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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.

FORM 10-K

Commission file number 333-41239

DUANE READE INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

*

Guarantors with respect to the Company's 2.1478% Senior Convertible Notes due 2022

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

        Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in the Exchange Act Rule 12b-2): Yes ý    No o

        The only class of voting securities of Duane Reade Inc. is its Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"). On March 5, 2004, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $190 million.

        The number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding as of March 5, 2004: 24,410,306

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

        Certain exhibits as listed on the Exhibit Index and filed with registrant's registration statements on Form S-1 (Nos. 333-41239 and 333-43313) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are incorporated by reference into Part IV of this Form 10-K.

INDEX

        This and other of our public filings or public statements contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance with respect to our financial condition, results of operations, business plans and strategies, operating efficiencies or synergies, competitive positions, growth opportunities for existing products such as private label merchandise, plans and objectives of management, capital expenditures, growth and maturation of our stores and other matters. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pro forma," "seek," or "continue" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and such expectations may prove to be

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incorrect. Some of the things that could cause our actual results to differ substantially from our expectations are:

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the outcome of the legal proceedings that have been instituted against us and others following announcement of our merger agreement with Duane Reade Acquisition Corp. and Duane Reade Shareholders, LLC;



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the actual terms of certain financings that will be obtained for the merger;



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costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the merger;



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failure to consummate the merger;



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the competitive environment in the drugstore industry in general and in the metropolitan New York area;



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the ability to open and operate new stores on a profitable basis and to increase sales in existing stores;



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the continued efforts of health maintenance organizations, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies and other third party payers to reduce prescription reimbursement rates;



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the continued efforts of federal, state and municipal government agencies to reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates, modify Medicare benefits and/or reduce prescription drug costs;



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the strength of the economy in general and the economic conditions in the metropolitan New York area, in particular, including changes in consumer purchasing power and/or spending patterns;



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changes in cost of goods and services;



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trends in the healthcare industry, including continued conversion of various prescription drugs to over-the-counter medications and the increasing market share on the part of mail-order-based providers;



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changes in federal and state laws and regulations, including the potential impact of changes in regulations surrounding the importation of pharmaceuticals from foreign countries;



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liability and other claims asserted against us including the items discussed under Item 3-Legal Proceedings;



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changes in our operating strategy or development plans;



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our ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel, including our ability to attract qualified pharmacists;



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our significant indebtedness;



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interest rate fluctuations and changes in capital market conditions or other events affecting our ability to obtain necessary financing on favorable terms to fund the anticipated growth of our business;



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labor disturbances, including any resulting from the suspension or termination of our collective bargaining agreements;



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the continued impact of, or new occurrences of, terrorist attacks in the New York metropolitan area and any actions that may be taken by federal, state or municipal authorities in response to or in anticipation of such occurrences;



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changes in our acquisition and capital expenditure plans;

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•

our ability to continue to secure suitable new store locations under acceptable lease terms;



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our ability to successfully implement and manage new computer systems and technologies;



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our ability to limit fraud and shrink;



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demographic changes; and



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other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

        We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this filing. We do not, nor does any other person, assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of those statements.

        We caution you that the areas of risk described above may not be exhaustive. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risks, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such risks on our businesses or the extent to which any risk or combination of risks, may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made in this filing might not occur.

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PART I

ITEM 1.    BUSINESS

GENERAL

        We are the largest drugstore chain in New York City, which is the largest drugstore market in the United States in terms of sales volume. As of December 27, 2003, we operated 125 of our 241 stores in Manhattan's high-traffic business and residential districts. In addition, at December 27, 2003, we had a total of 116 stores in New York's outer boroughs and in densely populated New York suburbs, including the Hudson River communities of northeastern New Jersey. Our leading market share, as reported by the Metro Market Studies in 2003 for New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties, was 30%. Since opening our first store in 1960, we have successfully executed a marketing and operating strategy tailored to the unique characteristics of New York City, the most densely populated major market in the United States. According to data published in Chain Drug Review and Drug Store News, we were the leading U.S. drugstore chain, as measured in terms of sales per square foot, in both 2003 and 2002. In 2003, we believe that we led the New York City drugstore market in sales of both pharmacy and front-end product categories. Sales of higher margin front-end items accounted for 56.4% of our total sales in fiscal 2003, the highest of any major conventional drugstore chain in the United States.

        On December 23, 2003, we announced that we had entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Duane Reade Acquisition Corp. ("Duane Reade Acquisition"), an affiliate of Oak Hill Capital Partners, L.P. ("Oak Hill"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, which remains subject to our stockholders' approval, stockholders would receive $17.00 per share in cash, without interest. The purchase price represents a 22.8% premium over the $13.84 per share average closing price of our common stock for the 30 trading days immediately preceding the announcement of the merger transaction. The aggregate value of the merger transaction exceeds $740 million, including the repayment of indebtedness. The transaction was unanimously approved by the independent members of our board of directors. The equity financing necessary for the merger will be provided by Oak Hill and an affiliate equity fund, Oak Hill Capital Management Partners, L.P. The debt financing necessary for the merger will be provided by a syndicate of banking institutions led by Banc of America Securities LLC. Mr. Cuti and certain other senior members of management will, at the closing of the transaction, have equity interests in the acquiring entity. The closing of this transaction is subject to certain terms and conditions, including receipt of stockholder approval and the proceeds from the financing to be provided by third parties. The merger agreement is subject to a termination fee of approximately $12 million (including $2 million of expenses) to be paid by us if the merger agreement is terminated under certain circumstances. In connection with the merger, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including a proxy statement, and the acquiring entities will file other relevant documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission. BECAUSE THOSE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, HOLDERS OF DUANE READE COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO READ THEM, IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. When filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they will be available for free (along with any other documents and reports filed by Duane Reade with the Securities and Exchange Commission) at its website www.sec.gov, and Duane Reade stockholders will receive information at an appropriate time on how to obtain transaction-related documents for free from Duane Reade. Such documents are not currently available. A special meeting of our stockholders will be convened as soon as practicable after the filing of definitive proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We currently anticipate consummating the merger in the second calendar quarter of 2004.

