Dan Berthiaume

Rite Aid and Save-A-Lot in Drug/Food Combo Test

September 8, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Rite Aid and Supervalu's Save-A-Lot limited assortment grocery format are teaming up to test a new food/drug combo concept in 10 stores in the Greenville, SC market. What are your expectations for the Save-A-Lot Food Stores/Rite Aid Pharmacy combo concept?      [more...]

The concept is sound and I think today's time-pressed consumers will welcome a mini-discount grocery store within a drugstore. However, Rite Aid is so far behind CVS and Walgreens that even if this concept significantly boosts performance, their larger national competitors can easily duplicate it on a larger scale with better assortment and prices. The best Rite Aid can hope for long-term is a competitive edge over smaller, regional/local competition.