SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs plans to premiere what it calls a "next-generation store" in Seattle that features more product offerings, new concepts for store departments, and enhanced lighting and decor.
The Puget Sound-area drug chain is set to hold a grand opening Friday afternoon at the 15,475-square-foot remodeled store, located in Seattle’s Roosevelt Square.
According to Bartell Drugs, the store’s "striking interior concept" creates a new shopping environment via attractive lighting, signage and furnishings that spotlight new product areas under banners depicting customer’s health, wellness and daily needs, including the new "Fresh Beauty" cosmetics department, "Urban Market" and "Sweets & Snacks" front-end sections, "Wellness Courtyard" for health-related items and the "Creative Print Studio" photo department.
"We’re excited and proud to introduce this new look at Roosevelt Square," chairman and chief executive officer George Bartell said in a statement. "It’s an entirely new floor plan designed to enhance the total shopping experience. We’ll be monitoring it closely in our ongoing effort to better serve our customers."
The new Fresh Beauty section is accented with enhanced signage and soft lighting and features new seating and counters for product sampling, as well as natural and organic product lines. Meanwhile, the Urban Market area highlights unique and locally produced products, such as Washington state wines, plus an assortment of tea, coffees and other products, the drug chain said.
Next to the full-service pharmacy is the Wellness Courtyard, which offers vitamins, supplements and healthy beverages. The Sweets & Snacks area is highlighted with new displays and lighting.
In addition, the Roosevelt store houses Bartell’s Creative Print Studio photo department with its new Kodak Adaptive Picture Exchange, providing same-day service for photo prints and enlargements, double-sided photo books, calendars, custom greeting cards and other products. Customers can access their images directly from the kiosk from online sharing sites such as Facebook, the Kodak Gallery, and Google Picasa Web Albums to create and print photo products and Kodak Picture Movie DVDs.
Bartell Drugs said it developed the new store concept with Bellevue, Wash.-based Hartman Group, a consumer consulting firm for retailers and other businesses.
"Bartell’s engages its customers at the neighborhood level and offers a variety of locally produced products that national chains can’t match," stated Mark Jacobson, creative director at InVerse, the Hartman Group’s retail design division. "This concept is a result of our close collaboration with Bartell’s and reflects their core values, including a dedication to customer service while offering a large selection of products."
Overall, Bartell Drugs operates 58 drug stores in Washington’s King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.
In other news this week, Bartell Drugs announced the "B" Caring Card Program, a new fundraising tool for local schools, athletic groups, churches and other nonprofit organizations.
Under the program, scheduled to launch Oct. 1, each time the "B" Caring Card is presented and scanned at checkout, a percentage of the total bill will be donated to the customer’s designated organization (such as a school, church, athletic group or youth group). Bartell Drugs said it will transfer accumulated contributions by cardholders directly to the registered organizations monthly. Cardholders can designate up to three organizations, and no purchase is required.
"By simply shopping at one of our 58 stores, up to 4% of the purchase amount by ‘B’ Caring Card holders will be contributed to qualifying organizations of their choice," Bartell commented. "We’re excited to provide groups with new, ongoing fundraising opportunities."
For the program, Bartell Drugs partnered with eScrip (Electronic Scrip Inc.), a company that builds relationships between local businesses and communities to develop fundraising opportunities via electronic payment and loyalty systems.