        For the fiscal year ended December 27, 2003, we had sales of $1.38 billion and net income of $5.1 million, compared to sales of $1.27 billion and income before the cumulative effect of an accounting change of $24.8 million in the 2002 fiscal year. Fiscal 2003 sales increased by 8.6% compared to fiscal 2002. During the fiscal year ended December 27, 2003, we incurred pre-tax debt

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extinguishment charges of $0.8 million, as well as transaction costs related to our planned acquisition by Duane Reade Acquisition of $0.6 million. In addition, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $12.6 million in connection with the recognition of a recommended remedy of a National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge in a disputed labor matter which is more fully discussed under Item 3—Legal Proceedings. For fiscal 2002, income before the cumulative effect of an accounting change included a pre-tax debt extinguishment charge of $11.4 million, partially offset by the benefit of a $9.4 million partial payment of our business interruption insurance claim related to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster as well as the related business interruption losses associated with that claim. During fiscal 2002, we incurred an after-tax charge of $9.3 million representing the cumulative effect of an accounting change from the dollar-based retail first-in first-out ("FIFO") method of inventory valuation to a specific cost-based last-in first-out ("LIFO") method of valuation. Net income for the 2002 fiscal year, including the cumulative effect of the accounting change, was $15.6 million. Fiscal 2003 net income decreased by 67.4% compared to fiscal 2002.

        We enjoy strong brand name recognition in metropolitan New York, which we believe results from our many locations in high-traffic areas of New York City, attractive window displays and signage, frequent radio advertising and the 83 million shopping bags with the distinctive Duane Reade logo that were given to our customers in 2003. Surveys conducted in recent years have indicated that approximately 95% of the people who live in Manhattan have shopped at a Duane Reade store.

        We have developed an operating strategy designed to capitalize on metropolitan New York's unique characteristics, which include high-traffic volume, complex distribution logistics and high costs of occupancy, advertising and personnel. The key elements of our operating strategy are:

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a convenient and value-oriented shopping experience;



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a low cost operating structure supported by high per store sales volume and relatively low warehouse, distribution and advertising costs; and



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a differentiated real estate strategy using flexible store formats.

        We believe that our everyday low price format and broad product offerings provide a convenient and value-oriented shopping experience for our customers and help to build customer loyalty.

        Despite the high costs of operating in metropolitan New York, we have successfully achieved low operating cost margins due, in part, to high per store sales volume and relatively low warehouse, distribution and advertising costs. Our high volume stores allow us to effectively leverage occupancy costs, payroll and other store expenses. Our 506,000 square foot primary distribution facility is centrally located in Maspeth, Queens, New York City. The facility is located within ten miles of approximately 85% of our stores, and none of our retail locations are more than 50 miles from this facility. During fiscal 2003 we opened an additional 165,000 square foot warehouse support facility in North Bergen, NJ that replaced 60,000 square feet of public warehouse space previously used by us. The new support facility enjoys similar proximity to most of our New York City locations while providing additional capacity and closer proximity to our expanding group of stores located in New Jersey. We believe that these two centrally efficient locations result in our relatively low warehouse and distribution costs as a percentage of sales.

        We have demonstrated our ability to successfully operate stores using a wide variety of store configurations and sizes. Rather than confine our stores to a single, standardized format, we successfully adapt our store design to a variety of sizes and configurations. We believe this strategy provides us with a competitive advantage, as many of our competitors target more standardized spaces, which are difficult to find in metropolitan New York. For example, our store sizes range from 2,000 to 17,200 square feet, and we operate 49 bi-level stores. Our guiding principle in store selection has not been the shape of the space, but rather its strategic location in high-traffic areas in order to provide greater convenience to our customers. In addition, our management team has extensive experience

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with, and knowledge of, the metropolitan New York real estate market, allowing us to quickly and successfully pursue attractive real estate opportunities.

        As of December 27, 2003, we operated 241 stores, 17 of which were opened during fiscal 2003. During fiscal 2002 and 2001, we opened 32 stores and 31 stores, respectively. We closed four stores in each of 2003 and 2002, and we closed one store in 2001 and lost two stores as a result of the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Among the 17 new stores we opened during fiscal 2003, five were in Manhattan, seven were in the outer boroughs of New York City, and five were in densely populated, nearby suburbs. As of December 27, 2003, approximately 52% of our stores were in Manhattan, 33% were in the outer boroughs and 15% were located outside New York City. At December 27, 2003, we occupied 1.7 million square feet of retail space, approximately 9% more than in fiscal 2002 and 73% more than at the end of fiscal 1998. Approximately one-third of the stores we operated at December 27, 2003 were opened within the past three years.

        We were founded in 1960, and have been a public company since February 1998.

        We maintain a company website at www.duanereade.com. We make copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") available to investors on or through our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed them with or furnished them to the SEC. The contents of our website do not constitute a portion of this report.

        The public may read and copy any materials filed by us with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room, located at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at which reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC are available. This website may be accessed at http://www.sec.gov.

COMPANY OPERATIONS

        Merchandising:    Our overall merchandising strategy is to provide the broadest selection of branded and private label drugstore products available in metropolitan New York. To further enhance customer service and loyalty, we attempt to maintain a consistent in-stock position in all merchandise categories. In addition to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, we offer brand name and private label health and beauty care products, food and beverage items, tobacco products, cosmetics, housewares, greeting cards, photofinishing services, photo supplies, seasonal and general merchandise and other products. Health and beauty care products, including over-the-counter drugs, represent our highest volume product categories. We allocate ample shelf space to popular brands of health and beauty care products. We also offer large sizes, which we believe appeal to the value consciousness of many New York consumers. We place convenience items, such as candy, snacks and seasonal goods, near the check-out registers to provide all customers with optimum convenience and to stimulate impulse purchases, while allowing the store employees to monitor those product categories that are particularly susceptible to theft.

        In addition to a wide array of branded products, we also offer our own private label products. Private label products provide customers with high-quality, lower priced alternatives to brand name products, while generating higher gross profit margins than brand name products. These offerings also enhance our reputation as a value-oriented retailer. We currently offer in excess of 900 private label products, which, in fiscal 2003, accounted for approximately 7.8% of non-pharmacy sales. We believe that our strong brand image, reputation for quality and reliability in the New York City market, and our economies of scale in purchasing allow us to effectively manage an increasing assortment of private label goods that offer an alternative for increased value to the consumer with higher profitability than

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comparable branded products. During fiscal 2002 we introduced a private label cosmetic line under the name of "apt.5". Throughout fiscal 2003, in response to the success this brand has experienced, we significantly broadened the offerings of this private label product line. We believe that this line offers a varied assortment of department store quality beauty care cosmetic products at value prices.

        We offer next-day photofinishing services in all of our stores, and during fiscal 2002 and 2003 we increased the number of stores with one-hour photofinishing departments from 33 to 107 stores. We believe that photofinishing services contribute significantly to sales of other merchandise categories because of the customer traffic increases that result from the customer visiting a store twice, in order to drop off film or digital media and to pick up the processed photos.

