Duane Reade

I loathe Duane Reade… especially this location! They have a monopoly on the area being the only store of it’s kind nearby. I guess I’ll wish on my lucky stars that a CVS will open anywhere nearby. CVS has the best sales and I’ve always found CVS staff to be incredibly helpful. I’ve always hated DR and thought they were redic overpriced but this location has me (and everyone else in the hood) by the b@lls since they’re the only option
I only come to this DR when I have no other choice. I prefer to buy stuff at CVS by work and schlep it home on the train rather than walk 2 blocks here.
I was prompted to write this review because the staff here are the absolute worst. I went in for something quick that I needed and ended up getting a few things from the Christmas clearance because they were (supposed to be) 90% off. Of course they didn’t ring up correctly and I got attitude from the cashier when I asked her to fix it. The manager had to come over and help her fix it who also greeted me with a very nasty, condescending attitude. The icing on the cake is that when I got home I was STILL overcharged for 2 items. Not like it’s much but it’s the damn principle. I’m so annoyed and will be returning the stuff tomorrow just because I’m so pissed off.
Pretty sad when a store that charges you just under $ 900 for a roll of toilet paper can’t at least honor the prices they advertise.
STAY AWAY!!! Absolutely horrid customer service, rude employees who could care less about their jobs.

Horrible service for Rx customers, long line, very snippy help. Every time you come here expect a 30 – 45 min wait just to pick up the prescription sitting behind the counter waiting for u

I love the way people complain about a standard issue Duane Reade. It has everything most other Duane Reade’s have. I’ve always found whatever I’ve need there. The pharmacy employees are accommodating and put up with me! It’s always clean.

This stores employees are so rude! Every time I go in I hope I don’t have to ask for anything. One guy is cool, angel. This time I asked one simple question. «Do you guys deliver??» The guy says «not really» and then they all laugh… I try to stay away from this place.

I hate that this is the only Duane Reade in the area– their selection is meh, prices are terrible, and hours stink. I go out of necessity only.

Staff is ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. This place needs a photo center! Place is usually clean, bright/​well light. The gray crates in the isles is annoying. i have almost tripped on them which in NOT good, ESP the smaller crates that are not visible unless your walking and staring at the floor.

Can you say ‘most expensive Duane Reade in existence’? Certainly feels like it. Sadly they know people will pay as they are the closest (maybe the only one close) to Hunter’s Point. I lived in Columbus Circle for two years and the prices here feel far, far higher. You’ll never leave without feeling ripped off.

It’s the only pharmacy in the area so this is our go to for pretty much anything even if they are more expensive than their competitor.
The good: 1. Staff are very friendly. They try to help you the best way they can. 2. That’s about it.
The bad or what they should improve on:
1. Managers of this store should simply train on reordering points. I mean how can you not have nail polish remover or the Vicks Pads when you sell the Vicks humidifiers? I see this big guy in a tie always bossing people around but not really doing his job by inspecting what needs to be ordered before they run out of it. Just because they are the only ones in the neighborhood shouldn’t mean we as consumers should just be okay with this.
2. They are more expensive considering they are not open 24 hours. I would pay more just because if I get what I need when I need it.
I just hope their competitor opens up soon so we have a choice. (Heard one is opening 3 blocks up shhhh!)

This is just like the other 1000 DRs in NYC, except it still has that new drugstore smell. (Nothing worse than the aroma of out-​of-​date Ben-​Gay or Vagisil.) Because it’s the only drug store in Hunters Point, the food section is always pretty well picked over, and it’s on the small side to begin with. I’d give 2 stars, but mgmt always opens a new register if there are more than 3 or 4 customers waiting in line. That’s worth one star, at least.

Needed pain relief first thing in the morning. The pharmacist was super friendly and helpful! Gave good and supportive advice!
This specific location is a good size Duane Reade with lots of variety and a the opening hours are very comfortable with 8 am opening on a Monday!

Customer service is absolutely horrible!!! The people working at the pharmacy are rude and will stand there gossiping about their weekend while 6 people are waiting in line. Avoid if possible.

