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At the turn of the 20th century, drugstores were little more than a pharmacist and a soda fountain. If you wanted to go shopping, you went to a department store.

Now, that trend is reversing. Department stores are suffering and drugstores are booming.

So much so that Walgreens — one of the industry's leaders — is experimenting with expanding its goods and services.

Publicity Move Or Something More?

The three-story Walgreens in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown district is one of 10 "flagship" locations. The 20,000-square-foot store has a health clinic with exams rooms staffed with a nurse practitioner, an extensive beauty boutique complete with a nail salon, and a caf stocked with fresh food.

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