DDi - July 2013 - (Page 32)

32 | | July 2013 Top Left: The Noel State Bank building had been empty for seven years before Walgreens took it over. Top Right: Informative signage helps shoppers navigate the downstairs over-the-counter area. to further open the interior. Clerestory windows allow daylight to stream into the space from above. Bronze finishes add an old-world touch to fixtures holding the standard Walgreens accoutrements. Original porcelain tile lines the main floor, which houses the Up Market café featuring fresh coffee and pastries, a sushi bar, juice bar and self-serve frozen yogurt areas, in addition to the health items traditionally found in a drugstore. “Our flagship stores contain elements of what we call the ‘Well Experience’ format—a revolutionary concept with offerings like fresh food, an enhanced beauty department, and a unique pharmacy format that provides a differentiated experience from what you would normally expect from a drugstore,” says Bryan Pugh, vice president of merchandising, store design and well experience for Walgreens. “The flagship-style stores are designed to complement the communities within which they exist by supporting our vision of becoming ‘My Walgreens’ for everyone in America, the first choice for health and daily living.” As patrons descend to the basement of the store, they find a pharmacy that juxtaposes vintage charm Number 16 at www.ddionline.com/readerservice Photos: Jamie Padgett, Padgett & Co., Chicago W alking into the Walgreens flagship in Chicago’s trendy Wicker Park/ Bucktown neighborhood is like stepping into a time machine. Located at the northwest corner of North and Damen avenues, the newly renovated store is inside the historic Noel State Bank building, which dates back to 1919. Curved glass mechanical doors flank the main entrance of the Flatiron-style building, opening to a world of Jazz Age opulence that is a backdrop for the modern necessities and comforts of today. The 29,589-sq.-ft. store actually is the second Chicago flagship for Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. (the first opened on historic State Street in Chicago’s Loop in 2012). The space spans three floors and preserves much of the building’s original features. Dan Garneau, regional development manager at Walgreens, says the renovation took more than two years. Walgreens worked carefully with the city’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks to ensure the Noel State Bank building was restored to its original glory. “It was a great opportunity to address a local market need in such a lively and up-and-coming neighborhood, while at the same time take an amazing historic building and turn it into a space to showcase Walgreens’ products and offerings,” Garneau says. The main selling floor has a very high coffered plaster ceiling, culminating in the fully restored hexagonal tiles—which form numerous but subtle Star of David formations overhead—and glass skylight. The in-house design team moved the escalators to the south side of the building http://www.ddionline.com/readerservice

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - July 2013

DDi - July 2013
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Visual Perspectives
Design Snapshot
Karl Lagerfeld
Walgreens
Fred Perry
World Department Store Forum
Fixture Leaders Listing
Company Index
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - July 2013