Rite Aid Corporation : Rite Aid Reports 2.9 Percent Same Store Sales Increase for April

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

Monthly Sales

For the four weeks ended April 28, 2012, same store sales increased 2.9 percent over the prior-year period. April front-end same store sales increased 2.7 percent. Pharmacy same store sales, which included an approximate 311 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions increased 3.0 percent. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 3.8 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 2.5 percent to $1.993 billion compared to $1.945 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 67.9 percent of drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales represented 96.6 percent of pharmacy sales.

Year-to-Date Sales

Same store sales for the eight-week period ended April 28, 2012 increased 3.3 percent, consisting of a 3.6 percent front-end same store sales increase and a 3.1 percent increase in pharmacy same store sales. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 3.2 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the eight weeks ended April 28, 2012 increased 2.8 percent to $3.982 billion from $3.875 billion in last year's like period. Prescription sales accounted for 68.5 percent of total drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales represented 96.7 percent of pharmacy sales.

Rite Aid is one of the nation's largest drugstore chains. On April 28, 2012, the company operated 4,658 stores compared to 4,705 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 Corporation
Investors:
Matt Schroeder, 717-214-8867
investor@riteaid.com
or
Media:
Susan Henderson, 717-730-7766

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