Drug store chain Rite Aid Corp. has announced that for the four weeks ended July 24, 2010, same store sales decreased 1.1% over the prior-year period.

Its July front-end same stores sales decreased 0.5%, while total drugstore sales for the four-week period decreased 2.2% to $1.886 billion, compared to $1.929 billion for the same period last year.

Same store sales for the 21-week period ended July 24, 2010 decreased 1.3% over the prior-year period. Front-end same store sales were down 1.1%. Total drugstore sales for the 21 weeks ended July 24, 2010 decreased 2.4% to $10.163 billion compared to $10.408 billion in last year’s like period.

One factor in the decreases could be a smaller fleet of stores. Rite Aid currently operates 4,751 stores compared to 4,817 stores a year ago.