SEATTLE: Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs have entered into a definitive agreement under which Rite Aid will acquire Bartell Drugs.
The transaction is expected to be accretive to Rite Aid’s adjusted earnings per share after the first 12 months following the closing of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Rite Aid’s 2021 fiscal year, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Moelis & Company acted as Rite Aid’s financial advisor and Troutman Pepper and Morgan Lewis acted as legal advisors in connection with this transaction.
Founded in 1890, family-owned Bartell Drugs generates over $550 million in revenue and fills approximately 5.5 million prescriptions annually across its 67 stores in Seattle and throughout King, Snohomish and Pierce counties in Washington state.
Bartell Drugs’ stores join Rite Aid’s existing 69 Seattle area stores and will continue to operate under the Bartell Drugs name. The purchase price is $95 million.
“For more than a century, Bartell’s has been an integral part of the fabric of Seattle and neighboring communities serving families with pharmacy services while promoting the health and well-being of local communities,” said Heyward Donigan, president and chief executive officer, Rite Aid.
“The acquisition of Bartell’s fits perfectly into and accelerates our RxEvolution strategy, as our companies share a commitment to total health and wellness, the importance of the pharmacist as a trusted health advisor and the critical role the neighborhood pharmacy plays. Expansion within the growing Seattle area will allow Rite Aid to better serve customers, health plans and healthcare providers.”
“Looking forward to the future with Rite Aid,” said George D. Bartell, Chairman of Bartell Drugs, “we are excited about the opportunity to expand upon our mission to be the best neighborhood drug store in the Pacific Northwest.
Rite Aid’s vision fits well with what we think will best serve the needs of our customers. This is a day to celebrate the 130-year success story of Bartell Drugs, while eagerly anticipating the future.”
Rite Aid is updating its previously issued fiscal 2021 guidance for capital expenditures and free cash flow as a result of the transaction. Capital expenditures are now expected to be between $300 and $325 million, and free cash flow is now expected to be between $60 million and $135 million.
Rite Aid Corporation is on the front lines of delivering healthcare services and retail products to more than 1.6 million Americans daily. Our pharmacists are uniquely positioned to engage with customers and improve their health outcomes. We provide an array of whole being health products and services for the entire family through over 2,400 retail pharmacy locations across 18 states. Through Elixir, we provide pharmacy benefits and services to approximately 4 million members nationwide.
Operating 67 locations in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties and serving the Northwest since 1890, locally owned Bartell Drugs is dedicated to providing extraordinary service that advances health, happiness and wellbeing.