Nathan Bomey of USA Today reported that Rite Aid's future remains unclear : As its two biggest rivals, CVS and Walgreens, keep getting bigger and more diversified, Rite Aid was hoping to do the same by arranging a tie-up with Albertsons. Privately held Albertsons was hoping to use the deal to go public. Rite Aid and Albertsons said late Wednesday that they had "mutually agreed" to kill their deal. The deal's demise reiterates questions about the future of Rite Aid as a standalone entity. The company has been scrambling to find its footing in recent years as pharmacies face cost pressures in the health care industry, including declining reimbursement funds.