        We complement our product offerings with additional customer services such as ATM machines, sales of lottery tickets and money transfer services. We believe these services enhance our convenience image and promote stronger customer loyalty.

        Pharmacy:    We believe that our pharmacy business will continue to contribute significantly to our growth. We also believe that a larger pharmacy business will enhance customer loyalty and generate incremental customer traffic, which we believe is likely to increase sales of our wide variety of over-the-counter drugs and other non-pharmacy merchandise. Our prescription drug sales, as reflected by same-store pharmacy sales, grew by 7.5% in 2003 compared to 2002. Sales of prescription drugs represented 43.6% of total sales in 2003, compared to 41.8% of total sales in 2002. The number of generic prescriptions filled represented 40.3% of total prescriptions filled in the 2003 fiscal year, as compared to 39.0% of total prescriptions filled in the 2002 fiscal year. This increase is significant as lower cost generic prescriptions generally carry higher profit margins and dollar profitability for each prescription dispensed. The increase in generic prescriptions filled is the result of several high volume branded drug patent expirations that have enabled the introduction of lower cost generic alternatives. We have also made several operational changes to improve overall awareness of generic alternatives.

        We believe that our extensive network of conveniently located stores, strong local market position, pricing policies and reputation for high quality healthcare products and services provide a competitive advantage in attracting pharmacy business from individual customers as well as managed care organizations, insurance companies, employers and other third party payers. The percentage of our total prescription drug sales covered by third party plans increased to approximately 91.4% in 2003 from approximately 90.2% in 2002. Gross margins on sales covered by third party plans are generally lower than other prescription drug sales because of the highly competitive nature of pricing for this business and the purchasing power of third party plans. We believe that the higher volume of pharmacy sales to third party plan customers offsets these lower gross profit margins and allows us to leverage other fixed store operating expenses. In addition, we believe that increased third party plan sales generate additional general merchandise sales by increasing customer traffic in our stores. As of December 27, 2003, we had contracts with over 200 third party plans, including virtually all major third party plans in our market areas. New York Medicaid, the largest third party payer, represented approximately 22.4% and 9.8% of our pharmacy and chain sales, respectively.

        Medicaid reimbursement rates to drug store providers are regulated under state administered programs. Over the last two years, a number of states experiencing budget deficits have moved to reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates to participating drug store providers. Effective July 1, 2003, New York State enacted legislation reducing the reimbursement rate of Medicaid prescriptions, resulting in lower pharmacy gross margins. In addition, there has been a preliminary proposal to further reduce the New York State reimbursement rate in 2004. It is too early to predict whether and in what form such proposal would take effect. To date, there have been no significant adverse changes to reimbursement rates in New Jersey Medicaid programs; however, New Jersey continues to experience significant budget deficits and may enact reductions in reimbursement rates in the future.

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        While our pharmacy business has continued to lead our overall sales growth, the rate of growth in pharmacy sales significantly declined during 2003 as it has for most other chain drug retailers in our industry. This is attributable to a number of factors, including a decline in demand for hormonal replacement medications, increasing third party plan co-payments, conversion of certain prescription drugs to over-the-counter status and generally high levels of unemployment that reduced the number of customers with prescription coverage insurance plans. These trends, along with the continued pressure on the part of third party plans to reduce reimbursement rates to participating providers, combined with a number of other factors to reduce our overall profitability during 2003.

        During 1999, we launched our central fill facility, a new service initiative aimed at improving customer service at our higher volume pharmacies and, we believe, the first of its kind in the chain drugstore industry. Our central fill facility, which receives orders via internet, phone or fax from customers and physicians, determines which prescriptions can be most efficiently filled centrally and forwards the balance to the local stores. The selected prescriptions are filled and then delivered to the appropriate store in advance of the scheduled pickup, thereby reducing waiting times during peak periods.

        We believe the central fill facility has several distinct advantages. One such advantage is improved inventory management, as stores supported by the facility are able to reduce their on-hand quantities of higher cost, slower turning drugs. We believe this is a substantial advantage because a majority of available drugs are prescribed infrequently. The 1,000 most popular drugs sold by us account for more than 90% of all consumer prescription purchases, with the remaining 1,500 accounting for less than 10%. We believe it is more efficient to keep the bulk of this less frequently requested inventory in a central location rather than spread throughout the stores.

        Dispensing accuracy can also be improved through the central fill facility because it permits the utilization of large, automated dispensing machines, which would be too expensive for use in individual stores. We believe the cost of filling prescriptions is reduced and customer service is enhanced because in-store pharmacy staff members have more time to handle prescriptions required on a more immediate basis, as well as to provide customer counseling. At December 27, 2003, this facility serviced more than 110 of our stores and handled approximately 2,800 prescriptions per day, reflecting an increase of more than 65% compared to the prior year's daily volume.

        Another important component of our pharmacy growth strategy is the continued acquisition of customer prescription files from independent pharmacies in market areas currently served by existing Duane Reade stores. In 2003, we purchased the prescription files of seven pharmacies. When appropriate, we will retain the services of the corresponding pharmacist, whose personal relationship with the customers generally enhances the retention rate of customers associated with the purchased file. Given the large number of independent pharmacies in metropolitan New York, we believe that these stores present additional future acquisition opportunities.

        All of our pharmacies are linked by computer systems that enable them to provide customers with a broad range of services. Our pharmacy computer network profiles customer medical and other relevant information, supplies customers with information concerning their drug purchases for income tax and insurance purposes and prepares prescription labels and receipts. The computer network also expedites transactions with third party plans by electronically transmitting prescription information directly to the third party plan and providing on-line adjudication. At the time of sale, on-line adjudication confirms customer eligibility, prescription coverage, pricing and co-payment requirements and automatically bills the respective plan. On-line adjudication also reduces losses from rejected claims and eliminates a portion of our administrative burden related to the billing and collection of receivables and related costs.

        During 2003, we piloted an in-store pharmacy kiosk system that enables customers to interact with a pharmacist located at our central fill facility. These kiosks also contain a digital scanning device

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designed to transmit customers' prescriptions to our central fill facility for processing and delivery to the customer's store of choice or directly to the customer through our home delivery service. The kiosks result in reduced store-level wait times while providing a more cost-effective means of servicing customers during peak activity periods.

