Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For The Fiscal Year Ended February 27, 2021 OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For The Transition Period From To Commission File Number 1-5742 RITE AID CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 23-1614034 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (717) 761-2633 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $1.00 par value RAD New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “Large Accelerated Filer,” “Accelerated Filer,” “Smaller Reporting Company,” and “Emerging Growth Company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large Accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☒ Non-Accelerated Filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒ The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates of the registrant based on the closing price at which such stock was sold on the New York Stock Exchange on August 29, 2020 was approximately $737,566,209. For purposes of this calculation, only executive officers and directors are deemed to be affiliates of the registrant. As of April 15, 2021 the registrant had outstanding 55,101,661 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Certain portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or an amendment to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 3 PART I ITEM 1. Business 5 ITEM 1A. Risk Factors 20 ITEM 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 40 ITEM 2. Properties 40 ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings 41 ITEM 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 42 PART II ITEM 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 43 ITEM 6. Selected Financial Data 46 ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Continuing Operations 47 ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 73 ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 73 ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 73 ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures 74 ITEM 9B. Other Information 76 PART III ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 77 ITEM 11. Executive Compensation 77 ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 77 ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 77 ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 77 PART IV ITEM 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule 78 ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary 83 SIGNATURES 84 2 Table of Contents CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This report, as well as our other public filings or public statements, include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often identified by terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “continue,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “will” and similar expressions and include references to assumptions and relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: ● the impact of widespread health developments, including the continued impact of the global coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, and the responses thereto (such as quarantines, shut downs and other restrictions on travel and commercial, social and other activities), including changing consumer behavior and preferences and the reinstitution of more stringent regulations (including mandatory stay at home orders and the availability, rollout and supply chain of vaccines to treat the virus), which could materially and adversely affect, among other things, the economic, financial and labor markets in which we operate, access to credit, our front-end and pharmaceutical operations, supply chain, associates and executive and administrative personnel. These widespread health developments, or an increase in the number of cases, could also materially and adversely affect our third-party service providers, including suppliers, vendors and business partners, and customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in recessionary economic conditions which could negatively impact our sales. Any of these developments could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations; ● our ability to successfully implement RxEvolution, attract and retain a sufficient number of our target consumers, integrate acquisitions, our ability to obtain permits required for store remodels, and improve the operating performance of our stores; ● our high level of indebtedness, the ability to refinance such indebtedness on acceptable terms, and our ability to satisfy our obligations and the other covenants contained in our debt agreements; ● the nature, cost and outcome of pending and future litigation, other legal or regulatory proceedings, or governmental investigations, including those related to Opioids, “usual and customary” pricing or other matters; ● general competitive, economic, industry, market, political (including healthcare reform) and regulatory conditions, civil unrest (including any resulting store closures, damage, or loss of inventory), as well as other factors specific to the markets in which we operate; ● the severity and resulting impact of the cough, cold and flu season; ● the impact on retail pharmacy business as pharmacy benefit management (“PBM”) payors incent or mandate movement away from retail pharmacies to PBM mail order pharmacies; ● our ability to achieve the benefits of our efforts to reduce the costs of our generic and other drugs; ● the risk that changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including to those relating to labor or wages, the Health Care Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, the repeal of all or part of the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act (or "ACA"), and decisions of the United States Supreme Court regarding those and other matters relevant to the Company or its operations, and any regulations enacted thereunder may occur; ● the impact of the loss of one or more major third party payor contracts and the risk that providers and state contract changes may occur; 3 Table of Contents ● the risk that we may need to take further impairment charges if our future results do not meet our expectations; ● our ability to sell our Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) receivables, in whole or in part, which could negatively impact our leverage ratio if we do not consummate a sale; ● our ability to grow prescription count and realize front-end sales growth; ● our ability to achieve cost savings