We compared the shopping experience at the Walmart and Rite Aid pharmacies, and the drugstore chain came out on top

Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

Rite Aid provided a warmer shopping experience than Walmart.

• Rite Aid is a leading drugstore chain in the US, with close to 2,500 stores in 19 states.
• Walmart's pharmacies are also popular and convenient destinations for picking up drugstore needs, especially in the middle of a larger shopping trip.
• We visited both drugstores to see which provided a better shopping experience. We found the friendly and specialized atmosphere of Rite Aid to be superior to Walmart's clinical and impersonal pharmacy experience.
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"Pharmacy" might not be the first word you associate with Walmart. But, the superstore retailer operates one of the largest pharmacy chains in the US, according to research from the Drug Channels Institute.

Rite Aid is also a top pharmacy chain, with close to 2,500 stores in 19 states.

Read more: I ordered the same items from Amazon and Walmart to see which would do one-day shipping better - but both had issues

Both Rite Aid and Walmart offer similar products and services, like flu shots and over-the-counter medicine. But each offers a vastly different customer experience - and for something as personal as health and well-being, the customer experience is essential.

We shopped at both drugstores and found that although it was well-stocked, Walmart's pharmacy and drugstore paled in comparison to Rite Aid. Overall, Rite Aid offered a more personal pharmacy and drugstore experience. This, along with the organized store layout, won us over.

Here was our experience: