Rite Aid, the nation’s oldest pharmacy chain, has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year. On Monday, May 5, 2025, the company went back into Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it struggles with increasing debt, declining store count, and intense competition. It is just seven months since it had exited bankruptcy and attempted to restructure as a privately held company.
Still Open — For Now
Despite the filing, Rite Aid insisted that its pharmacies will remain open during the course of the proceedings. The company wants to sell itself while continuing to serve consumers. “Our top priority is providing uninterrupted pharmacy services and saving as many jobs as possible,” said CEO Matt Schroeder. Rite Aid also indicated it raised nearly $2 billion of new financing to fund continuing operations under the restructuring plan.
A Retail Pharmacy in Decline
This latest filing helps to underscore the company’s ongoing financial struggles. Rite Aid has fallen well behind in the drugstore wars, far behind giants CVS and Walgreens. A former powerhouse, Rite Aid now has only 1,250 stores which is half as many as it had two years ago. Its status as a distant third among independent chains of pharmacies has made survival a challenge in a highly competitive environment.
Legal Battles and Profound Debt
Legal entanglement in opioid lawsuits is also one of the primary causes of Rite Aid’s collapse. The corporation was faced with expensive claims about its complicity in writing unlawful opioid prescriptions. The lawsuits pushed its debt to almost $4 billion. Although the 2023 bankruptcy erased almost $2 billion of that debt, it was not enough to cover the core issues.
A History of Missed Opportunities
Rite Aid was handed a lifeline in 2015 when Walgreens made a $17 billion takeover bid. However, the offer was rejected by U.S. regulators on antitrust concerns. A smaller merger that allowed Walgreens to acquire nearly 2,000 Rite Aid stores for $4.4 billion in 2017 left Rite Aid vulnerable and unable to compete with bigger, better-capitalized rivals.
No Surprise to Analysts
Industry experts argue the second bankruptcy was unavoidable. “The first bankruptcy didn’t do a great deal to address the problems with the chain,” argued Neil Saunders of GlobalData. He added that Rite Aid has not managed to control inventory and has not lived up to customer expectations. The brand has also been marred by poor profitability, store closures, and growing competition from online retailers.
What Happens Next?
The most likely scenario for the future of Rite Aid is a bit-by-bit sell-off. Experts believe that instead of a takeover, other retail and drugstore chains will cherry-pick individual Rite Aid stores to expand their own chains. The bit-by-bit sale may save some stores but will likely signal the demise of Rite Aid as a national chain.
An Industry in Trouble
Rite Aid is no exception. The entire drugstore industry is in massive disruption. Walgreens is going private in a $24 billion merger after losing billions of market value. CVS already closed over 1,000 stores and eliminated thousands of jobs. All three big chains such as CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid are battling declining prescription reimbursement rates, shoplifting, and rising costs.
Changing Retail Landscape
The shift in customer behavior is also impacting it. Customers now prefer to shop at big-box chains or online at Amazon because of convenience and competitive prices. Drugstores, which were mini-markets in the past, are now struggling to define their role. Some, like CVS, are trying out smaller stores with pharmacy services alone to remain viable.
Final Thoughts
Rite Aid’s recent bankruptcy may be the end of the road for the iconic brand. While the company is attempting to sell itself, the market will likely save only pieces of it. The second filing is a painful reminder that even old names are not immune in a changing retail and healthcare landscape.
