SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)
                     December 18, 2003 (December 18, 2003)


                              RITE AID CORPORATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




  Delaware                            1-5742                     23-1614034
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission             (IRS Employer
  of Incorporation)                 File Number)            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
                                                      -----------------------


                                      None
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
<PAGE>

Item 7.   Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

99.1 Registrant's Press Release, dated December 18, 2003.


Item 12.  Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On December 18, 2003, we announced our financial position and results of
operations as of and for the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended
November 29, 2003. The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference.

The announcement includes a non-GAAP financial measure, "Adjusted EBITDA."

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) from operations excluding the
impact of income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, LIFO
adjustments, charges or credits for store closing and impairment, inventory
write-downs related to closed stores, stock-based compensation expense, share of
loss from equity investments, debt modifications and retirements, litigation
proceeds, litigation expense, expense of the defense against litigation related
to prior managements' business practices and the defense of prior management,
sales of assets and investments, and non-recurring items. We reference this
non-GAAP financial measure frequently in our decision-making because it provides
supplemental information that facilitates internal comparisons to historical
operating performance of prior periods and external comparisons to competitors'
historical operating performance. In addition, incentive compensation is based
on Adjusted EBITDA and we base our forward-looking estimates on Adjusted EBITDA
to facilitate quantification of planned business activities and enhance
subsequent follow-up with comparisons of actual to planned Adjusted EBITDA. We
include this non-GAAP financial measure in our earnings announcement in order to
provide transparency to investors and enable investors to compare our operating
performance with the operating performance of our competitors.

 The information furnished pursuant to this Current Report on Form 8-K
(including the exhibit hereto) shall not be considered "filed" under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, nor shall it be incorporated by
reference into future filings by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, unless the
Company expressly sets forth in such future filing that such information is to
be considered "filed" or incorporated by reference therein.


<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                      RITE AID CORPORATION





Dated: December 18, 2003              By:  /s/ Robert B. Sari
                                         ------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Robert B. Sari
                                         Title: Senior Vice President,
                                                General Counsel and Secretary


<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.       Description

 99.1             Registrant's Press Release dated December 18, 2003.
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RITE AID CORP", "cik": "0000084129", "assigned-sic": "5912", "irs-number": "231614034", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0302"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-05742", "film-number": "031061326"}, "business-address": {"street1": "30 HUNTER LANE", "city": "CAMP HILL OWN", "state": "PA", "zip": "17011", "phone": "7177612633"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "PO BOX 3165", "city": "HARRISBURG", "state": "PA", "zip": "17105"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "RACK RITE DISTRIBUTORS", "date-changed": "19680510"}, {"former-conformed-name": "LEHRMAN LOUIS & CO", "date-changed": "19680510"}]}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)
                     December 18, 2003 (December 18, 2003)

                              RITE AID CORPORATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  Delaware                            1-5742                     23-1614034
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission             (IRS Employer
  of Incorporation)                 File Number)            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
                                                      -----------------------

                                      None
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Item 7.   Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

99.1 Registrant's Press Release, dated December 18, 2003.

Item 12.  Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On December 18, 2003, we announced our financial position and results of
operations as of and for the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended
November 29, 2003. The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference.

The announcement includes a non-GAAP financial measure, "Adjusted EBITDA."

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) from operations excluding the
impact of income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, LIFO
adjustments, charges or credits for store closing and impairment, inventory
write-downs related to closed stores, stock-based compensation expense, share of
loss from equity investments, debt modifications and retirements, litigation
proceeds, litigation expense, expense of the defense against litigation related
to prior managements' business practices and the defense of prior management,
sales of assets and investments, and non-recurring items. We reference this
non-GAAP financial measure frequently in our decision-making because it provides
supplemental information that facilitates internal comparisons to historical
operating performance of prior periods and external comparisons to competitors'
historical operating performance. In addition, incentive compensation is based
on Adjusted EBITDA and we base our forward-looking estimates on Adjusted EBITDA
to facilitate quantification of planned business activities and enhance
subsequent follow-up with comparisons of actual to planned Adjusted EBITDA. We
include this non-GAAP financial measure in our earnings announcement in order to
provide transparency to investors and enable investors to compare our operating
performance with the operating performance of our competitors.

 The information furnished pursuant to this Current Report on Form 8-K
(including the exhibit hereto) shall not be considered "filed" under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, nor shall it be incorporated by
reference into future filings by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, unless the
Company expressly sets forth in such future filing that such information is to
be considered "filed" or incorporated by reference therein.
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                      RITE AID CORPORATION

Dated: December 18, 2003              By:  /s/ Robert B. Sari
                                         ------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Robert B. Sari
                                         Title: Senior Vice President,
                                                General Counsel and Secretary
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.       Description

 99.1             Registrant's Press Release dated December 18, 2003.