NEW YORK — Duane Reade has promoted Joe Magnacca, formerly executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, to president.

Magnacca, a retail industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience, joined Duane Reade in October 2008 as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer. He was later promoted to executive vice president, but he retained his merchandising duties.

Before joining Duane Reade, Magnacca worked for Shoppers Drug Mart, where he had led the Canadian drug store chain’s marketing and merchandising initiatives since 2002, and served most recently as executive vice president of merchandising and category management.

At Duane Reade, Magnacca is credited with playing a key role in the chain’s transformation through such initiatives as bolstering its pharmacy and health care services and launching a premium store brand called DR Delish.

Duane Reade has also updated its store format, as could be seen most recently at a new flagship store that the chain opened last month in Manhattan.

The 13,944-square-foot store, located at 1 Union Square, is the Duane Reade’s largest and reflects its new emphasis on health, fresh food and higher-end beauty products.

“It’s an unbelievable space that is at the crossroads of so much nonstop activity,” says Magnacca. “We’ve added a number of unique things and expanded some of our more popular offerings, such as our Look Boutique, to make this space exciting — and essential — to our customers.”

The store’s beauty offerings include the Ramy Brow Bar, which offers an array of tweezing, shaping and sculpting options. The entire store has wider aisles and a more open look.

The location, which has a 24-hour pharmacy, is the seventh Duane Reade store to include a Doctor On Premises walk-in medical center. Managed by Consumer Health Services Inc. (CHS), the Duane Reade Doctor On Premises departments are staffed by licensed physicians who can take care of most common illnesses, minor injuries and lacerations, and can also perform routine screenings, physical exams, vaccinations and referrals to specialists.

“Our patients and customers have reacted very positively to the high-quality service and health care being provided through the health stores,” says Duane Reade senior vice president of pharmacy operations Frank Scorpiniti. “In collaboration with CHS, we’re focusing on making New Yorkers’ lives a little easier.”

Magnacca pointed out that the Union Square store has been tailored to meet the needs of its neighborhood’s young and active population. For example, the new outlet has an extensive assortment of on-the-go food options, including healthy snacks, sushi, fresh baked goods, salads and sandwiches.

“This is all about giving the local shopper what she needs and wants,” Magnacca notes. “Our pharmacy and general merchandise items will always be an important element, but it’s important that we customize our stores to best reflect the particular needs of this vibrant neighborhood.”

In recognition of the pivotal role Magnacca has played in the transformation of Duane Reade, Chain Drug Review selected him earlier this year for its 2009 Vern Brunner Merchant of the Year Award.