As part of its RxEvolution strategy announced in March, Rite Aid launched Nov. 9 its refreshed brand that the retailer says is aimed at helping customers achieve a level of well-being that goes beyond traditional perceptions of healthy—with a specific emphasis on targeting millennial and Gen X women who take care of themselves, their children, aging parents and even pets—while positioning itself as a “whole health destination.”
“This is an important milestone in our relentless pursuit of becoming the preeminent whole health destination. We’re charging forward on our journey to revitalize the chain drugstore experience—store by store, community by community—and today we’re ready and excited to invite customers to join us on this journey,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer of Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid, which has more than 2,400 retail pharmacy locations across 18 states.
The brand refresh includes a new logo (at left) that is rolling out across the chain, as well as whole health merchandise, an elevated role for pharmacists, a refreshed digital experience and its new Store of the Future store prototype currently piloting in select markets.
The whole health experience carries through Rite Aid’s retail and digital footprint, with product assortment shifting based on insight that its growth target consumers increasingly crave products that support both a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Customers will find products with attributes such as organic, non-GMO, cruelty-free, clean and free from harmful chemicals.
The merchandising mix also includes a shift toward alternative remedies. Products that promote better sleep, alleviate stress, support immunity and address pain are major focus areas for the retailer, Rite Aid said.
Rite Aid’s RxEvolution is built around the belief that pharmacists can uniquely help consumers and their communities by more holistically and regularly engaging with them in between physician visits.
The retailer’s new branding, as well as its new 30-second TV spot that highlights the “Perfect Fusion” of traditional medicine and alternative remedies, illustrates how Rite Aid’s more than 6,300 pharmacists can elevate their role as whole health advocates. Rite Aid also invested in continuing education to ensure that all its pharmacists are not only certified immunizers but also trained integrative pharmacy specialists.
“Pharmacists are perhaps the most trusted and accessible—yet underutilized—healthcare providers,” said Jocelyn Konrad, EVP of chief pharmacy officer for Rite Aid. “Pharmacists can and do serve as the last-mile connector in the healthcare ecosystem, and are trusted healthcare experts in people’s day-to-day lives. We’re unlocking their potential so our pharmacists can shine and do what they do best: care for our communities and customers.”
In recent months, Rite Aid also kicked off a digital refresh with a modernized online experience through RiteAid.com and its mobile app, both of which feature a fresh, modern look with personalized content, intuitive navigation and a more user-friendly online shopping cart, the retailer says.
Rite Aid has continued to form partnerships and invest in technology to offer customers new omnichannel shopping options. Recently, it partnered with Instacart for delivery of non-prescription items across the chain’s retail footprint. Rite Aid also offers prescription delivery at most locations and said it will soon announce a new partnership to expand this service.
Rite Aid recently introduced its first two “Stores of the Future,” a modern store design concept focused on whole health, in Etters, Pa., and Littleton, N.H. A third opened Nov. 9 in Moscow, Pa., with additional locations rolling out in select markets in the coming months.
The “Stores of the Future” have an airy interior, vibrant colors, modern signage and an enhanced merchandise assortment to inspire clean, healthy living. The stores also bring pharmacists out from behind the counter, enabling them to be accessible and offer advice to customers.
Rite Aid will also have beauty ambassadors in select stores to offer guidance on its updated beauty product mix, which includes a shift toward natural, chemical-free options. The retailer said the result is a store that has a spa-like feel and serves as a destination for products that customers can feel good and get excited about.
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