Borrowing the concept of the classic American drugstore the French transmogrified it into a near-erotic experience. Over the past dozen years, several versions of Le Drugstore have appeared in Paris: multimedia bazaars featuring bizarre decor, intimate bars, lavish food and smart boutiques. The phenomenon bore only a dreamlike resemblance to the drug supermarkets of, say, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now, by way of cultural reexport, not to say retaliation, the metamorphosed drugstore has returned to the U.S.
In Manhattan last week more than a thousand guests thronged to opening night at Le Drugstore, gaping...