Retail Watchers

The Rite Aid on Harrisville in Ogden looks to be a former Skaggs that has been pretty much undecorated and possibly repainted inside. The only department sign is over the pharmacy. The only other wall letters are some thank you letters hanging over the front. The store has a register 1, a register 3, and a register 4. There is no register 2. The thank you letters look like they are from a Safeway decor package to me. There appears to have been a Safeway next door to this store, currently 1/2 Checker Auto Parts and 1/2 available.

Most Rite Aids in Utah have Osco or Payless decor remaining. Rite Aid has not done many remodels in Utah. These locations appear to have a fair amount of customer traffic, mostly anyway, far more than I saw at the Idaho Rite Aids while I traveled, so I am surprised by the lack of remodel work. There are a few RA1 Stores built in the late 90's that appear to be the smaller 13,000 square foot east cost prototype size rather than the larger 17,000 square foot west coast prototype size.

It's incredible to see so many untouched Osco and Payless interiors. However, from a business standpoint it is a disaster. Rite Aid obviously isn't spending any money on remodeling. The customers must hate Rite Aid for it.

What I find interesting is that in some markets Rite Aid has some stores with untouched interiors, along with brand new stores as well as older PayLess stores that have been remodeled. Portland, Oregon is a good example of this.