CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) announced today the grand opening of a new store in Harrisburg, Pa. Located at 4999 Jonestown Road, this is the first net-new store built by the Company since 2010. U.S. Congressman Lou Barletta (PA-11) will join John Standley, Rite Aid chairman and CEO and Ken Martindale, Rite Aid president and chief operating officer and president of The Rite Aid Foundation, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store, today at 10:30 a.m.
“Today is truly a day of celebration for Rite Aid as we celebrate the grand opening of our first net-new store to be built since 2010, right here in Harrisburg, just miles from our corporate headquarters,” said Standley. “As we begin to build up our development pipeline through new and relocated stores, we are laying the foundation for future growth and continuing our transformation into a retail healthcare company, bringing our unique brand of health and wellness services to even more customers in both existing and new markets.”
Added Barletta, “For years, Rite Aid has provided critical healthcare services to people across Harrisburg, and through this new store, they will be able to continue do so,” said Barletta. “I thank Rite Aid for their commitment to the community and wish them continued success in the midstate and beyond.”
The new store, which is more than 14,500 sq. ft., features the Company’s highly popular wellness store format, of which there are currently more than 1,500 of nationwide. Rite Aid’s wellness store format, which first debuted in spring of 2011, is part of the company’s continued commitment to providing services, products and resources to help its customers and their families live healthy lives.
Upon entering the store, there is a direct wooden path leading to the pharmacy department, the core of Rite Aid’s business. Wellness Stores have pharmacists with special training in diabetes care, medication management and the ability to immunize against about a dozen diseases including flu, pneumonia, shingles and whooping cough. Also available to customers as a resource, a Wellness Ambassador, which serves as a bridge between the front end of the store and the pharmacy. Wellness Ambassadors work closely with Rite Aid pharmacists to provide customers with access to information on over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements and Rite Aid programs and services.
Other key design features include overhead departmental rings designating each section of the store such as beauty, food, home care and seasonal; a relaxing, warm color palette with soothing wood tones and softer lighting; hundreds of new health and wellness products including organic and gluten-free foods; a specially designed GNC vitamin department, including an interactive kiosk that helps customers make informed purchasing decisions. The store also features multiple drive-through pharmacy lanes and a private pharmacist consultation room adjacent to the pharmacy where Rite Aid pharmacists can have conversations with patients, administer immunizations and offer other clinical pharmacy services.
In honor of the grand opening, The Rite Aid Foundation will present a $5,000 donation to the Foundation for the Central Dauphin Schools. Serving over 10,000 students at 19 schools across Dauphin County, the Foundation’s mission is to enhance the academic, cultural, athletic and activity programs of the Central Dauphin School District by offering and supporting experiences that enrich the lives of its students. The donation will support the organization’s PowerPack Program, which provides direct food distribution for elementary school students located in the Central Dauphin School District.
Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2014 annual revenues of $25.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.
