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.