By John Walker
Special to Inside
Marshall Field's State St. store opened in 1852. Years later, in 1875, Peter Merz began another Chicago tradition when he opened Merz Apothecary on Chicago's North Side. From the beginning, Merz Apothecary was more than a corner drugstore.
Because many of the customers were European immigrants, Merz offered herbal medicines and teas as well as typical pharmacy items. Over the decades, Merz Apothecary has expanded its focus to include a wide variety of natural and homeopathic products, now offering more than 15,000 items for the entire body amidst the backdrop of its relocated, European-inspired apothecary.
On Sunday, Marshall Field's opened a 2,200-square-foot Merz Apothecary story on the first floor of its State St. store. The grand opening will be tomorrow, Sept. 18, from 7 to 10 p.m., and the public is invited.
"Incorporating a full service apothecary into Marshall Field's gives our guests access to a premiere health resource," explained Ralph Hughes, Marshall Field's regional director. "Our guests delight in discovering truly unique, high-quality merchandise from the finest international manufacturers. We are creating a space at Marshall Field's State St. that mirrors its Lincoln Square location, carrying many of the same lines and bringing in additional luxury items."
"Every item that we offer is carefully selected to ensure that it represents the best, most natural products for the entire body—inside and out," said Anthony Qaiyum, co-owner of Merz Apothecary.
At the new State St. store, Merz offers nearly 400 different brands of bath, body and beauty products, as well as a full line of vitamins, herbs, supplements and homeopathic remedies. Merz' much loved loose-leaf tea assortments, blending variations from 100 herbs—all grown without pesticides—are also available in the new location.
Merz Apothecary is recognized internationally for its broad selection of the finest natural products. The Merz family founded and owned the apothecary for 85 years, until 1972, when the business was sold to Abdul Qaiyum, a young pharmacist who believed in the focus on natural remedies. Under Qaiyum, the business grew dramatically and by 1982, a new Merz Apothecary was built, just a few miles from the original store, at 4716 N. Lincoln Ave.
The new store was designed to replicate a turn-of-the-century European apothecary, with leaded glass windows, parquet floors, tin ceilings and oak cabinets.
In this location, Qaiyum was able to dramatically expand the store's offerings, including more natural skin care, bath and aromatherapy products, as well as vitamins, supplements and other natural medicines.
The merchandise collection was groundbreaking, and Merz remains one of the country's leading retailers of natural and unique international personal care and health products.
At Marshall Field's, guests can find the broadest product offerings in the bath, body and face care areas. Included will be Dr. Hauschka face and body products; L'Aromarine, a sought-after line of Parisian fragrances and body products; 4711, the classic German cologne made since Roman times; I Coloniali, an Italian personal care line with an emphasis on exotic Eastern ingredients; Caswell-Massey, the oldest personal care line in America; Badedas, the original pine/horse chestnut German foam bath on which Vitabath was based; and Santa Maria Novella, the Florentine personal care line established in the 1200s with a cult following around the world.
Merz Apothecary is placed between Marshall Field's recently remodeled Beauty department and the women's accessories department.
"Marshall Field's is creating a new shopping experience unlike anything else in retail by delivering the expected and unexpected in a fun environment," Hughes said. "We're thrilled about Merz Apothecary opening here, and believe they're a wonderful fit for our strategy."
Throughout 2003, new boutiques with exclusive merchandise will be opening at the State St. store. Most recently, Marshall Field's welcomed fine British shirt tailor Thomas Pink, New York-based home designer Thomas O'Brien, and the vibrant home design of London-based Designer's Guild. Additional boutiques will soon be introduced, such as Barbara's Bookstore, YAHOO!, Australian Homemade and Wrigleyville Sports.
|
