Duane Reade

Duane Reade

Retail drugstore chains such as Duane Reade, CVS, and Walgreens are characterized by high volume, low prices, and a dense storefront layout. The layout is meant to get customers quickly through a variety of different products and services without having to hold them up in the line to wait on a clerk.

Less than 10 years ago, there were 235 Duane Reade branches in NYC, according to the New York Times, but now, as Gothamist reported, there are 91 locations in total. Most recently, on the Upper West Side, the store at Columbus Avenue and 97th Street closed, and EV Grieve reports that several other drugstores are due to close in the East Village. (Source: ny.curbed.com)

en.wikipedia.org)Duane Reade Inc. (/dweɪn ˈriːd/ dwayn REED) is a chain of pharmacy and convenience stores owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its stores are primarily located in New York City, and known for high-volume, small store layouts in densely populated Manhattan locations. In 2012, the company headquarters was moved to 40 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, the location of its newest flagship store. (Source:

Gary Charboneau, the company's senior vice-president of sales and marketing since 1993, explained his store layout strategy in New York magazine in 2005. He designed each store using four sections: one for beauty and cosmetic products, another that serves as a pharmacy, a third section for seasonal products such as cards and candy, and a fourth for household and grocery items. Cosmetic items were placed near store entrances, pharmacy sections were moved to the rear of stores since—according to Charboneau—"people don’t browse for prescriptions", and the other two sections occupied remaining space. As Ian Mount wrote in the magazine article, "half of Duane Reade’s sales come from food, cosmetics, and the like." (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

Two unions and Duane Reade Inc. struck a deal on April 11, 2006, to close a five-year contract dispute. The three-year deal covers "all of Duane Reade's clerks, cashiers, pharmacy clerks, pharmacy technicians, and photo technicians", and it closes a dispute dating from September 2001, when their previous contract expired. As part of the deal, Duane Reade and the unions settled all outstanding union and company claims before the National Labor Relations Board. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)