The Transformation

Over the next few years, independent pharmacies continued to vanish, yet Merz expanded dramatically, due in part to a booming mail order business. In 1982, Abdul moved Merz from Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood to its current, larger location in Lincoln Square, only a few miles from the original store. Our new store was custom-built to replicate a turn-of-the-century European apothecary, complete with a hand-carved wooden exterior, leaded glass windows, tin ceilings, and solid oak cabinets. The original antique pharmacy jars and herb containers now had a fitting home.

The shift in our location was matched by an important shift in our wellness approach. With the move, Abdul expanded the store’s inventory to include homeopathic medicines, supplements, and natural self-care products. Abdul nurtured a larger vision of health and wellness: to feel good mentally, physically, and emotionally. To meet those needs, we began offering natural personal care products from around the world. Promoting external and internal health, along with physical and emotional well-being was unheard of at the time. Our popularity grew enormously among Americans and international customers alike.

The World Of E-Commerce

Recognizing the opportunity to offer an expanded vision of health and personal care, Abdul and his son, Anthony, founded Smallflower.com in 1998. So many customers had trouble spelling “Apothecary” that the Qaiyums chose the name Smallflower (one of our best-selling herbs) for our website. We also began selling on Amazon in 2004, before most people had even heard of it!

As one of the first e-commerce sites and one of the first sellers on Amazon, we knew early that we had to stand out from the competition. Our goal was, and still is, to blend our Old World traditions with new technology, without losing the vision and character that make Merz Apothecary special. We’re quite proud of the path we’ve taken so far! When customers shop with us online, they can be confident they’re dealing with a staff that has intimate knowledge of the products and superior customer service skills.

E-commerce is a vital component of our business, and an area that has experienced rapid growth in the last few years. We created a marketing department and customer service team to ensure that Smallfower continues to thrive. And rather than view Amazon as competition, we have partnered with them to grow our business. We sell directly to customers and ship items to Amazon to sell. To keep up with demand, we have a dedicated FBA team and warehouse space.

The Expansion

Our devoted customer base has grown not only online, but also at our brick-and-mortar store. In 2003, the Qaiyums decided to open Merz Downtown to serve customers in Chicago’s Loop. Located in the historic Palmer House Hotel, the downtown location was frequented by working professionals, loop locals, and tourists from around the world. After 18 years in business, the Merz Apothecary location at the Palmer House closed in 2021. 

Although the packed shelves are part of our original location’s charm, we reached a point where we were practically bursting at the seams! In 2014, we opened Q Brothers, a boutique space adjacent to our Lincoln Square store. Our new space allowed us to bring in an outstanding selection of men’s shaving and grooming products. In 2018, we reimagined that space to create The Shops at Merz. This allowed us to expand our skin care lines and men’s grooming options, offer a comprehensive assortment of natural cosmetics, and also made room to create a fragrance counter with a carefully curated collection of hard-to-find, niche fragrances.

The Shops at Merz is a beautifully designed boutique space, but unlike some specialty stores, we work hard to maintain a comfortable and friendly atmosphere! We want to make sure the essence of Merz—the care, knowledge, and approachability—is imbued in everything we do.

In 2021, we further expanded our repertoire into private label brands and acquired KOBO Candles, a collection of elegant and eclectic home scents hailing from upstate New York. We moved manufacturing and operations from New York into our warehouse space in Chicago in the summer of 2022.