The Real Deal New York

Drugstore chain Duane Reade reported sales of $431 million in the third quarter, a 5.4 percent increase from the same time last year. The increase likely stems from shoppers watching their budgets more carefully, as New York state consumer confidence fell to a 10-year low in October, according to a Siena Research Institute poll. Front-end sales, which include food and beverages, cosmetics and cleaning supplies, increased 6 percent in the third quarter, compared to last year. Duane Reade has 245 locations in the U.S., with 216 in the city as of July.