CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. continued its steady same-store sales growth in November.
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The drug chain said Thursday that for the five weeks ended Nov. 30, comp-store sales rose 2.8% year over year, topping gains of 2.1% in October and 1.9% in September.
Same-store sales in the front end edged up 0.4% in November, compared with a slight decrease the previous month.
Comparable pharmacy sales advanced 3.9% for November and reflected a negative impact of 81 basis points from introductions of new generic drugs, which carry lower price points but higher margins. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 0.1% for the month.
Overall drug store sales for November came in at $2.43 billion, up 1.6% from just under $2.4 billion a year earlier. Prescription sales accounted for 68.1% of drug store sales.
Rite Aid estimated that the cycling of the impact of Superstorm Sandy on prior-year results had a positive impact of 0.4% on front-end same store sales and 1.6% on comp-store prescription count.
For the 13-week fiscal 2014 third quarter ended Nov. 30, same-store sales grew 2.3%, reflecting a 0.2% dip in the front end and a 3.5% increase in the pharmacy. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores rose 0.7%.
Total drug store sales for the quarter were up 1.9% to $6.33 billion from over $6.21 billion in the prior-year period. Prescription sales represented 68.6% of overall drug store sales in the quarter.
Same-store sales for the 39-week period ended Nov. 30 edged up 0.3% year over year, reflecting flat results in the front end and a 0.4% uptick in the pharmacy. Script count at comparable stores increased 0.2%.
Total drug store sales for the 39 weeks dipped 0.1% to $18.84 billion, with prescription sales accounting for 68% of overall drug store sales.
As of Nov. 30, Rite Aid operated 4,595 drug stores, compared with 4,633 stores a year ago.
