A Journey-Driven Retail & Pharmacy Experience for Rite Aid's customers

To redefine Rite Aid’s online experience, I developed a UX vision that aligned with key business goals and customer needs. This zero-to-one design approach encompassed strategy, wireframes, site architecture, user research, and visual design. The results were immediate and impactful: $8M revenue increase in the first month of launch. This end-to-end UX transformation set a new standard for customer journey personalization at Rite Aid, improving accessibility, usability, and overall business performance.

Business & UX Impact

0 > 1

Launched a brand-new, intuitive, mobile-first customer experience.

4X

growth in flu shot participation.

$8M

$8M revenue increase in the first month post-launch.

The Challenge

It is an understatement to say that the retail pharmacy landscape was rapidly evolving (even before COVID-19), with increasing competition and growing expectations from tech-savvy consumers.

KEY CUSTOMER CHALLENGES

Fragmented customer experience across multiple digital and physical touchpoints.

Lack of personalized content and offers.

Low engagement and conversion rates due to inefficient customer flow.

Mobile accessibility issues impacting usability and transactions.

I conducted extensive heuristic and competitor analysis to uncover customer friction points and areas of opportunity.

My Role & Responsibilities

Developed Riteaid.com UX strategy based on customer research, analytics, and business KPIs.

Created high-fidelity wireframes to define interactions and content structures.

Designed highly visual ecommerce and pharmacy prototypes for desktop and mobile.

Built a scalable design system and component library for consistency across platforms.

Collaborated with engineers and content teams to ensure seamless implementation.

The final design resolved key pain points while introducing a fresh, modern aesthetic tailored to resonate with target users aged 25 to 44.

Research & Discovery

I conducted extensive data analysis, user research, and competitive benchmarking to inform the new UX vision.

KEY INSIGHTS & OBSERVATIONS

High Drop-off Rates – Most customers abandoned the site after visiting only one page.

Low eCommerce Conversion – 19.8% conversion rate, below industry standards.

Mobile Traffic Insights – While half of mobile users were aged 25-44, the majority of transactions came from users aged 55-65+, emphasizing the need for an inclusive, mobile-friendly design.

DEFINING THE DIGITAL STRATEGY

From disjointed pharmacy and eCommerce experiences to a unified Rite Aid brand.

From limited, static design components to a scalable, dynamic, and intuitive information architecture.

From a rigid design system to a flexible, mobile-first, segment-driven purchase funnel

This strategic shift enabled smarter personalization, higher engagement, and improved customer retention.

Data analysis revealed areas that would drive the highest ROI on UX investment.

I created customer journeys to align the strategic vision with stakeholders and identify opportunities for the greatest customer impact.

Design Process

To ensure an effective, research-backed design solution, I followed a four-phase UX design process:

1. RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

Conducted stakeholder interviews to define business goals.

Analyzed website analytics & heatmaps to understand pain points.

Reviewed competitive benchmarks to gather industry best practices.

2. STRATEGY & INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

Created customer journey maps to define pain points & opportunities.

Developed site architecture & navigation structures to improve usability.

Prioritized content strategy & personalization to align with business goals.

3. UX DESIGN & PROTOTYPING

Designed high-fidelity wireframes & interactive prototypes for desktop & mobile.

Focused on mobile-first design to enhance accessibility & engagement.

Created a scalable design system for consistency across digital touchpoints.

4. USER TESTING & ITERATION

Conducted usability testing to validate designs with real users.

Gathered feedback from customers & stakeholders to refine interactions.

Optimized conversion flows & accessibility for an improved experience.

A detailed breakdown of the original site’s components and functionality helped identify redundant and outdated content, enabling us to streamline and enhance the customer experience."

Low-fidelity wireframes were especially useful in prototyping the pharmacy funnel. I conducted thorough testing with rapid prototypes, resulting in a significantly improved flow for ordering and managing prescriptions. This also led to a 4x increase in flu shot conversions.

"This new site will undoubtedly play a key role in creating better, more personalized experiences that seamlessly connect all our customer touch points.”

Jim Peters

COO

Final pharmacy and vaccine center design.

Additional screens

Final Thoughts

This project showcased the power of strategic UX transformation in the retail pharmacy space. By merging data-driven insights with human-centered design, I created a visually compelling and scalable experience that met both business and customer needs.