Rite Aid Corp. has extended its partnership with GNC and plans to add hundreds more of the nutritional supplement retailer's store-within-a-store departments to its drug stores.

"Rite Aid’s strategic partnership with GNC is a point of differentiation, both in the chain drug industry and with our customers," commented Ken Martindale, president and chief operating officer at Rite Aid.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has extended its partnership with GNC and plans to add hundreds more of the nutritional supplement retailer’s store-within-a-store departments to its drug stores.

The drug chain said Thursday that the agreement expands the Rite Aid-GNC partnership to 2019. In addition, the pact allows Rite Aid to put at least 300 more GNC LiveWell sections inside its stores over the next five years.

As of Dec. 19, more than 2,200 Rite Aid stores had GNC departments, including most stores with Rite Aid’s wellness format, which features enhanced front-end offerings plus expanded pharmacy services.

"Rite Aid’s strategic partnership with GNC is a point of differentiation, both in the chain drug industry and with our customers," Rite Aid president and chief operating officer Ken Martindale said in a statement. "With the extension of our retail agreement with GNC, we will be able to continue bringing our customers the outstanding lineup of highly popular GNC products they trust while delivering on our mission of helping our customers meet their unique health and wellness needs."

Rite Aid and GNC have had an exclusive partnership in the chain drug channel since December 1998.

"Rite Aid has long been an important part of GNC’s growth strategy, serving as an invaluable partner as we’ve worked to grow our brand," stated Tom Dowd, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and general manager at GNC. "As a leading global specialty retailer of vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplement products, sports nutrition products and diet products, GNC shares Rite Aid’s commitment to improving the health and wellness of its customers. We look forward to working together to bring our successful ‘store-within-a-store’ to more Rite Aid pharmacies over the next five years, making it easier than ever for people to live well."