Rite Aid rebrands, targets millennial and Gen X women

Rite Aid will undergo a brand change in the coming months as the Camp Hill pharmacy chain looks to broaden its appeal, particularly to women.

In the next 18 months, Rite Aid Corp. plans to expand the products on its store shelves to have a stronger emphasis on health and wellness. It also plans to remove reduce items to improve sales among millennial and Gen X women.

The update in branding for Rite Aid was kicked off by the reveal of a new logo during the company’s corporate analyst meeting on Monday.

“We can’t rely on a legacy brand identity, product assortment and services that were designed in the past without this growth target consumer or what she stands for, top of mind,” said James Peters, Rite Aid COO. “We are rebranding Rite Aid with a fresh new identity which will complement our merchandising overhaul and physical and digital refresh initiatives.”

The company will be looking at positioning itself as a health destination that will include emphasizing products such as healthy beverages and snacks, skin care, CBD, aroma therapy and natural stress reducers.

Rite Aid has 2,464 stores in 19 states. During Monday’s meeting, Rite Aid president, CEO and director Heyward Donigan announced the chain will introduce a new model of store at nine locations this fall.

Currently called Rite Aid’s Store of the Future, the new space will feature products and services that fit its health and wellness focus. As part of the redesign, each facility’s pharmacy will be located at a more central part of the store instead of the back.

Following the opening of the nine new pilot stores, Donigan said Rite Aid will renovate another 65 stores to fit the new model by the end of the 2021 fiscal year.

Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits and services company, EnvisionRxOptions, will also undergo a rebranding. Envision, soon to be Elixir, includes multiple pharmacy benefit managers, technology and claims adjudication software, mail delivery and specialty pharmacy services, network and rebate administration and prescription discount programs.