6 Maryland stores to close after Rite Aid declares bankruptcy

Daily Record Staff//October 18, 2023//

Listen to this article

This photo shows a sign of Rite Aid on its store in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2023. Rite Aid, a major U.S. pharmacy chain, said Oct. 15 that it has filed for bankruptcy as part of its effort to restructure its finances. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

National pharmacy chain Rite Aid, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, intends to close six of its stores in Maryland.

Rite Aid plans to sell part of its business as it attempts to restructure while dealing with losses and opioid-related lawsuits.

According to a court document, six stores as slated to close in Maryland. They include three in Anne Arundel County: one at 5804 Ritchie Highway in Brooklyn Park and two in Glen Burnie, at 7501 Ritchie Highway and 7967 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. The others are at 5624 Baltimore National Park in Catonsville, at 728 East Pulaski Highway in Elkton and at 5 Bel Air South Parkway in Bel Air.

The court document lists 154 stores that Rite Aid intends to close, though that number may not be final. It’s not clear when the targeted stores will be shuttered.

The company said Rite Aid stores will continue to fill prescriptions, and customers will still be able to visit its locations or shop online while it goes through its voluntary Chapter 11 process. But that process also will allow it to speed up its plan to close underperforming stores.

The Philadelphia company, which is marking its 60th birthday this year, has posted annual losses for several years and has been cutting costs and closing stores as it dealt with long-standing financial challenges. It has said it expects a net loss of as much as $680 million in the current fiscal year, which will end next spring.

Reporting from The Associated Press contributed to this article.