell a wide array of products online that wouldn’t be carried in its stores as well as to provide a deeper selection of items than what’s in stores.
"We’re starting to put the long-term plans in place," Learish said. "E-commerce is a big opportunity for us."
Going forward, Rite Aid is focusing on five areas of the digital ecosystem: the RiteAid.com website, the Internet store (riteaidonlinestore.com), e-mail, mobile and social media.
"As part of our whole wellness empowerment brand strategy, we have a digital road map of the way we want to use all of the channels to help drive our business," Learish said.
