Rite Aid opens third small-format pharmacy
- Rite Aid has opened its third small-format pharmacy.
- The smaller concept is meant to serve customers in rural areas without pharmacy access.
- The latest store in Scottsville, Virginia, is 2,500 square feet.
Rite Aid has opened its third small-format store, which is part of the drug store chain’s effort to provide pharmacy services in rural areas.
The store, located in Scottsville, Virginia, opened this month, according to an April 7 release. The store is the third small-concept store for Rite Aid, all of which are located in rural Virginia towns. Scottsville has a population of approximately 530 people, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rite Aid’s small-concept format is meant to combat pharmacy deserts — areas that do not have easy access to pharmacy services. Last year, Rite Aid opened the first stores in the concept in Craigsville and Greenville, Virginia. Later in this month, the drug store chain will open the fourth location in Grottoes, Virginia.
At 2,500 square feet, the small-concept stores are less than a quarter of the size of a typical Rite Aid store, which typically falls between 11,000 and 15,000 square feet, Rite Aid says. As Retail Leader Pro previously reported, these smaller Rite Aid locations have a full-service pharmacy and an assortment of health and wellness products that include vitamins, pain reliever, first-aid supplies, bone and jointsupport products, allergy relief and hygiene products. The stores do not offer products in the beauty, food and beverage, or household supply categories.
“We are proud to increase access to vital pharmacy services for this community, making it more attainable for people to get the medications and products they need to achieve whole health,” said Bill Miller, Rite Aid’s acting head of retail operations, in the press release. “Pharmacists play a critical role in the wellness of our communities by helping individuals understand their health conditions and staying up to date on their medications and vaccinations. Our local pharmacy team in Scottsville looks forward to becoming trusted care advisors and helping to improve health outcomes.”