The Rite Aid pharmacy at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Cedar Street in the Town of Southport is among several Elmira area Rite Aid locations that will close this summer when the company goes out of business.

Rite Aid, a once-national pharmacy chain popular for its in-store ice cream scoops, has closed its doors.

The company announced all its stores have "now closed" in a statement posted to its website.

“We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support,” the statement reads.

Rite Aid announced it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, the second time since October 2023. As part of its bankruptcy plan, the chain announced it would be closing all of its stores.

Rite Aid CEO Matt Schroeder said in May that the company experienced financial challenges that were “intensified by the rapidly evolving retail and healthcare landscapes,” according to USA TODAY reporting at the time.

"As we move forward, our key priorities are ensuring uninterrupted pharmacy services for our customers and preserving jobs for as many associates as possible," Schroeder said.

The company’s website is now blank except for a service that helps former customers find a new pharmacy and a link to request pharmacy records.

Rite Aid promised 'smooth transfer' of prescriptions

On May 15, Rite Aid said it “entered into a series of sale agreements and pharmacy services transitioning agreements" that would transition assets from its nationwide locations to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger and Giant Eagle.

Additionally, the company said in May that customers will be able to access pharmacy services and that it was "working to facilitate a smooth transfer of customer prescriptions to other pharmacies."

"As we move forward, our key priorities are ensuring uninterrupted pharmacy services for our customers and preserving jobs for as many associates as possible," Schroeder said.

The company also auctioned off Thirty Ice Cream, its in-house ice cream brand, to Hilrod Holdings in June. The transaction was approved on July 1 by a federal judge. The company agreed to pay $19.2 million for the purchased assets of Thrifty PayLess, Inc., which was owned by Rite Aid before the bankruptcy, according to court documents.

At its peak, Rite Aid, which was founded in 1962 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, had thousands of stores operating across the country. In May, it was operating 1,240 locations in 15 states.

The company first filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2023, reporting $750 million in losses just one fiscal year earlier. The litigation in that case resolved hundreds of lawsuits alleging the company ignored red flags while filling prescriptions for opioid pain medication.

When it emerged from bankruptcy in 2024, the company still had $2.5 billion in debt.

USA TODAY contacted Rite Aid on Friday, Oct. 3, but has not received a response.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rite Aid officially closes all locations after bankruptcy filing

Reporting by USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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