NEW YORK — Duane Reade has unveiled its largest drug store to date, in Manhattan’s Union Square, and has made the location its flagship store.
The metropolitan New York pharmacy chain, now part of Walgreen Co., said Wednesday that the 13,944-square-foot store at 52 East 14th Street stands at the southern end of Union Square Park and occupies a former Virgin Superstore site.
The Union Square store, which Duane Reade said opened to big crowds this past weekend, surpasses the size of its 8th Avenue and 16th Street location in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood that opened in March. Chainwide, the retailer’s stores average around 7,000 square feet.
Duane Reade noted that the Union Square store will now serve as its flagship location, since it reflects the retailer’s new emphasis on health, fresh food and higher-end beauty products.
Open 24 hours, the new store devotes substantial space to beauty products and services, including the in-demand Ramy Brow Bar that offers a menu of tweezing, shaping and sculpting options for eyebrows. The new beauty section will also feature an expanded Look boutique section, Duane Reade’s beauty bar format.
And on the health care side, the new Duane Reade will offer a Doctor On Premises clinic to treat walk-in customers for general ailments and illnesses. The pharmacy department will also be open 24 hours.
"It’s an unbelievable space that is at the crossroads of so much non-stop activity," Joe Magnacca, president of Duane Reade, said in a statement. "We’ve really added a number of unique things and expanded some of our more popular offerings, such as our Look Boutique, to make this space exciting — and essential — to our customers."
Duane Reade pointed out that the airy, wide-aisle store is designed to appeal to a "younger and more active neighborhood" and will meet New Yorkers’ growing demand for healthy foods on the go.
The retailer said the store has a dedicated food section that includes everything from sushi and sandwiches to fresh-baked breads and healthy snacks. The location offers "jumbo" baked goods, a cheese section and a self-service coffee bar, along with a refrigerated section featuring on-the-go meals and a station for cut fruits, oatmeal, cut vegetables, and premade salads and sandwiches.
"This is all about giving the local shopper what she needs and wants," Magnacca added. "Our pharmacy and general merchandise items will always be an important element, but it’s important that we customize our stores to best reflect the particular needs of this vibrant neighborhood."
