Walgreens debuts flagship location in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown

WASHINGTON — On Thursday morning, Walgreens opened the doors to its latest flagship location in the nation's capital, bringing to District of Columbia residents and commuters the kind of retail pharmacy theater already familiar with citizens of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. 

Specifically, the seventh Walgreens flagship is located at the entrance to Washington's downtown Chinatown district. The exterior facade features a "Walgreens" sign with Mandarin and Chinese characters that translate as "pharmacy." It's located just outside the subway hub of Gallery Place, where the red, green and yellow lines all intersect and just one stop from the National Mall and most of the federal buildings. It's a popular lunch and dinner destination, and home to much of the D.C. night life. And it's where the magic happens. Literally. The arena where the Washington Wizards play is just down the street.  

Part 1 of DSN's exclusive slideshow: Pharmacy and OTC

Part 2: Beauty

Part 3: Consumables and general merchandise

A 24-hour location, the new Walgreens encompasses three floors covering some 21,000 sq. ft. of space that is defined by Walgreens' fresh offerings on the main floor, health one floor below and beauty one floor above. And there is a D.C. flavor throughout. Items on the juice menu are full of capital references like the bi"pear"tisan, georgetown juice and the west wing watermelon. Over by the escalators is a wall of state names, or local street names, depending upon your point of view. There also is a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine dispensing 130 varieties of Coca-Cola fountain drinks and an Upmarket Café offering a barista preparing fresh brewed premium coffee and espressos.

Overhead at the entrance to the beauty floor is an homage to the Capital Rotunda. And the wrought-iron "Look Boutique" signage is fashioned after the White House entrance gate. Also on the second floor, the newest Washington, D.C., location is home to the second full-line display of Alliance Boots' No7 prestige beauty brand. (The first is in Los Angeles.)

Specially trained beauty advisers are on hand to offer guidance finding the best solutions for individual needs, including a Gosh Cosmetics lip applicator equipped with a light and mirror that will be ideal for women on their way to a nearby nightclub.

And Walgreens' Nail Bar will offer professional manicures with the latest colors from essie and OPI at $12. Expert shaping and grooming services will be available at the Eyebrow Bar.

On the lower floor, Walgreens features its latest pharmacy floor plan that's designed to encourage greater interaction between pharmacists and patients. An iPad-equipped health guide will be there to help pharmacy customers navigate health-and-wellness products, as well as identify services and resources, including immunizations and health tests. The pharmacy also features an “Ask Your Pharmacist” desk, consultation rooms and Express Rx kiosks for swift checkout.

A Take Care Clinic offering a wide range of healthcare services is adjacent to the pharmacy. Aligned with the store opening, Walgreens and Bausch + Lomb recently announced a new SightSense online and in-store patient education program — an initiative to heighten eye health awareness and encourage consumers to take proactive steps to protect and preserve their sight. The program features a special eye health section on Walgreens.com that provides tools, information and resources to help consumers become informed and proactive in their eye health. The website also provides an eye care professional locator for consumers to find an eye doctor near them, as well as a list of upcoming in-store events.

Also down the street from the newest Walgreens location is the chain's governmental affairs office, which means Walgreens will be able to showcase first hand the full cost-savings potential a pharmacy can bring to bear. "We're … positioned to help influence health care in this country," Kermit Crawford — Walgreens' president of pharmacy, health and wellness — told DSN on a tour of the store. Through medication therapy management and similar programs, the pharmacist can help improve medication adherence, Crawford said. The Take Care Health Clinic represents a healthcare facility that is as convenient to access as an emergency room but can deliver care at a much lower cost than the ER. The walk-in availability of immunizations, not just flu shots, also helps mitigate healthcare cost as more people get inoculated because it's readily available and convenient.