Rite Aid is taking a different approach with Bartell. I remember when they took over PayLess. Among other things, they implemented a loyalty card right away (this was a time when even Safeway had no card yet) and had a reputation at first of screwing up prescriptions, not to mention scaling merchandise way back. Rite Aid struggled around here for a long time.Alpha8472 wrote: ↑September 17th, 2021, 9:36 pm Rite Aid realizes that customers are loyal to trusted local brand names. When Thrifty signs went up on remodeled Rite Aid stores in Northern California, the signs were so prominent that it looked like the store was a Thrifty Pharmacy with a Rite Aid logo in the middle.
Customers were commenting on how they stopped in just to see if Thrifty had returned. It really generated more business after the remodel. Rite Aid should bring back more regional brands and see if their sales improve.
Not so sure bringing back regional brands like PayLess would do much now. It's been nearly 25 years. The people who remembered the big PayLess as well as Thrifty stores would expect things Rite Aid got rid of, such as sporting goods, music, bigger electronics departments, among other things. Rite Aid does still have some of the big stores but has been steadily consolidating into smaller spaces.