        Internet:    In 1999, we launched an interactive website, "www.duanereade.com," which customers may use to access company information, refill prescriptions and purchase over-the-counter medications, as well as health and beauty care products and other non-pharmacy items. Internet-based purchases are available for both front-end and pharmacy products and can be delivered directly to the customer or made available at the customer's store of choice for pickup. Our strategy has been to develop the website as an additional vehicle to deliver superior customer service, further supporting our strength as a "brick-and-mortar" retailer. While sales generated on the website to date have been immaterial to our business overall, we believe "www.duanereade.com" has positioned us to take advantage of internet business as it may develop in the future.

        Store Operations:    Our stores range in size from 2,000 to 17,200 square feet, with an average of 7,115 square feet per store. Our stores are designed to facilitate customer movement and convenience. We believe that providing straight aisles and well-stocked shelves allows customers to find merchandise easily and allows store managers, security guards, cashiers and stock clerks to effectively monitor customer behavior. We attempt to group merchandise logically in order to enable customers to locate items quickly and to stimulate impulse purchases.

        We establish each store's hours of operation in an attempt to best serve customer traffic patterns and purchasing habits and to optimize store labor productivity. Most stores in Manhattan's business districts are generally open five days per week. In residential and certain business/shopping districts, stores are open six or seven days per week, with a heavy emphasis on convenient, early morning openings and late evening closings. At December 27, 2003, 41 of our stores were open 24 hours a day. We intend to continue to identify stores where we believe extended operating hours would improve customer service and convenience and contribute to our profitability. Many of our stores offer delivery services as an added customer convenience. Customers can arrange for delivery by phone, fax, internet or at the store. Each store is supervised by a store manager and one or more assistant store managers. Stores are supplied by deliveries from our primary warehouse located in Maspeth, Queens, New York City and, for certain seasonal items, from our secondary distribution facility located in North Bergen, New Jersey, an average of two to three times per week. This delivery frequency allows the stores to maintain a high in-stock position, maximize utilization of store selling space and minimize the amount of inventory required to be in the stores.

        During fiscal 2002, we experienced significant increases in shrink that we believe resulted from the recessionary economy and increased unemployment throughout our trading areas. In response, we established an increased operational focus that included (1) increased numbers of full-time security guards in high shrink stores, (2) introduction of improved on-line inventory stock ledger reporting for use by management in monitoring purchases and warehouse deliveries, (3) improved vendor direct-delivery store level receiving procedures, (4) enhanced exception reporting of cashier transactions, (5) increased use of digital surveillance cameras and (6) implementation of other inventory control technologies. In addition, we staff a full-time team of loss prevention professionals and use an anonymous telephone hotline to allow employees to report instances of theft. We also monitor employee behavior and conduct ongoing audits of warehouse picking and receiving. As a result of these initiatives, we were successful in reducing the impact of shrink during the 2003 fiscal year.

        Purchasing and Distribution:    We purchase approximately 97% of our non-pharmacy merchandise directly from manufacturers. We distribute approximately 85% of our non-pharmacy merchandise through our warehouses and receive direct-to-store deliveries for approximately 15% of our non-pharmacy purchases. Direct-to-store deliveries are made primarily for greeting cards,

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photofinishing, convenience foods and beverages. In total, we purchase from over 1,000 vendors. We believe that there are ample sources of supply for the merchandise we currently sell, and that the loss of any one non-pharmacy supplier would not have a material effect on our business.

        We manage non-pharmacy purchasing through a combination of forward buying and vendor discount buying in ways that we believe maximize our buying power. For example, we use a computerized forecasting and inventory investment program that is designed to determine optimal forward buying quantities before an announced or anticipated price increase has been implemented. By forward buying, we stock up on regularly carried items when manufacturers temporarily reduce the cost of goods or when a price increase has been announced or is anticipated. Forward buying activity has the potential to influence our inventory levels.

        We generally purchase prescription medications under long-term supply agreements. Approximately 48% of our pharmacy inventory at December 27, 2003 was shipped directly to our stores on a consignment basis.

        We currently operate two warehouses, one of which is centrally located in Maspeth, Queens, New York City, and the other of which is located in the northern New Jersey community of North Bergen. The primary Maspeth warehouse, which is approximately 506,000 square feet, is located within ten miles of approximately 85% of our stores, and within 50 miles of our farthest outlying locations. The North Bergen location, which is used for seasonal and other slower-moving merchandise, is also located within an efficient distance of a majority of our stores. The close proximity of the warehouses to the stores allows us to supply the stores frequently, thereby minimizing inventory and maximizing distribution economies. We also operate a fleet of trucks and vans, which we use for deliveries from the warehouses to the stores.

        Advertising and Promotion:    We regularly promote key items at reduced retail prices during promotional periods. We use store window banners and in-store signs to communicate savings and value to shoppers. We distributed over 83 million bags with the highly recognizable Duane Reade logo in 2003, helping to promote our name throughout metropolitan New York. We also use full color circulars to announce new stores and heavily circulate them in local areas to attract customers. We usually do not rely heavily on distributed print media to promote our core market stores but, because of our strong brand recognition and high-traffic locations, we typically rely on store window signage and displays as our primary method of advertising. We also employ radio advertising that focuses on our convenient locations and timely seasonal promotions.

        In November 1999, we launched the Dollar Rewards Club, the first major chain-wide "loyalty card" in the drugstore industry, to provide frequent shoppers with additional discounts. Membership currently exceeds 3.3 million members. Statistics indicate that the average Dollar Rewards card member spends approximately 45% more per visit than does a non-member. The loyalty card also enables us to tailor many of our promotions to the needs of these more frequent shoppers. Members of the Dollar Rewards Club may use their loyalty cards when making purchases through our website, "www.duanereade.com."

        Management Information Systems:    We have modern pharmacy and inventory management information systems. The pharmacy system, PDX, has reduced the processing time for electronic reimbursement approval for prescriptions from third party plans. We use scanning point-of-sale, or POS, systems in each of our stores. These systems allow better control of pricing, inventory and shrink. POS also provides sales analysis that allows for improved labor scheduling and helps optimize product shelf space allocation and design by allowing detailed analysis of stock-keeping unit sales.

        We utilize a fully automated computer-assisted merchandise replenishment system for store front-end orders sourced through our distribution centers. This system uses item-specific and store-specific sales history to produce "suggested" orders for each store, which can be accepted or modified by the stores before being released to the distribution centers.

