RITE AID

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Calling it a first for the drug store industry, Rite Aid will roll out an online coupon management tool for members of its Wellness+ loyalty card program, the retail pharmacy chain said Tuesday.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Facebook fans are getting an early shot at coupons for gifts and stocking stuffers as part of a new promotion announced Monday.

Rite Aid launched its "25 Deals of Christmas" promotion, which will allow visitors to a special tab on Rite Aid's Facebook page to download coupons for such items as beauty items, men's grooming gift sets, electronics and toys. The promotion started Monday and lasts until Dec. 23.

SEATTLE — The combined store count of the county's largest dollar store chains outnumbers that of the largest retail pharmacy chains as continued economic difficulties drive the channel's growth, according to a new study released Monday by Colliers International.

When someone says “pharmacy automation and technology,” the image that most likely springs to mind is a pharmacy robot dispensing pills in a bottle or pharmacists managing operations or looking at patients’ medical records and electronic prescriptions with the latest pharmacy software.


But technology increasingly is migrating out from behind the counter as pharmacy retailers wield it not just to make the jobs of pharmacists and pharmacy techs easier, but to enhance the experience of the customer as well.


CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is responding to a flu vaccination campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by lowering prices on flu vaccinations, the retail pharmacy chain said Monday.

To mark National Influenza Vaccination Week, the retailer is offering flu shots for $19.99 through Dec. 17.

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. — Adflow Health Networks is planning to provide biometric screening kiosks in Rite Aid stores, the company said.

The two companies have signed an agreement whereby Adflow will install its Personal Health Centers in all of the retailer's nearly 4,700 stores around the country. The kiosks measure blood pressure and also customize the user's experience based on screen views, tests taken, test results, historical results, age and gender and other data sets.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's same-store sales increased by 1.9% in November, compared with the year-ago period, the company said Thursday.

The country's third-largest retail pharmacy chain said front-end same-store sales decreased by 0.6%, while pharmacy same-store sales increased by 3.1%. Meanwhile, total drug store sales were $2.4 billion, a 1.4% increase over November 2010's $2.37 billion.

NEW YORK — Record-breaking attendance, a high-profile keynote speaker, four engaging panel discussions on some of the hottest issues facing the industry and exclusive consumer videos set the stage for the 13th annual Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit held on Tuesday in New York.