Rite Aid Makes It Easy to Find Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gifts They'll Love

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CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Valentine's Day just a week away, more than 4,700 Rite Aid stores stand ready to help last-minute shoppers celebrate the season of love and affection with heart-boxed chocolates, cuddly creatures, flirty trinkets and Valentine's Day cards for classroom exchanges.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that shoppers will spend 11 percent more this Valentine's Day at flower shops, candy stores and retailers across the country. The average person will spend $116.21 on the holiday, although the average man will spend twice as much on his better half as she's spending on him.

Rite Aid stores nationwide are ready to help Valentine's Day shoppers spend less time shopping and more time with those they love. Stores are stocked with plenty of Valentine's Day gifts including a wide range of candy and cards – the two most common purchases according to the NRF.

Sweets treats for Sweethearts

Rite Aid has plenty of candy including heart-boxed chocolates with imitation diamond brooch, sports-themed hearts, specialty gift baskets or an oversized heart box containing more than 2 pounds of chocolate. Kids will love the hearts decorated with Animal Planet, Disney Princesses or Phineas and Ferb characters. Or say it with flowers: Rite Aid carries cloth, LED, crystal and even several chocolate varieties. Most stores will also sell single-stem cut roses for Valentine's Day.

Valentines for the Classroom

Since Valentine's Day falls on a Monday, Rite Aid has parents covered with plenty of Valentine's Day cards for classroom exchanges. New this year are sets from Starburst, Skittles and iCarly. Or, pick up cards alone in 32-pack sets for $1.99. Show that special teacher your appreciation with boxed chocolates or foil-wrapped chocolate apples emblazoned with "#1 Teacher."

Novelty Gifts for Him or Her

Gifts to make him or her laugh include heart-checked men's boxer shorts, kiss-covered neckties, musical stuffed animal for keychains ($3.99) or a dancing lion that line-dances while singing Wild Thing. Or make Valentine's Day a game night with Truth or Dare Checkers, Lotto for Lovers scratch-off cards or Lucky Lover's Dice.

Under a buck

Rite Aid offers plenty of treats under $1 including bags of wrapped chocolate hearts, 5-ounce bags of chocolates, smaller heart-boxed chocolates or decorative iced cookies. Or roll the candy and greeting into one with the original Necco Sweethearts bearing their trademark quirky messages of classic love – "Be Mine" – mixed in with electronic age affection: "Text Me" or "BFF" (best friends forever).

Cute and Cuddly

Choose from more than two dozen stuffed plush figures, all under $19.99, including animated 14-inch Love Puppies, 18-inch Soft Teddy bears or new Valentine's Day Beanie Baby styles for $5.99. To help your gift soar, couple it with one of a half-dozen balloon designs that can be inflated in Rite Aid stores.

The thought that counts

Jot down your own odes to love in one of hundreds of Valentine's greeting cards including musical cards, cards with lights and cards where the opening the envelope makes a sound. Want to add a special something to your card for that special someone? Rite Aid has more than 150 gift cards for popular retailers including restaurants, clothing and sellers of specialty items including online gaming credits (assorted denominations).

Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with more than 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2010 annual revenues of $25.7 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at http://www.riteaid.com.