End of an Era: The last Rite Aid in Citrus Heights has shuttered

By Mike Hazlip—
The fallout from nationwide drugstore closures has hit Citrus Heights, as the last of three Rite Aid stores in the city closed its doors for the final time last month.

Rite Aid at 5409 Sunrise Blvd. has permanently closed and all merchandise had been cleared out of the location by Nov. 20. The location was listed for closure by the drugstore chain in an Oct. 17 court document associated with the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Two other Rite Aid locations have closed in Citrus Heights over the last five years. The Sentinel previously reported the Rite Aid at 6661 Auburn Blvd. closed in May of 2023 and the location at Citrus Town Center closed in 2018.

The Town Center location remains vacant, along with the former Auburn Boulevard location.

Several drugstore chains are also facing financial woes, according to an Oct. 17 report by CNN. The report shows Rite Aid joins CVS and Walgreens in closing locations amid rising competition from online retailers and big-box stores.

In addition to rising competition, Rite Aid faced a $3.3 billion debt load and costs from a legal battle stemming from their alleged role in the opioid crisis, CNN said. The Philadelphia-based company has been in business for 60 years, according to the Associated Press.

The latest Rite Aid to close in Citrus Heights was the only suite that was not redeveloped in the recent construction at Sunrise Village. Redevelopment of the Sunrise Village shopping center has been ongoing since the first quarter of 2021 with the demolition of the Benihana restaurant. Recently, See’s Candies moved into the former Patelco building and updated signage at the entrance was put in place.