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        We use radio frequency hand-held scanning devices to communicate directly with our central processor located at our headquarters facility and permit real-time updates of adjustments to on-hand quantities in our perpetual inventory system. These devices are also used to support inventory ordering, transfers, price changes and direct store deliveries. In 2002, we completed the implementation of a full chain-wide specific item cost-based inventory tracking and valuation system. We believe this new system provides improved controls over inventory management and shrink-related losses. During 2003, we implemented a new computerized in-store shelf labeling system designed to improve pricing accuracy, upgrade our ability to communicate item prices to our customers and reduce the costs associated with processing weekly price changes.

        Competition:    Our stores compete on the basis of convenience of location and store layout, product mix, selection, customer service and price. The New York City drugstore market is highly fragmented due to the complexities and costs of doing business in the most densely populated area of the country. We believe the diverse labor pool, local customer needs and complex real estate market in New York City all favor regional chains and independent operators that are familiar with the market. We tailor our store format to meet all of these requirements, which has proven successful in the business and residential neighborhoods of Manhattan, as well as the outer boroughs and surrounding areas.

        Our primary competition comes from over 700 independent pharmacies located in New York City, as well as stores operated by major drug store chains including CVS, Rite Aid, Eckerd and Walgreens. We believe that we have significant competitive advantages over independent drugstores in New York City. These include purchasing economies of scale, two strategically located warehouses that minimize store inventory and maximize selling space, a broad line of in-stock, brand name merchandise and a convenient store format. Against major drug chain competition, Duane Reade enjoys the advantages of strategically located warehouses, a larger number of convenient locations and greater experience operating stores in the New York metropolitan area.

        We also compete to a lesser extent with other classes of retail trade, including supermarkets, mass merchants, internet/mail-order businesses and Canadian imports. We believe that our concentration in the densely populated New York City market limits the ability of big box retailers and supermarkets to expand meaningfully in many of our prime trading areas.

        Government Regulation:    Our business is subject to extensive federal, state and local regulations. These regulations cover required qualifications, day to day operations, reimbursement and documentation of activities. We continuously monitor the effects of regulatory activity on our pharmacy and non-pharmacy related operations.

        Licensure and Registration Laws.    States generally require that companies operating a pharmacy within the state be licensed by the state board of pharmacy. We currently have pharmacy licenses for each pharmacy we operate in New York and New Jersey. In addition, our pharmacies are registered with state and federal authorities under statutes governing the regulation of controlled substances. Pharmacists who provide services on our behalf are required to obtain and maintain professional licenses and are subject to state regulations regarding professional standards of conduct. Each of our pharmacists located in New York is licensed by the State of New York. The State of New Jersey licenses the pharmacists employed at our stores in New Jersey.

        Medicare and Medicaid.    The pharmacy business operates under regulatory and cost containment pressures from federal and state legislation primarily affecting Medicaid and, to a lesser extent, Medicare.

        We receive reimbursement from government-sponsored third party plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, non-government third party plans such as managed care organizations and also directly from individuals (i.e. private-pay). For the fiscal year ended December 27, 2003, our pharmacy payer mix, as a percentage of total pharmacy sales, was approximately 69% managed care organizations,

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22% Medicaid/Medicare and 9% private-pay. Pricing for private-pay patients is based on prevailing regional market rates. However, Federal laws and regulations contain a variety of requirements relating to the reimbursement and furnishing of prescription drugs under Medicaid. First, states are given authority, subject to applicable standards, to limit or specify conditions for the coverage of some drugs. Second, as discussed below, federal Medicaid law establishes standards for pharmacy practice, including patient counseling and drug utilization review. Third, federal regulations impose reimbursement requirements for prescription drugs furnished to Medicaid beneficiaries. Prescription drug benefits under Medicare are significantly more limited than those available under Medicaid and the effects of the newly enacted "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003" (P.L. 108-173) (the "Medicare Drug Act") on us are uncertain at this time. In addition to requirements mandated by federal law, states have substantial discretion in determining administrative, coverage, eligibility and reimbursement policies under their respective state Medicaid programs that may affect our pharmacy operations.

        During 2003, President Bush signed legislation that will expand Medicare coverage of senior citizens' prescriptions. This new Medicare coverage is planned to take effect in 2006 and is expected to result in decreased pharmacy margins resulting from lower reimbursement rates than our current margins on customer-paid cash prescriptions. In June 2004, a temporary senior citizen discount program furnished under this Medicare legislation is expected to be implemented and will remain in effect until the full Medicare program takes effect in 2006. This temporary program is also expected to result in lower pharmacy margins than those realized from our customer-paid cash prescription business.

        The Medicare and Medicaid programs are subject to statutory and regulatory changes, retroactive and prospective rate adjustments, administrative rulings, executive orders and freezes and funding restrictions, all of which may significantly impact our pharmacy operations. We cannot assure you that payments for pharmaceuticals under the Medicare and Medicaid programs will continue to be based on current methodologies or even remain similar to present levels. We may be subject to rate reductions as a result of federal or state budgetary constraints or other legislative changes related to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

        Fraud and Abuse Laws.    We are subject to federal and state laws and regulations governing financial and other arrangements between healthcare providers. Commonly referred to as the Fraud and Abuse laws, these laws prohibit certain financial relationships between pharmacies and physicians, vendors and other referral sources. Recently, there has been substantially increased scrutiny and enforcement activity by both government agencies and the private plaintiffs' bar relating to pharmaceutical marketing practices under the Fraud and Abuse laws. Five of the largest retail pharmacies were recently served with document requests in connection with a Congressional investigation into Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. Violations of Fraud and Abuse laws and regulations could subject us to, among other things, significant fines, penalties, injunctive relief, pharmacy shutdowns and possible exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Changes in healthcare laws or new interpretations of existing laws may significantly affect our pharmacy business. Some of the Fraud and Abuse Laws that have been applied in the pharmaceutical industry include:

        Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.    The federal anti-kickback statute prohibits, among other things, the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or acceptance of remuneration, directly or indirectly, in return for referring an individual to a provider of services for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a federal healthcare program, including the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Remuneration has been interpreted to include any type of cash or in-kind benefit, including long-term credit arrangements, gifts, supplies, equipment, prescription switching fees, or the furnishing of business machines. Several courts have found that the anti-kickback statute is violated if any purpose of the remuneration, not just the primary purpose, is to induce referrals.

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        Potential sanctions for violations of the anti-kickback statute include imprisonment and criminal fines of up to $25,000 per violation and exclusion from participation in any federal healthcare program, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Violations may also give rise to civil monetary penalties in the amount of $50,000, plus damages of three times the total remuneration offered, paid, solicited or received per violation.

