“At Merz Apothecary in the heart of Lincoln Square, large display windows accented with stained glass showcase apothecary artifacts alongside modern products.
“Signs set in vintage typeface advertise the business’s legacy as a home for homeopathic medicine, supplements, beauty products, fragrances and more since 1875.
“Inside, amber-colored chandeliers cast a pleasant glow over wooden countertops and shelves. Shoppers are immediately greeted by the aroma of soaps and perfumes — and by staff asking if they need any help.
“‘It’s always been about customer service, waiting on every customer,’ said owner Abdul Qaiyum.
“The apothecary at 4716 N. Lincoln Ave. run by the father-and-son duo is celebrating a rare milestone this summer: 150 years in business.
“At a time when AI chatbots and social media influencers can overwhelm with information of dubious origin and accuracy, Merz is a community resource, said customer Beth Francis, who was shopping there Tuesday afternoon.
“Francis and her husband live in Ohio but make an effort to swing by Merz whenever they’re in Chicago visiting their daughter to stock up on products they can’t find back home, she said.
“‘My questions have always been answered. The guidance that I get here, I feel like I’m going to a guru,’ Francis said. ‘It’s an actual, authentic connection.’
“Customer Dana Hall said he frequents the shop a few times a month because the Qaiyums and their staff care just as much about educating their clients as they do selling them something.
“‘It’s like old-world-styled. It’s homeopathic,’ Hall said. ‘You have a lot of products here and ways of thinking about health care and taking care of our own bodies that you’re not going to find in these other locations.’
“‘But most importantly, I like the care and the consideration that not only the owners show their employees and their customers, but the knowledge that they have about the things that they sell.’
“What’s ironic is that Merz’s person-first approach isn’t innovative — it just happens to be en vogue again thanks to shifts in consumer behavior, said Dana Jasper, Merz’s senior store manager.
“‘We’re actually doing something kind of old and kind of classic,’ Jasper said. “This is how shopping used to be. … They crave that, and it will never go away.”
“In 1875, Chicago pharmacist Peter Merz opened a small drugstore on the city’s North Side. Being of Swiss descent, Merz decided to call the store an ‘Apothecary’ in the European tradition. Even from the beginning, Merz Apothecary set itself apart.
“At that time, your neighborhood drugstore was not only a place to fill prescriptions, but a source of information and remedies for common ailments. Pharmacists were consulted like family doctors and they would hand mix formulas for each specific customer. However, Merz Apothecary differed from the typical American drugstore because the clientele were mostly European immigrants. Like European apothecaries, Merz focused heavily on herbal medicines and traditional formulas, which were already popular with its international customers.
“Although Merz Apothecary was a humble store, it served as a gathering place for the community. Comfortable leather chairs allowed patrons to sit and chat as they waited for their remedies to be prepared. Merz and his pharmacists spoke many languages, allowing customers to shop and seek advice in their native tongues. The store’s reputation steadily spread, and the business continued to grow over the next 85 years. Heralded by several generations of the Merz family, the store retained its international focus and developed a devoted following among Europeans throughout the Midwest.
“In the early 1960s, competition from large chain drugstores began driving independent pharmacies out of business. But Merz Apothecary’s loyal customer base and traditional herbal approach to health allowed it to thrive during this difficult period. Customers continued to seek out the advice of Merz’s experienced pharmacists and request their hand-mixed formulas.
“Despite the success of the business, in 1972 Ralph Merz was ready to retire without a successor, and the store was about to close permanently. One month before the scheduled closing, a 26-year-old Indian-born pharmacist named Abdul Qaiyum walked into Merz Apothecary after hearing about it from his German in-laws. He immediately fell in love with the store. With its focus on natural remedies, Merz reminded him of his family’s business and the healing traditions from his homeland. He purchased it a few days later.” (Merz Apothecary Website)
Read the full story at Block Club Chicago
- Family-Run Merz Apothecary Marks 150 Years In Business: ‘It’s Always Been About Customer Service’; Founded in 1875, Merz has offered generations of customers hard-to-find homeopathic medicines, supplements and beauty products, Alex V. Hernandez, Block Club Chicago, 8/27/25
- Take A Look Inside our Historic Apothecary: Merz Apothecary (1:33)
- Merz Apothecary, 4716 N. Lincoln Avenue. A Chicago Legacy Business founded in 1875