Table of Contents
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Comparable pharmacy sales growth more than offset flat front-end results to lift Rite Aid Corp.’s same-store sales for July.
Rite Aid said Thursday that for the four weeks ended July 25, comparable-store sales rose 2.4% year over year, matching the comp-store growth posted in June.
In the front end, same-store sales inched up 0.1% in July. Comparable pharmacy sales grew 3.4% and reflected a negative impact of 221 basis points from introductions of new generic drugs, according to Rite Aid.
Prescriptions filled in comparable stores increased 0.7% for the month compared with a year ago.
Overall drug store sales for July came in at $2.016 billion, up 2.1% from $1.975 billion a year earlier. Prescription sales represented 69.2% of drug store sales, Rite Aid said.
For the 21-week fiscal year to date ended July 25, same-store sales advanced 2.7% versus the prior-year period, including gains of 0.5% in the front end and 3.7% in the pharmacy. Prescription count at comparable stores edged up 1.2%
Total drug store sales for the year to date increased 2.5% to $10.659 billion from $10.395 billion in the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 69.1% of drug store sales during the period.
As of July 25, Rite Aid operated 4,560 drug stores, compared with 4,573 stores a year earlier.
