EXTRA! EXTRA! 'Reade' All About It!

Duane Reade Introduces The Duane Reader

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Duane Reade has long been the one place where
New Yorkers could find everything from prescriptions to potato chips. So it's
only fitting that the city's largest drugstore chain, now undergoing a
substantial transformation, is introducing hundreds of new and exclusive
products in time for the holidays via its new publication, The Duane Reader.

Hundreds of new products will appear in the inaugural 20-page Holiday Edition,
which will be distributed this week in The New York Times and The Daily News,
as well as handed out on commuter trains and in office buildings throughout
the city. And as one would expect, The Duane Reader is also available to
customers in more than 250 Duane Reade stores in the New York metropolitan
area.

Joe Jackman, acting chief marketing officer, commented, "The Duane Reader
represents our most recent effort to strengthen our brand image in order to
match the positive changes that we are making to our customer experience.
It's our hope that busy New Yorkers will find it to be a relevant, useful, and
entertaining companion for city-living during the holidays."

The Duane Reader spotlights hundreds of products at hot introductory prices
that will be in effect through January 1, 2010. It also profiles exciting new
- and New York-centric - items perfect for life in this city. Many of the
products highlighted make their debut under one of the exclusive Duane Reade
private label brands:
-- the expanding DR Delish brand of delectable food and beverage items
-- Apt 5, Duane Reade's quintessential New York brand, which now includes
a
new environmentally friendly line-up called Apt 5 Goes Green
-- the beautiful new beauty brand Look NY, and

-- the long-standing and recently relaunched Christmas In New York brand.

"Virtually all the products in The Duane Reader have a connection to city
living, with many created especially for the joyous holiday season," said Joe
Magnacca, chief merchandising officer at Duane Reade. "We are thrilled to use
this unique publication to highlight the great values and wonderful array of
new and exciting products that our team has been busy creating. Whether
stocking-stuffer gifts, easy entertaining, or quality food choices on-the-run,
we had fun tying in these items to the everyday events and happenings that we
experience as we get ready for the holidays in New York."

The Duane Reader features smart, breezy writing that works well to complement
the eye-catching graphics and colorful artwork. The premier issue, which
debuts this week, focuses on the holiday season, with a number of new and
relevant items for entertaining (DR Delish French sparkling sodas), decorating
(Christmas in New York cards, wreaths and apartment-sized trees),
stocking-stuffing (Apt. 5 corkscrews and LookNY make-up brushes), and just
plain New York "survival" items (sheer hosiery, vitamins, stain removal sticks
and 'green' cleaning supplies).

Accompanying the perfect-for-holiday items is a pull-out Holiday Planner
providing a New Yorker's view of things to see and do this month and next, and
other sections with fun tidbits such as which restaurants are serving
Christmas dinner, and the hours of the Central Park Ice Rink.

In addition to the exciting product news, The Duane Reader publication is
packed with bargains, useful tips and hints, historical notes about New York
City, and holiday ideas. It is a must-read for city dwellers and visitors.

The introduction of The Duane Reader is but one of the many elements of
transformational change that the drug store chain is undertaking. The
transformation includes design updates to many of its stores to make them more
'shop-able,' continuing improvements in customer service, expansion of store
hours, and upgrades to product and service offerings. All of these
improvements are being implemented with an eye to delivering on Duane Reade's
brand mantra of New York Living Made Easy.

About Duane Reade
Founded in 1960, Duane Reade is the largest drugstore chain in New York City.
In keeping with company's brand vision of New York Living Made Easy, Duane
Reade provides New Yorkers with prescriptions, health products and services,
beauty products and services, and convenience items for daily life in the
city... everything for "How I Feel", "How I Look", and "What I Need Now". As
of October 1, 2009, the Company operates 256 stores.

SOURCE Duane Reade

Consumer Media, Kelly Durcan, +1-212-253-4444 , or Stefanie Shuman,
+1-212-253-4417, both of Devito/Verdi; or Business & Trade Media, Samantha
Cohen, FD, +1-212-850-5600