NEW YORK -- Duane Reade's Manhattan flagship store, located at 40 Wall Street, won first place in the Convenience Store/Pharmacy category of the Retail Design Institute's 41st annual international awards. The store is the result of collaboration between Duane Reade, branding and retail design consultancy CBX and Toronto-based Joe Jackman Brand Inc.

"We are honored to be among the winners, and very pleased to have had the opportunity to collaborate on this very special project with the progressive vision of Mike DeFazio, Duane Reade senior director of store concepts, and retail consultants Joe Jackman and Vern Gomes of Joe Jackman Brands," said Joseph Bona, president of CBX's retail division.

The store was designed to be a state-of-the-art prototypical c-store while remaining sensitive to the architecture of the building. Vintage elements such as stone arch bays, marble columns, high ceilings and gold accents mix with the store's high-tech virtual "talking" greeter.

Store features, guided by company vision statement "New York Living Made Easy," include an easily-navigable space, an in-store Starbucks, sushi bar, juice bar, fresh prepared food, a nail bar, hair salon and cell phone charging station, among other amenities.

Duane Reade's blue, green and mauve colors are used strategically, and signage is minimal. The location also features black-and-white subway tile and quartz-topped stand-up counters. A 20-foot New York Stock Exchange ticker keeps financial district employees up to date.

"The Duane Reade flagship on Wall Street was a huge hit with our participants of the NRF Retail Tour series," said Brian Dyches, international president of the Retail Design Institute. "We took more than 100 global retail executives into the space and they were simply wowed by the 'fit' of Duane Reade within this iconic locale."