Rite Aid Launches New Look With New Products, Health Services

Rite Aid announced today the launch of its rebranded identity as part of its ongoing RxEvolution strategy. According to the company, the strategy is designed to transform the company into a leading whole health destination for treating mind, body and spirit.

The rebranded identity includes a new logo, whole health merchandise, a refreshed digital experience, and Store of the Future prototypes currently piloting in select markets. According to Rite Aid, through this initiative, the company seeks to deliver a fresh, differentiated experience across all channels with a strategy that targets Millennial and Gen X women who take care of themselves, their children, aging parents, and even pets.

Over the past year, Rite Aid has been working to establish on-trend supplier relationships, delivering new and enhanced training, tools and work processes to all in-store associates, using Lean methodology to free up pharmacists’ time, modernizing its e-commerce infrastructure and online experience, and physically refreshing its fleet of stores. According to the company, this comprehensive approach is aimed at helping customers achieve a level of well-being that goes beyond traditional perceptions of healthy.

“Customers will soon take notice as the look and feel of our stores is being refreshed, our merchandising mix evolves to an assortment that best supports whole health, and perhaps most importantly, our trusted neighborhood pharmacists are empowered and qualified to consult not simply on traditional medicines, but alternative remedies as well,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid, in a prepared statement.

According to the company, more than 6300 pharmacists are at the center of an effort to provide a fusion of traditional medicine and alternative remedies. Rite Aid’s RxEvolution is built around a firm belief that pharmacists can uniquely help consumers—and the regional health plans and the medical community that serve them—by more holistically and regularly engaging with them in between physician visits.

Rite Aid has invested in continuing education to ensure that all of its’ pharmacists are certified immunizers, as well as trained integrative pharmacy specialists. According to Rite Aid, these pharmacists are uniquely qualified and prepared to elevate the overall well-being of their customers and communities.

“Pharmacists are perhaps the most trusted and accessible—yet underutilized—health care providers,” said Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president, chief pharmacy officer, Rite Aid, in a prepared statement. “Pharmacists can and do serve as the last-mile connector in the health care ecosystem, and are trusted health care experts in people’s day-to-day lives. We’re unlocking their potential so our pharmacists can shine and do what they do best: care for our communities and customers.”

The whole health experience carries through Rite Aid’s retail and digital footprint—the product assortment is shifting based on the insight that Rite Aid’s growth target consumers increasingly crave products that are conducive to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Throughout Rite Aid stores and digital experiences, customers will find products with attributes that today’s consumers demand, such as organic, non-GMO, cruelty-free, clean, and free from harmful chemicals.

The merchandising mix also includes a shift toward alternative remedies that support whole health — products that help customers get better sleep, alleviate stress, support immunity, and address pain are all major focus areas for Rite Aid. As more wellness-oriented products hit the shelves, Rite Aid pharmacists are ready to offer insight and answer questions. Additionally, front-end associates are receiving ongoing education on these new products and their attributes so that they can help customers find what they need.

In recent months, Rite Aid also launched a modernized online experience through RiteAid.com and its mobile app, kicking off a digital refresh that provides customers with an elevated user experience. The enhanced RiteAid.com and mobile app feature a new look with personalized content, intuitive navigation and a more user-friendly online shopping cart.

In addition to existing prescription delivery options, Rite Aid has continued to form partnerships and invest in technology to offer customers new omnichannel shopping options. For example, a recent partnership with Instacart made delivery of nonprescription items available across the chain’s entire retail footprint, which has become even more important amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Rite Aid also offers prescription delivery at most locations, and will soon announce a new partnership to expand this service.

Additionally, through the RxEvolution initiative, Rite Aid recently introduced its first 2 “Stores of the Future” in Etters, Pennsylvania, and Littleton, New Hampshire. The third “Store of the Future” opened today in Moscow, Pennsylvania, with additional locations rolling out in select markets in the coming months.

According to Rite Aid, its’ “Stores of the Future” revolutionize the classic drug store experience by bringing pharmacists out from behind the counter and into the open, enabling them to be easily accessible to offer advice to customers. Featuring an airy interior filled with vibrant colors, modern signage and an enhanced merchandise assortment, Rite Aid “Stores of the Future” are modern neighborhood destinations to inspire clean, healthy living, the company said in a statement.

Rite Aid will also have beauty ambassadors in select stores to offer guidance on the company’s beauty product mix, which includes a shift toward natural, chemical-free options. According to the company, the result of the changes is a store that feels like a spa-like destination.

REFERENCE

Rite Aid Unveils Vision for the Future of Retail Pharmacy [new release]. Camp Hill, PA; November 9, 2020: Rite Aid. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.riteaid.com/corporate/news/-/pressreleases/news-room/2020/rite-aid-unveils-vision-for-the-future-of-retail-pharmacy