The store is nice looking and usually has what I want. The pharmacy is why I I don’t like it.
The pharmacy is slow and incompetent. They are the slowest EVER. When someone is waiting in store for a prescription and you tell them 15 min and they are standing nearby in plain site I would expect anyone to fill that prescription but no… they made me wait 45min even after I asked what was going on. I’ve worked in a pharmacy and it literally takes 20 seconds to fill a prescription and I would always fill it right then and there. That day there were about 4 people back there which is excessive and they still couldn’t handle it. It was a pathetic showing. Besides that a lot of the techs have the worst attitude. It has not improved in the last 2 years.

Interesting pricing. $ 30 for a can of Similac. I tried to use $ 5 Similac coupon that i got FROM Similac, and it became a long arduous conversation at the cashier, and was never able to use it. The coupon said, «any retailer.» I used it in a CVS in Manhattan.
They must be making a lot of dough.

Clean and consistent with most Duane reade stores. The staff is friendly, the selection is large, and the prices are reasonable. The layout is also very intuitive. The wait time every time I’ve been here has been very short.

I had a pretty stressful experience at this Duane Reade, last week. So much so that I had to call the 1 – 800 customer service line to prepare for what I anticipated would be a very annoying effort to return a product (I never ended up returning it because I knew the process would be very very annoying).
This Duane Reade is actually impeccably maintained (super clean and very spacious), and the employees there are very nice. But last time I was there, after paying for my items, my boyfriend noticed my receipt was exceptionally higher than he thought it should be (and he is NOT a frugal person — so I took it seriously). In reviewing the receipt, I noticed that two identical items were charged at two separate prices — one at $ 2 (the correct price) and the other at $ 9 (shady). When I went up to the cashier to have them correct the charge, it turned into this unnecessarily long, arduous, uncomfortable process where the cashier didn’t seem to believe us, couldn’t figure out how to correct the charge on my credit card (giving me cash and then asking me to repay), wouldn’t trust that we were pointing to the correct/​relevant item on the receipt (when we totally were), and began talking to another colleague about this «odd» situation (which is one of my biggest customer service faux pas — you don’t do that in front of a customer). She was a young and innocent employee, but just seemed to be poorly trained (or just majorly distracted).
Then, when I got home, I realized that in the cashier’s inability to correctly fix the incorrect charge resulted in her forgetting/​failing to give me my original receipt reflecting my huge purchase This was a shame, as I got home to discover that one my purchases (my $ 20 Redken conditioner) smelled like moth balls and was clearly expired. Without my receipt in hand, per my conversation with the 1 – 800 service, I was informed that I would have to go to that specific Duane Reade when the manager was there (which was during standard business hours — a period during which I work), that the record of my purchases is not on my Duane Reade card, and that is the only way I could return the product without a receipt. So, ultimately, I decided that I was going to lose $ 20 and ultimately never shop at that Duane Reade again. Good times.

I love Duane Reade and enjoy the convenience of having one in LIC but I dread going to this location.
The positives — good sales, convenience
The negatives — LONG LONG LONGGGGGGG lines everytime I come in. there is always ONE measly staff member working. Then they call for additional workers on the loud speaker and they take forever to get to the register. it’s VERY annoying. plus, more than twice, I’ve bought items and after checking the receipts, noticed that I wasn’t offered the sale price.
I would enjoy coming here if I didn’t have to wait in line for ages…

Never have anything I need. I’ve noticed them increase the prices on items I buy. Example: I used to buy a pack of 5-​hour energy for 4.99 now it’s 7.99. Really
Plus you think they can get power doors for all the families that live here. Almost everyday i witness someone struggling with their stroller. Just saying.

This duane reade never has anything I need. It’s either sold out of they never had it in the first place. Granted its the cleanest and nicest one I’ve been too but it just doesn’t serve it’s purpose. Find a different duane reade. I am happy we finally have a store like this in the lic/​hunters point area. I do hope we get a walgreens soon because they will out sell them. The prices are not reasonable. In terms of the pharmacy section they are the best in the area.

Without a doubt it’s a very nice, clean, and neat store. Unfortunately they are VERY high priced and take advantage of the neighborhood. The Pharmacy often only has the common items in stock, so you’ll have to wait while they try to order what you need.
You can get what you need here in a pinch, but you will pay for it!

I agree that this is the nicest Duane Reade ever. I’ve gone here several times since it opened and it’s still in great shape with things always organized. It feels very spacious and well organized in comparison to many other Duane Reades and other pharmacies in NYC. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there but when I am in the area, it definitely works.
In comparison to the Duane Reade in my home neighborhood, this is so much better.