Duane Reade's new look, initiatives come together at its Herald Square store

NEW YORK

Nestled in Manhattan’s Herald Square is a new Duane Reade store that brings together under one roof the elements of the retailer’s turnaround efforts, and truly reflects where the company is heading in the future.

The store, located at 1350 Broadway and open 24 hours, celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 23. Duane Reade executives Joe Magnacca, SVP and chief merchandising officer; Frank Scorpiniti, SVP pharmacy operations; and Joe Jackman, acting chief marketing officer, met with Drug Store News last week to tour the new location.

The two-story, 14,000-sq.-ft. store is an impressive retail space that is a mecca of convenience for New Yorkers and tourists alike — with such features as fresh sandwiches and salads, expanded frozen foods and an in-store medical clinic — but it didn’t happen overnight.

With the findings of consumer research conducted about 18 months ago serving as the underpinnings, Duane Reade’s management embarked on its “Prescription for Change” turnaround plan aimed at improving pharmacy, fixing the customer experience and developing a relative, urban drug store box.

The transformation also involves rebranding its stores with new signage, a new logo and a new brand mantra: “Duane Reade equals New York living made easy.” The mantra’s goal: to articulate the company's desire to become the destination of choice for beauty, wellness and convenience needs. These core offerings are being supported by a new concept segmentation that is sub-branded: “How I look, how I feel and what I need now.” The company also has revamped its Web site to reflect the new look and feel.

While there are several Duane Reade locations throughout the city (about 30 of the chain’s 250-plus stores) that have been outfitted with the new look and feel, this Herald Square location is important because it is in a very hustle-and-bustle area, and clearly demonstrates where this brand is headed.

When entering the store, shoppers will see to the right of the escalator a section aptly dubbed “apartment living,” which brings together into one convenient area household products, such as Duane Reade's private brand Apt. 5 Goes Green cleaning products, and food items. This area also features “Restaurant Row,” which houses foods from New York entrepreneurs and some of the local restaurants, such as Rao’s Homemade Pasta and Lidia pasta sauce.

The downstairs area also features expanded frozen foods and a fresh food case with DR Delish-branded sandwiches and salads. DR Delish is the retailer’s exclusive brand of food and beverage items that launched in late September.

To make checkout fast and easy, there are two cash register stations at each side of the store that feature a new queuing system, which not only organizes the checkout line but also offers additional selling opportunities.

Now to the upstairs. Upon stepping off the escalator, shoppers enter a beauty department like no other seen within a Duane Reade store. The high-end beauty department, dubbed the “Look Boutique,” essentially is a store-within-a-store, offering beauty mavens brands not typically seen in a drug store setting, such as Too Faced, POP Beauty and Borba. There also is a Ramy-branded brow bar that offers in-store brow-shaping services for $30.

The beauty department, which has customized display fixtures and LED lighting, is staffed with up to six beauty advisors who can help shoppers select a fragrance, get skin care advice at the skin care center or find the cosmetic shades that are best for them.

To make shopping easier for guys, the retailer has created a destination point for him with its men’s grooming section. This is the first store with this type of fixture.

Set off of the expansive beauty area is the pharmacy and the company’s fourth physician-staffed retail clinic. For added privacy, the pharmacy counter features privacy panels, and a private consultation area is set off to the right. There’s also a language line for those pharmacy patients who do not speak English and an expanded offering of diabetic supplies positioned at the front of the pharmacy versus behind the counter.

Adjacent to pharmacy is the DR Walk-In Medical Clinic, which is staffed by a physician and is operated through an agreement with Consumer Health Services. The clinic offers treatment for acute ailments, as well as advanced care for such conditions as minor sprains, minor lacerations and wart removal. It also offers travel medicine and vaccines.

Through a joint venture with InVite, there’s a naturopathic physician stationed in the vitamin and supplement area who can assist shoppers and look up information via a Web-enabled kiosk. This is the third Duane Reade store to offer such a service.

Click here to view photos of the Herald Square Duane Reade store.