        Although we believe that our relationships with vendors, physicians, and other potential referral sources have been structured in compliance with Fraud and Abuse laws, including the federal anti-kickback statute, the Department of Health and Human Services has acknowledged in its pharmaceutical industry compliance guidance that many common business activities potentially implicate the anti-kickback statute. We cannot offer any assurance that a government enforcement agency, private litigant, or court will not interpret our business relations to violate the federal anti-kickback statute.

        The False Claims Act.    Under the False Claims Act, or the FCA, civil penalties may be imposed upon any person who, among other things, knowingly or recklessly submits, or causes the submission of false or fraudulent claims for payment to the federal government, for example in connection with Medicare and Medicaid. Any person who knowingly or recklessly makes or uses a false record or statement in support of a false claim, or to avoid paying amounts owed to the federal government, may also be subject to damages and penalties under the False Claims Act.

        Moreover, private individuals may bring qui tam, or "whistle blower," suits under the False Claims Act, and may receive a portion of amounts recovered on behalf of the federal government. Such actions must be filed under seal pending their review by the Department of Justice. Penalties of between $5,000 and $11,000 and treble damages may be imposed for each violation of the FCA. Several federal district courts have held that the False Claims Act may apply to claims for reimbursement when an underlying service was delivered in violation of other laws or regulations, including the anti-kickback statute.

        In addition to the False Claims Act, the federal government has other civil and criminal statutes, which may be utilized if the government suspects that we have submitted false claims. Criminal provisions that are similar to the False Claims Act provide that if a corporation is convicted of presenting a claim or making a statement that it knows to be false, fictitious or fraudulent to any federal agency, it may be fined not more than twice any pecuniary gain to the corporation, or, in the alternative, no more than $500,000 per offense. Many states also have similar false claims statutes that impose liability for the types of acts prohibited by the FCA, and bills for state false claims laws modeled on the federal FCA have recently been introduced in the New York and New Jersey legislatures. Finally, the submission of false claims may result in termination of our participation in federal or state healthcare programs. Managing employees and persons who actively participate in the submission of false claims can also result in our being excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

        We believe that we have sufficient procedures in place to provide for the accurate completion of claim forms and requests for payment. Nonetheless, given the complexities of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, we can offer no assurance that we will not code or bill in error and that such claims for payment will not be treated as false claims by the enforcing agency or a private litigant.

        Drug Utilization Review.    The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, or OBRA 90, establishes a number of regulations regarding state Medicaid prescription drug benefits. Although OBRA 90 primarily focuses on drug manufacturers' obligations to provide drug rebates under state Medicaid programs, it also requires states to create drug utilization review, or DUR, requirements in order to combat fraud, abuse, gross overuse, inappropriate or medically unnecessary care as well as to educate patients about potential adverse reactions. DUR requires pharmacists to discuss with patients relevant information in connection with dispensing drugs to patients. This information may include the

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name and description of the medication, route and dosage form of the drug therapy, special directions and precautions for patients, side effects, storage, refill and what a patient should do upon a missed dosage. Under DUR requirements, pharmacists are also required to make a reasonable effort to obtain the patient's identification information, medical and drug reaction history and to keep notes relevant to an individual's drug therapy. Our pharmacists provide the required drug use consultation with our customers.

        Healthcare Information Practices.    The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, sets forth standards for electronic transactions, unique provider, employer, health plan and patient identifiers, security and electronic signatures as well as protecting privacy in the exchange of individually identifiable health information. The Department of Health and Human Services, or DHHS, has released three rules mandating compliance with the standards set forth under HIPAA. First, our pharmacies complied with DHHS's standards governing the privacy of the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information by the required compliance date of April 14, 2003. In addition, we implemented the uniform standards governing common healthcare transactions by the required compliance date of October 16, 2003. Finally, rules governing the security of health information were issued on February 20, 2003, with a compliance date of April 21, 2005.

        We continue to evaluate the effect of the HIPAA standards on our business. At this time, management believes that our pharmacies have taken all appropriate steps to achieve compliance with the HIPAA requirements. However, HIPAA compliance is an ongoing process that will require continued attention and adaptation even after the official compliance dates. Management does not currently believe that the cost of compliance with the existing HIPAA requirements will be material to us; however, management cannot predict the cost of compliance with HIPAA requirements that are not yet effective. Noncompliance with HIPAA may result in criminal penalties and civil sanctions. The HIPAA standards have increased our regulatory and compliance burden and have significantly affected the manner in which our pharmacies use and disclose health information, both internally and with other entities.

        In addition to the HIPAA restrictions relating to the exchange of healthcare information, states have adopted laws protecting the confidentiality of patient information which impacts the manner in which pharmacy records are maintained. Violation of patient confidentiality rights under common law, state or federal law could give rise to damages, penalties, civil or criminal fines and/or injunctive relief. We believe that our pharmacy operations and prescription file-buying program are consistent with federal and state privacy protections. However, we can give no assurance that an enforcement agency or court would not find a violation of state or federal privacy protections arising from our pharmacy operations or our prescription file-buying program.

        Healthcare Reform and Federal Budget Legislation.    Congress recently passed a number of federal laws that have created major changes in the healthcare system. In December 2000, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, or BIPA, was signed into law. Generally, BIPA, which became effective in April 2001, includes provisions designed to further mitigate the reimbursement cuts contained in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. BIPA also clarified the government's policy with regard to coverage of drugs and biologics, and addresses certain reimbursement issues. BIPA mandated a study by the General Accounting Office regarding payment for drugs and biologics under Medicare Part B, and required the General Accounting Office to report to the secretary of the DHHS specific recommendations for revised payment methodologies. BIPA established a temporary moratorium on direct or indirect reductions, but not increases, in payment rates in effect on January 1, 2001, until the Secretary reviews the General Accounting Office report.

        BIPA also addressed attempts to modify the calculation of average wholesale prices of drugs, or AWPs, upon which Medicare and Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement is based. The federal government has been actively investigating whether pharmaceutical manufacturers have been improperly

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manipulating average wholesale prices, and several pharmaceutical manufacturers have paid significant civil and criminal penalties to resolve litigation relating to allegedly improper practices affecting AWP.

        In response to BIPA and other criticisms of AWP pricing methodologies, the recently enacted Medicare Drug Act contains a number of drug pricing reforms, some of which were effective January 1, 2004. Although reporting obligations that arise under the AWP system and Medicaid Best Price statutes are imposed on pharmaceutical manufacturers, current and future changes in pricing methodologies may affect reimbursement rates, pharmaceutical marketing practices and the offering of discounts and incentives to purchasers, including retail pharmacies, in ways that are uncertain at this time.

