Rite Aid Reports 2.2 Percent Same Store Sales Increase for January

Published on Thursday, 02 February 2012 08:42 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

CAMP HILL, Pa.-( Business Wire )-

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) today announced sales results for January.

Monthly Sales

For the four weeks ended January 28, 2012, same store sales increased 2.2 percent over the prior-year period. January front-end same store sales increased 2.7 percent. Pharmacy same store sales, which included an approximate 230 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 2.1 percent. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 1.6 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 1.6 percent to $1.923 billion compared to $1.891 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 70.0 percent of drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales represented 96.4 percent of pharmacy sales.

Quarterly-to-Date Sales

Same store sales for the 9-week period ended January 28, 2012 increased 3.0 percent over the prior-year period. Front-end same store sales increased 1.4 percent while pharmacy same store sales increased 3.8 percent. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 2.5 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the 9-week period increased 2.6 percent with sales of $4.567 billion compared to $4.452 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales represented 66.9 percent of total drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales was 96.5 percent of pharmacy sales.

Year-to-Date Sales

Same store sales for the 48-week period ended January 28, 2012 increased 1.9 percent, consisting of a 1.0 percent front-end same store sales increase and a 2.3 percent increase in pharmacy same store sales. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 0.8 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the 48 weeks ended January 28, 2012 increased 1.4 percent to $23.468 billion from $23.138 billion in last year’s like period. Prescription sales accounted for 68.1 percent of total drugstore sales, and third-party prescription sales was 96.5 percent of pharmacy sales.

Rite Aid is one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains. On January 28, 2012, the company operated 4,672 stores compared to 4,718 stores in the like period a year ago. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at http://www.riteaid.com. Note that all sales data in this release is preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision.

Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other documents that we file or furnish with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Rite Aid expressly disclaims any current intention to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Rite Aid CorporationINVESTORS:Matt Schroeder, 717-214-8867or investor@riteaid.comorMEDIA:Susan Henderson, 717-730-7766