MARYSVILLE –– Rite Aid will open a “Customer World” store, at 3733 116th St. NE in Marysville, at 7 a.m. May 28, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to follow at 10 a.m.

Rite Aid Regional Pharmacy Vice President Germaine Robottom explained that the store incorporates features of the company’s prototype “Customer World” design, offering a new look and many new services, which were created using feedback from customer focus groups across the country.

“Marysville residents can now see and experience the new design and services that many customers have been raving about since we opened our first ‘Customer World’ store about four years ago,” Robottom said. “Customers told us that their relationship with their pharmacist was important, so each new store highlights the pharmacy. Pharmacy is our core business so we made it the focal point, or star, of the ‘Customer World’ design.”

Rite Aid has expanded its merchandise selections and improved both its store navigation and “the professional feel” in its “Customer World” stores. The pharmacy department is easily seen and accessible from the entrance, emphasizing Rite Aid’s stated commitment to patient health and wellness, and the pharmacy waiting area has been designed with a lowered ceiling, comfortable chairs, a TV and a connection to a pharmacy consultation room, which provides a private and professional setting for patient counseling by the pharmacist.

“Reaction to the new store design has been overwhelmingly positive from customers and associates alike,” Robottom said. “Aisles are wide and clutter-free, and the design makes it easy for customers to find what they’re shopping for. The store environment shows that we also care about our associates’ ability to get their work done efficiently.”

The new Marysville store covers more than 14,000 square feet, with a bright, open environment that offers direct views of each department. More visible department signs are designed to make it easier for shoppers to locate merchandise quickly. A new centrally-located cosmetics department puts cosmetics and body care at center-stage, to appeal to Rite Aid’s female customers. The new store will also feature a GNC vitamin department with specialty products, a new picture center complete with the latest digital capabilities, drive-through pharmacy services, and a larger pharmacy waiting area with important information on health and wellness.

Other events scheduled for the Marysville “Customer World” Rite Aid include:

June 2-5: Free blood pressure readings.

June 2-3: Free personal vitamin profiles.

June 4: Free fitness assessments.

June 6: Free child ID kits.