        It is uncertain at this time what additional healthcare reform initiatives, if any, will be implemented, or whether there will be other changes in the administration of governmental healthcare programs or interpretations of governmental policies or other changes affecting the healthcare system. We cannot assure you that future healthcare or budget legislation or other changes, including those referenced above, will not materially adversely impact our pharmacy business.

        Non-Healthcare Licenses.    We have been granted cigarette tax stamping licenses from the State of New Jersey, the State of New York and the City of New York, which permit us to buy cigarettes directly from the manufacturers and stamp the cigarettes ourselves. Our stores possess cigarette tax retail dealer licenses issued by the State of New York, the City of New York and the State of New Jersey. In addition, a number of our stores possess beer licenses issued by the State of New York. We seek to comply with all of these licensing and registration requirements and continue to actively monitor our compliance. By virtue of these license and registration requirements, we are obligated to observe certain rules and regulations, and a violation of these rules and regulations could result in suspension or revocation of one or more licenses or registrations and/or the imposition of monetary penalties or fines.

        Employees:    As of December 27, 2003, we had approximately 6,100 employees, 83% of whom were full-time. Unions represent approximately 5,600 of our employees. Non-union employees include employees at corporate headquarters, store and warehouse management and most part-time employees, as well as approximately 40% of our store pharmacists. The distribution facility employees are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs and Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Local 815. Our three-year contract with this union expires on August 31, 2005. Employees in some stores are represented by the Allied Trades Council ("ATC") and other stores are represented by Local 340A New York Joint Board, UNITE AFL-CIO ("UNITE"). On August 31, 2001, our collective bargaining agreement with the ATC expired after we were unable to reach agreement with the ATC on terms for a successor agreement. The ATC unsuccessfully attempted to strike at some of our stores, but our employees remained at work at all times and have been working pursuant to the terms of our December 6, 2001 implemented contract with the ATC, which expires on August 31, 2004. Our current contract with UNITE expires on March 31, 2004. We are currently in discussions with UNITE regarding this contract.

        Intellectual Property:    The name "Duane Reade" and the "DR" logo are registered trademarks. We believe that we have developed strong brand awareness within the New York City area. As a result, we regard the Duane Reade logo as a valuable asset. In addition, in connection with the Rock Bottom acquisition, we acquired the "Rock Bottom" name and the "Rock Bottom" logo, each of which are registered trademarks. In 2002, we introduced a new private label cosmetic line that sells under the brand name "apt.5." We have filed trademark applications for the "apt.5" name and "apt.5" logo. In 2003, we filed a patent application for our pharmacy kiosk. We currently have a "patent pending" status on our pharmacy kiosk invention.

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ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

        As of December 27, 2003, we were operating stores in the following locations:

        With the exception of one store located in Irvington, New Jersey, all of our stores are leased. Store leases are generally for 12 to 15 year initial terms. The average year of expiration for stores operating as of December 27, 2003 is 2013. Lease rates are generally subject to scheduled increases that average approximately 12% every five years. The following table sets forth the lease expiration dates of our leased stores over each of the next five years and thereafter. Of the 51 stores with leases expiring in the next five years, 23 have renewal options.

        We occupy 95,000 square feet for our corporate headquarters, located in Manhattan, New York City, under a lease that expires in 2012.

        We occupy a 506,000 square foot warehouse in Maspeth, Queens, New York City under a lease that expires in 2017.

        We occupy a 165,000 square foot warehouse in North Bergen, New Jersey under a lease that expires in 2008.

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

        We are party to legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. Based on information presently available to us, we believe that we have adequate legal defenses or insurance coverage for these actions and that the ultimate outcome of these actions will not have a materially adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of our company.

        During 2002, we initiated a legal action against our former property insurance carrier, in an attempt to recover what we believe to be a fair and reasonable settlement for the business interruption portion of our claim originating from the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack, during which our single highest volume and most profitable store was completely destroyed. In September 2003, a trial on certain issues was held regarding some of the matters at issue in the

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litigation, including whether we would have obtained a renewal of our lease at the World Trade Center. We have received a favorable ruling on this and other legal issues in the case and now the matter has moved into an appraisal process. The insurance carrier has appealed a number of rulings by the trial court. It remains uncertain whether we will obtain a favorable resolution of the case. In fiscal 2002, we received an advance of approximately $9.4 million toward the business interruption claim that was recognized as a separate component of income in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.

        Duane Reade Inc., Anthony J. Cuti, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, John K. Henry, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Gary Charboneau, our Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing have been named as defendants in connection with the consolidation of several class action complaints alleging violations of the federal securities laws that were filed from August 2002 through October 2002. The action, which is in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, is on behalf of shareholders who purchased our common stock between April 1, 2002 and July 24, 2002, inclusive. The complaint alleges that the defendants violated the federal securities laws by issuing materially false and misleading statements during the class period. On December 1, 2003, the district judge granted our motion to dismiss the plaintiff's action, with prejudice. The plaintiffs have filed a notice of appeal. We continue to believe that the plaintiff's actions are completely baseless and wholly without merit, and intend to vigorously defend ourselves on appeal.

        We are a defendant in a class action suit in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York regarding alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act as to a group of individuals who provided delivery services on a contract basis to us. In December 2002, the judge in the action issued a partial summary judgment in favor of a subclass of the plaintiffs and against us. In December 2003, we settled the issue of the amount of our liability to the plaintiffs without any admission of wrongdoing and in an amount consistent with our previously established reserves. The amount of attorney's fees owed to the plaintiffs' attorneys remains an open issue in the case and we plan to vigorously defend claims by these attorneys for fees.

