Rite Aid Corporation today announced sales results for December.
Monthly Sales
For the four weeks ended Dec. 27, 2014, same store sales increased 5.3 percent over the prior-year period. December front-end same store sales increased 1.7 percent. Pharmacy same store sales, which included an approximate 123 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 7.3 percent. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 5.1 percent over the prior-year period.
Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 4.9 percent to $2.212 billion compared to $2.109 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 64.8 percent of drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales represented 97.6 percent of pharmacy sales.
Year-to-Date
Same store sales for the 43-week period ended Dec. 27, 2014 increased 4.3 percent over the prior-year period. Front-end same store sales increased 1.0 percent while pharmacy same store sales increased 5.9 percent. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 3.6 percent over the prior-year period.
Total drugstore sales for the 43 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2014 increased 3.9 percent with sales of $21.762 billion compared to $20.953 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales represented 68.6 percent of total drugstore sales, and third party prescription sales represented 97.5 percent of pharmacy sales.
Rite Aid is one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains. On Dec. 27, 2014, the company operated 4,570 stores compared to 4,592 stores in the like period a year ago.