(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Nestled in Lincoln Square is a European-style drug store that opened nearly 150 years ago.
Ten thousand products fill shelves and counters inside Merz Apothecary.
Anthony Qaiyum’s father bought the family-run shop 50 years ago in Lake View and brought its approach to the current, 3,400-square-foot space in Lincoln Square. A variety of specialists can help customers “find anything that they need for their body – inside and out,” he said.
Shoppers can find an array of fragrances, beauty products, herbal remedies and toiletries. There's also a section of the store devoted to men's care, including shaving products and beard balms.
Early adopters to selling online, the pandemic brought a chance to expand the Merz web presence even more.
“We bought a warehouse and moved our web business out of this location,” Qaiyum said.
The store has evolved from a longtime retailer to the maker of their own KOBO candle line: “To be in the city, creating opportunity and jobs and doing cool things and artisanal manufacturing in Chicago, feels amazing.”
Qaiyum says their international fragrances, skincare and more draw international clients. He has noticed visitors from other countries with guide books that include Merz Apothecary as a notable stop.
“I often see people walking through with handbooks that I couldn’t read, but it’s clear that it sent them here,” he said.
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