Rite Aid sales down in April

Camp Hill, Pa. Rite Aid reported that its same-store sales for the four-month period ended April 24, decreased 1.0% over the prior-year period. April front-end same stores sales decreased 1.2%, while pharmacy same store sales declined 0.9%.

Prescription same-store sales decreased 1.8% over the prior-year period.

April and March front-end sales were impacted by an earlier Easter this year (April 4 this year versus April 12 last year). Same store front-end sales for the combined March and April sales period increased by 0.3%.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period decreased 2.0% to $1.962 billion, compared with $2.003 billion for the same period last year. Prescription revenue accounted for 67.8% of drugstore sales, and third-party prescription revenue represented 96.3% of pharmacy sales.