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Rite Aid Reports 0.6 Percent Same Store Sales Increase for December

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^{Published in Stocks and Investing on Tuesday, January 4th 2011 at 10:00 GMT by Market Wire}  

CAMP HILL, Pa.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) today announced sales results for December.

Monthly Sales

For the four weeks ended December 25, 2010, same store sales increased 0.6 percent over the prior-year period. Front-end same store sales increased 0.1 percent while pharmacy same store sales, which included an approximate 201 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 1.0 percent. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 0.9 percent over the prior-year period.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period decreased 0.5 percent to $2.081 billion compared to $2.091 billion for the same period last year. Prescription revenue accounted for 63.0 percent of drugstore sales, and third party prescription revenue represented 96.3 percent of pharmacy sales.

Year-to-Date Sales

Same store sales for the 43-week period ended December 25, 2010 decreased 1.1 percent, consisting of a 0.6 percent front-end same store sales decrease and a 1.3 percent decrease in pharmacy same store sales.

Total drugstore sales for the 43 weeks ended December 25, 2010 decreased 2.1 percent to $20.767 billion from $21.222 billion in last yeara™s like period. Prescription revenue accounted for 67.7 percent of total drugstore sales, and third-party prescription revenue was 96.2 percent of pharmacy sales.

Rite Aid is one of the nationa™s largest drugstore chains. On December 25, 2010, the company operated 4,726 stores compared to 4,801 stores in the like period a year ago. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the companya™s website at [ http://www.riteaid.com ].