        We are a party to a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative proceeding regarding a dispute with the Allied Trades Council over whether a negotiating impasse was reached between us and the union in August of 2001. The Allied Trades Council represents employees in 139 of our stores in a collective bargaining agreement that expired on August 31, 2001. Our employees have been working pursuant to the terms of our December 6, 2001 implemented contract with the ATC, which expires on August 31, 2004. We believe an impasse did in fact occur and as a result, we had the right to implement our latest contract proposal at that time which included wage increases, health and welfare benefits, vacation and sick benefits and a 401k retirement program. We discontinued making additional payments into the various funds associated with the union as we were providing many of these benefits on a direct basis and because our past contributions to these funds had caused these funds to be in a position of excessive overfunding. In addition, we had concerns that our past payments into these funds were not being managed in a way to ensure they were being properly utilized for the benefit of our employees. On February 18, 2004, an Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ") who had reviewed various matters related to this proceeding issued a decision and related recommendation, which concluded that the parties were not at impasse. The remedies recommended by the ALJ included, among other things, a requirement for us to make our employees whole by reimbursing them for expenses ensuing from the failure to make contributions to the union funds and to make such funds whole, plus interest. If this recommendation is adopted by the full NRLB and enforced by the circuit court of appeals, it could result in our being required to contribute amounts that have yet to be determined into the union's pension benefit, health and welfare and vacation funds. Any potential required contributions resulting from a final judicial determination of this matter would potentially be subject to offset by the amounts that we had funded since we implemented our final contract proposal for these same benefits that were paid for our Allied Trades Council employees. Because this is just the first phase of a long and complicated administrative process likely to be followed by a full judicial review of all of the facts and circumstances, the final outcome cannot be reliably determined at this time. The ALJ's

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recommendation is not a binding order and has no force and effect of law. Rather, it is a recommendation to the full National Labor Relations Board in Washington D.C., which will conduct a complete review at some point in the future and decide to uphold, reject or modify the recommendation. The full National Labor Relations Board decision is also subject to judicial review by the circuit court of appeals and a compliance hearing before any financial remedy can be determined. While there can be no definitive assurance, we have been advised by our outside labor counsel that we have numerous meritorious defenses and arguments in response to the ALJ's recommendation.

        In light of the foregoing, while its our belief that the final financial outcome of this litigation cannot be determined at this time, we have recorded a pre-tax charge of $12.6 million for the year ended December 27, 2003. This represents our best estimate of the loss that would result upon application of the Administrative Law Judge's recommendations. We note that such charge is based upon the best facts available to us as of the date of this filing and, in our opinion, such charge could be subject to significant modification in the future, upon review by the full National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and completion of a compliance hearing. This charge reflects the amount of contributions that we did not make into the union benefit funds for the period from the August 31, 2001 expiration of the contract through December 27, 2003, reduced by a portion of the benefits we paid directly to or for the benefit of these employees over the same period. It also includes an interest cost for these net contributions from the date they would have been paid until the December 27, 2003 year end date. While this represents our best estimate of the Administrative Law Judge's recommendation, we believe that the actual range of loss in this matter could be from $0 to approximately $27 million, if the ALJ recommendation is upheld and there is no offset for any benefits paid over this period.

        Until such time as further legal developments warrant a change in the application of this accounting standard, or until this matter is resolved, we will also record additional non-cash pre-tax charges of approximately $1.1 million per quarter in future periods, which are calculated on the same basis as the charge we recorded as of December 27, 2003.

        We are a party to related lawsuits, Irving Kroop, et al v. Duane Reade, NY, NY et al, 00 Civ. 9841, et al., instituted by the trustees of several union benefit funds wherein the funds claim that we did not make certain required contributions to these funds from January 2000 through August 2001. We believe that we have made sufficient contributions to these funds and that we have meritorious defenses to the claims being made by these funds. Accordingly, we intend to vigorously defend ourself in these matters.

        We are involved in an ongoing dispute with Cardinal Health, one of our former suppliers of pharmaceutical products. Both parties have claims against the other involving, among other things, breach of contract, promissory estoppel and unjust enrichment. While there can be no definitive assurance, we believe we have counterclaims that offset the claims against us by Cardinal, as well as meritorious defenses to these claims, and plan to vigorously defend ourself in this action. Discovery in the case has concluded and it is expected to go to trial sometime in 2004.

        A recent New York State Tax Appeals Tribunal ruling in a matter involving another company may have an adverse impact upon our New York State Franchise Tax filings from years 1999 through 2002. This matter relates to the required combination of affiliated subsidiaries in recognizing royalty fee and related income for intangible property. The ruling of the Tribunal is subject to further legal appeal and interpretation in light of our own specific facts and circumstances. The outcome of this matter, and the resulting amount of additional income tax expense, if any, cannot be determined by us at this time.

Litigation Relating to the Merger Transaction

        We are aware of six purported class action complaints challenging the merger transaction that have been filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, referred to as the "Delaware

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Complaints," and three purported class action complaints that have been filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, referred to as the "New York Complaints." Two of the New York Complaints have been dismissed without prejudice. On January 28, 2004, the six Delaware actions were consolidated. The Delaware Complaints name Mr. Cuti and certain other members of our board of directors and executive officers as well as us as defendants. Four of the Delaware Complaints name Oak Hill as a defendant. The New York Complaints name Mr. Cuti and certain other members of our board of directors and executive officers as well as us as defendants. One of the dismissed New York Complaints named Oak Hill as a defendant.

        The Delaware Complaints and the pending New York Complaint allege, among other things, that the defendants purportedly breached duties owed to our stockholders in connection with the merger transaction by allegedly failing to: (1) appropriately value Duane Reade as a merger candidate; (2) expose Duane Reade to the marketplace in an effort to obtain the best transaction reasonably available; and (3) adequately ensure that no conflicts of interest exist between defendants' own interests and their fiduciary obligation to maximize stockholder value. Plaintiffs seek, among other things: (a) an order that the complaints are properly maintainable as a class action; (b) a declaration that defendants have breached their fiduciary duties and other duties; (c) injunctive relief; (d) monetary damages; (e) attorneys' fees, costs and expenses; and (f) such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

        We believe these lawsuits are without merit and plan to defend these lawsuits vigorously.

ITEM 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

        During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003, we did not submit any matters to a vote of our security holders.

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PART II

ITEM 5.    MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

MARKET PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

        Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: "DRD." The following table sets forth, for each of the quarterly periods shown, the high and low daily closing prices as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.

        On March 5, 2004, the last sale price of our common stock was $16.90 per share. At March 5, 2004, there were 45 registered stockholders of our common stock, compared with 52 registered stockholders at March 21, 2003. Since a significant portion of our common stock is held in "street" name or nominee name, we are unable to determine the exact number of beneficial holders. We paid no dividends in 2003 or 2002, and do not currently anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. The merger agreement among us and the Oak Hill entities prohibits us from declaring, setting aside or paying dividends or distributions until the effective date of the merger, without the written consent of such Oak Hill entities. In addition, our credit agreement contains a covenant that restricts, subject to certain exceptions, our ability to pay dividends or distributions to our stockholders.

        In the event the merger between us and Duane Reade Acquisition is consummated, our common stock will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and will cease to be publicly traded.

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ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

        The Selected Financial Data of Duane Reade Inc. should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Audited Financial Statements and Notes contained herein.

In thousands, except per share amounts, percentages and store data