Stories of the ordinary, the extraordinary, the classic,
the unexpected and the hidden gems
by a long time resident who shares his love of New York City.
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Saturday, August 11, 2007
Kiehl's
Kiehl's Pharmacy is legendary. I will give only a brief synopsis here of this remarkable company, since their history is long with many details - I recommend you click here for an in depth article about Kiehl's and try to visit the original shop. This NYC institution was established in 1951 at its current location in the East Village at 109 Third Avenue as an apothecary by John Kiehl, selling a variety of herbal and homeopathic remedies. Irving Morse, the son of a Russian immigrant family, apprenticed to Kiehl and obtained a degree in pharmacology from Columbia University. He purchased the store in 1921. His son Aaron, also studied pharmacology at Columbia and in the 1950s became active in the business; in the 1960s he took over the business. In the 1960s the pharmacy was phased out and Kiehl's began developing it's own natural care products for which they are famous today. In time, Kiehl's began selling to upscale stores beginning with Neiman Marcus in 1975. In 1988, Aaron's daughter Jami took over with her husband, Olympic skier Klaus Heidegger. Kiehl's has a very distinct character going back to its inception. Historically, the focus has been on high quality, natural products with a lack of emphasis on packaging and marketing - they have had a virtual cult following of patrons, including many celebrities. In 2000, the company was purchased by L'Oreal. There are now stores worldwide. However, efforts have been made to maintain a commitment to Kiehl's roots and the imprint made by Aaron Morse and the family ...
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3 comments:
That place is really fascinating, very pretty and I like the old pharmacy feel to it. I like that they make the beauty part seem like a medical project they can take care of with some kind of prescription...
Looks like a great place and well kept.
If you want to go on a treasure hunt in your hometown, go to my website to learn more.
I had a terrible time at this store. I bought two items there and I had to return them because I had an allergic reaction to them. They put the wrong receipt in my bag when I purchased the items. So I called Customer Service and they told me no problem just go to the store and they will give you a refund. When I went to the store the people there did not know what to do. At first they nearly gave me a refund then changed their mines - and called Cust. Service and kept me there for 45 minutes. They decided that they could only give me a store credit. The mananger Gina Marchesa should be fired from her job. Her mannerisms were unacceptable and I was treated poorly. I and my friends will never shop there again. For $45 dollars they have lost alot of customers and they should really try to make the customer happy - especially under the circumstances.
Another thing about this store is when you buy stuff they always want your personal information in a day and age with identity theft problems this is not a good idea! I will never shop there again.
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