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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Opened earlier this year, Rite Aid’s spacious store on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg, Pa., represents one of the latest prototypes of the retailer’s successful “Wellness Store” format.
The suburban corner location, situated at 4999 Jonestown Rd. just a few miles outside downtown Harrisburg, incorporates many of the innovations (plus a few twists) brought by the Wellness concept, which made its debut in 2011, and its current iteration, dubbed Genuine Well-Being, which launched in 2012.
For example, the 14,500-square-foot store features a new presentation for the GNC vitamins and supplements department. Situated in the middle of the store, the concept employs a woodgrained motif with freestanding, contoured displays spaced to enable customers to walk in and among a range of supplement product categories, such as men’s and women’s health, joint and bone health, sports nutrition, herbs, whole food nutrition, probiotics and multivitamins. Specific brands, including the Rite Aid brand, also are highlighted.
At the center of the GNC store-within-a-store is a triangular “Vitamins & Supplements Center” display that sports a touchscreen that shoppers can use to search an index of vitamins and supplements to find out more information as well as assemble a regimen that best fit their needs. Informational signage also spotlights products for such concerns as heart health, bone and joint health, immunity and general wellness and points customers to a Rite Aid pharmacist if they have any questions about supplements.
The over-the-counter products area groups many items by health condition or concern — such as heart health, allergies, pain relief, cold and flu, digestive health and sleep aids — and uses informational signage and displays to assist customers in their purchasing decision. Introduced last year, the new O-T-C concept incorporates some new categories at the Jonestown Road store, such as children’s wellness, adult nutrition, relaxation products (massagers), immunity and compression legwear.
As in many of the Wellness stores, a path leads customers straight to the pharmacy as they enter the Jonestown Road store. The location’s large pharmacy department has separate pickup and drop-off windows, a private consultation room and s a waiting area with a higi health station. Adjacent to the pharmacy are dedicated sections for home health care and diabetes care. Outside the store are multiple drive-through pharmacy lanes.
In the front end, the beauty department sits just off the entrance and features Rite Aid’s latest design, including lighted, fashion-themed signage plus the freestanding Nail Bar. Nearby is the popular Men’s Grooming display, which premiered in the initial Wellness stores and was enhanced with the inception of Genuine Well-Being.
The food section — anchored by a long bank of cooler displays for beverages and refrigerated and frozen food — includes a selection of natural, organic and gluten-free items; a “Ready to Go” cooler with milk, eggs, yogurt and juice; and offerings from Rite Aid’s new Big Win and Dreamhouse store brands. There’s also a wide assortment of candy and snacks, merchandised with such signage as “Movie Snacks,” “Hard & Chewy,” “Sweet & Refreshing” and “Fun Zone”.
Consumables also are merchandised on hanging displays along the checkout line. Signs highlight nuts, meat snacks, grab-and-go items, nutrition bars and energy shots, while compact, glass-door cooler displays offer cold beverages.
