Beverly Hills Rite Aid Celebrates Grand Re-Opening Monday, June 23

CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Rite Aid President and Chief Operating Officer Ken Martindale will officially mark the grand re-opening of the Company's Beverly Hills store, located at 300 North Canon Drive, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 11 a.m. The store recently completed a major remodel and now features the latest evolution of the Company's highly successful wellness store design. Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse and local community partners will join Martindale and Rite Aid associates at the ribbon-cutting.

“Since first introducing our wellness store design in 2011, we've worked tirelessly to ensure our stores provide the products and clinical pharmacy services to deliver on our mission of helping our customers achieve their individual wellness goals,” said Martindale. “Our North Canon Drive store is the latest example our ever-evolving Wellness Store format, featuring our most successful merchandising concepts as well as new innovations, resulting in a one-of-a-kind shopping experience to the Beverly Hills community.”

First introduced in 2011, Rite Aid's wellness store format provides products, resources, and information to help its customers and their families live healthier lives. To date, Rite Aid has continuously modified and enhanced the design of more than 1,300 stores nationwide. The company anticipates remodeling another 450 stores to feature its Wellness store format by the end of Fiscal 2015.

The scope of the Beverly Hills project included a total remodel and enlargement of the pharmacy; a reconfigured check-out area; the redesign of several key departments, including beauty and over-the-counter medicines and first aid; and the addition of a Fresh Day Café and patio area, where customers can enjoy Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf beverages, fresh baked goods, sandwiches and Rite Aid's very own Thrifty ice cream.

Upon entering the store, customers will immediately notice the contemporary look and feel of the expanded beauty department that now offers several new prestige cosmetic and skincare lines. Also new to the store, a Rite Aid Beauty Adviser who is specially trained to assist shoppers with all beauty brands Rite Aid carries through demonstrations and education.

Martindale added, “The Beverly Hills store is a great example of how we are aggressively evolving the Wellness store format to identify concepts that perform well and can be broadly applied to future remodels and test new concepts, like our Fresh Day Café. Going forward, we will continue to push the envelope in leveraging our Wellness stores to launch and expand innovative merchandising concepts, with the ultimate goal of delivering a more personal and engaging customer experience.”

As part of the company's continued commitment to the Beverly Hills community and surrounding area, The Rite Aid Foundation will mark the grand re-opening by presenting donations to three local non-profit organizations.

Celebrating its 20^th year as partner of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, The Rite Aid Foundation will present member hospital Children's Hospital Los Angeles, with a check for $422,221. The money was raised by Rite Aid associates, customers and supplier partners during this year's annual in-store paper Miracle Balloon campaign and other fundraising efforts in the greater Los Angeles area. Since 1998, Rite Aid has raised more than $8 million for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Additionally, The Rite Aid Foundation will present both the Beverly Hills Public Library and the Beverly Hills Firefighters Association with $10,000 donations. The Beverly Hills Public Library will use the funds to support several year-round youth programs, including children's story times, in-school programs and the library's summer reading initiative. The Beverly Hills Firefighters Association will use The Foundation donation to support its Junior Firefighters Camp as well as its school-based fire safety and prevention program.

The celebration will continue through Saturday, July 5 with a special event hosted in the store each day. Events include appearances by celebrity makeup artists, free health screenings, product demonstrations and sampling, food and refreshments. Visit www.riteaid.com/BeverlyHills for a complete schedule of events.

Other key elements of Rite Aid's wellness store design include an easy-to-navigate layout and clear departmental signage; a relaxing, warm color palette accented by wood tones; and expanded merchandise offerings centered around wellness including gluten-free and organic foods and home fitness equipment.

While developing the design, significant consideration was given to the pharmacy department, the core of the company's business. Upon entering the store, there is a direct path to the pharmacy, which has been cleared of merchandise and has an eye-catching design. Additionally, there is a private consultation room adjacent to the pharmacy, where Rite Aid pharmacists can have conversations with patients, administer immunizations and offer other clinical pharmacy services. Nearby, the Wellness Ambassador station; Wellness Ambassadors work closely with Rite Aid pharmacists to provide customers with access to information over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements and Rite Aid programs and services.

Rite Aid Corporation RAD is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2014 annual revenues of $25.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.