Rite Aid Improves POS to Aid Visually-Impaired

Camp Hill, Pa. Rite Aid announced Thursday that it has begun an initiative to aid customers with visual impairments and other disabilities. Changes are being implemented at the company Web site as well as in stores.

The retailer’s Web site has been enhanced to facilitate ease of use and to comply with guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. The guidelines are intended to benefit blind computer users who rely on a screen reader or magnification technology and who use a keyboard rather than a mouse.

Additionally, the company is installing new POS equipment with tactile keypads that are designed to protect the privacy and security of shoppers who may have difficulty entering PIN numbers on the traditional flat screen.

In related news released on Thursday, Rite Aid announced April same-store sales increased 0.5% over the year-ago period. Total sales for the month, which included the Brooks Eckerd stores acquired in June 2007, were $2.003 billion, up 46.9% over April 2007, when sales were $1.363 billion.