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SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs held a grand opening November 19 for its newest store, its 65th overall, in the city’s burgeoning Ballard neighborhood.
The 14,200-square-foot store extends the retailer’s recent focus on urban locales. It features a full-service pharmacy that offers a spacious waiting area and a range of health care options focused on convenience, says a company spokesman.
Other store features include an expanded cosmetics section showcasing seasonal and on-trend products; a growler fill-spot called “Northwest on Tap” featuring local microbrews; and a Fresh Food Fast Marketplace.
Bartells has had a presence in the maritime-centric Ballard neighborhood since 1911. The Northwest Seattle neighborhood hosts the “Ballard Locks,” where visitors flock to watch recreational and commercial vessels pass between Puget Sound and the docks and warehouses dotting the city’s freshwater lakes.
“Bartell Drugs is proud of its long history in Ballard,” comments Brian Unmacht, president and chief executive officer of the 126-year-old company. “We’re excited to build on this tradition with our new store and to continue offering the convenience, service and outstanding lines of quality products — including our focus on local items — that has made Bartells a trusted retailer throughout the Northwest.”
Bartells is the nation’s oldest family-owned drug store chain. Unmacht is the first person outside the Bartell family to hold the titles of president and CEO. Unmacht joined Bartell’s board in 2011, when he was an executive at REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.), where over a 27-year career he held a variety of posts, including interim CEO. He became Bartell’s president in 2015.
