RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — When the ribbon is cut at the grand reopening of Town & Country Apothecary here today, there will be fewer reasons than ever for local consumers to venture to the shopping mall or even spa — and it won’t only be because of the champagne that will flow at the opening gala.
Under the direction of Diana Dolling-Ross, vice president and merchandise manager, this independent drugstore has stocked premium product lines for several years, including Estée Lauder, Clinique, La Mer, Stila and Bumble and bumble. Now, with an extensive remodel, Town & Country offers new prestigious items such as Bond No. 9, as well as a room in the beauty department for facials and reflexology.
As part of the remodel, the space devoted to beauty and fragrances has been doubled. To make room for the larger beauty presentation, Town & Country edited staples typically synonymous with drugstores, including toothpaste, deodorant and adhesive strips. These sundries have been supplanted with elegant wooden and illuminated fixtures and wide aisles to accommodate the bustling beauty business. There are a few other unorthodox features, including a large watch repair kiosk and a nutritional department. The total package is a far cry from a typical drug chain.
“People can get those items everywhere else,” said Dolling-Ross, who brought in the premium brands years ago through her persistence with vendors. What they can’t always get with a trip to the local drugstore is a Clinique gift-with-purchase or a complimentary hand treatment with the purchase of B. Kamins products. “With the remodel, we have people coming in and saying ‘I didn’t know you had these brands,’ or ‘I didn’t know you had Clinique gifts-with-purchase,'” said Dolling-Ross, who helped design the new look. To showcase the upgraded interior, Dolling-Ross enlarged the display windows that are used to highlight seasonal items.
Customers entering the store are greeted with graphics rivaling any department store. There is a large wrap area where one of nine beauty consultants is based to assist shoppers. “I was trying to create a warm feeling with the wood and the floor, like a European apothecary,” said Dolling-Ross of the retrofit, which took almost five months to complete.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
One category Dolling-Ross sought to accentuate in her new design was fragrances. “This is a category with so much potential. We have a round fixture I call the ‘merry-go-round’ and we feature fun fragrances like Prada and Carolina Herrera. We wanted to kick fragrances up a notch. Shoppers are noticing our fragrances more in this design and picking one up while shopping for something else,” she said. Near the round display is a back wall devoted to Bond No. 9 scents that have quickly become popular with her well-heeled clientele. Her shoppers aren’t ones to flock to the latest celebrity scent. “Our customers like classics or something that won’t be in one day and out the next.”
Color cosmetics fixtures offer more space in the aisles for makeovers, and the facial room is already booked with appointments. Dolling-Ross is also now noticing strong demand for holiday gift sets. The store has a new gift-wrap room offering free wrap with purchases. She hopes fragrances and her array of bath gift sets will be strong performers for the holiday. The store also has an ample selection of candles, stationery and accessories. When she saw an uptick in the number of pregnant shoppers and customers looking for baby gifts, Dolling-Ross quickly added more baby items and gifts for new moms.
Although Town & Country is compelling enough to lure shoppers, Dolling-Ross is proactive in building sales. Her store hosts Ladies’ Night Out events with donations to charity. Suppliers including Estée Lauder, Ahava, Paula Dorf and Darphin visit the store for beauty events. For example, B. Kamins hosted a men’s facial event. Men, according to Dolling-Ross, are getting into serious skin care. She placed a new men’s grooming department near the watch repair area. “That way, men can be waiting for a watch and nonchalantly look at men’s products,” she said slyly.
The store remained open during the retrofit. Dolling-Ross said that helped her realize just how devoted some shoppers were. “Our La Mer sales actually increased during the remodel, showing just how addicted shoppers are to the brand,” she said.
Dolling-Ross is very active in the beauty industry and her local community. Her diligence helped her convince premium brands to sell to the store. Now she can assess which brands to take or which ones to pass on. “There are many things to consider. Does the merchandise complement our other brands? Is the market saturated with this product? Exclusivity is imperative for an independent beauty business,” she concluded.
The digestion of Eckerd is said by industry analysts to be one reason behind a shakeout at Jean Coutu, the parent of Brooks Pharmacy.
Three years after stepping down as chief executive officer, Jean Coutu is reclaiming his title. Coutu is the founder and controlling shareholder and has taken over as the interim president and ceo of Jean Coutu Group. Coutu’s son, François, relinquished his title as president and ceo to assume the role of vice chairman. His brother, Michel, remains head of the U.S. division.
The company said the new management structure is a team effort to add expertise to focus on the integration of Eckerd. The news that Jean Coutu had snapped up Eckerd stores caused many in the industry to wonder how a chain of its size could assimilate a huge block of stores. CVS purchased the remainder of the stores and its conversion of the stores has been said by industry experts to be “seamless.”
Still, sources point out that Brooks is a well-run operation that purchased some key Eckerd stores in growing markets that will ultimately bring positive results to the chain.