History
Founded in 1851 by John Kiehl, Kiehl's began as a homeopathic pharmacy located at 3rd Avenue and 13th Street in the East Village of New York City. In 1921, Irving Morse, a former apprentice and Russian Jewish émigré who had studied pharmacology at Columbia University, purchased the store. Morse was involved in the development of many Kiehl's products that are still popular today, including Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion and Creme de Corps.
L'Oréal acquisition
In April 2000, the French beauty and cosmetics company L'Oréal acquired Kiehl's for between $100–$150 million. L'Oréal had pursued the purchase of the company for more than two years but the real catalyst for a deal came when Kiehl's had difficulty handling the growing volume of orders due to the company's growing popularity. Morse Heidegger, then president of Kiehl's, said, "We took a long hard look at the situation, and we felt that in order to keep up with the demand, in order to not be out of stock, in order to fulfill our destiny, if you will, we needed to take on a partner.
With the purchase, L'Oréal stated it planned "to increase the brand's presence but maintain it as a luxury line rather than a mass-market one." Kiehl's would also be expanded internationally. At the same time, Kiehl's newly appointed president Michelle Taylor said, "The thing most important to me is to keep Kiehl's true to what it is. Respect for old-fashioned values is really who we are.
Flagship Store
Kiehl's original store, located at 3rd Avenue and 13th Street in the East Village of Manhattan, occupies the same space as when it was founded in 1851. The site of Kiehl's location is known as "Pear Tree Corner" for the pear tree Peter Stuyvesant, governor of the Dutch colony New Amsterdam, planted there in 1647. A wagon collision felled the tree in 1867; it was then known as "the oldest living thing in the city of New York." [21] In November 2003, Kiehl's initiated the replanting of a new pear tree in its spot.
Today, the store has evolved into a neighbourhood institution; Frommer's 2010 New York City travel guide states "Kiehl's is more than a store, it's a virtual cult. Distinguishing features of the store include its window display of vintage druggist relics, and the collection of classic Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles housed within its doors.
Founded in 1851 by John Kiehl, Kiehl's began as a homeopathic pharmacy located at 3rd Avenue and 13th Street in the East Village of New York City. In 1921, Irving Morse, a former apprentice and Russian Jewish émigré who had studied pharmacology at Columbia University, purchased the store. Morse was involved in the development of many Kiehl's products that are still popular today, including Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion and Creme de Corps.
L'Oréal acquisition
In April 2000, the French beauty and cosmetics company L'Oréal acquired Kiehl's for between $100–$150 million. L'Oréal had pursued the purchase of the company for more than two years but the real catalyst for a deal came when Kiehl's had difficulty handling the growing volume of orders due to the company's growing popularity. Morse Heidegger, then president of Kiehl's, said, "We took a long hard look at the situation, and we felt that in order to keep up with the demand, in order to not be out of stock, in order to fulfill our destiny, if you will, we needed to take on a partner.
With the purchase, L'Oréal stated it planned "to increase the brand's presence but maintain it as a luxury line rather than a mass-market one." Kiehl's would also be expanded internationally. At the same time, Kiehl's newly appointed president Michelle Taylor said, "The thing most important to me is to keep Kiehl's true to what it is. Respect for old-fashioned values is really who we are.
Flagship Store
Kiehl's original store, located at 3rd Avenue and 13th Street in the East Village of Manhattan, occupies the same space as when it was founded in 1851. The site of Kiehl's location is known as "Pear Tree Corner" for the pear tree Peter Stuyvesant, governor of the Dutch colony New Amsterdam, planted there in 1647. A wagon collision felled the tree in 1867; it was then known as "the oldest living thing in the city of New York." [21] In November 2003, Kiehl's initiated the replanting of a new pear tree in its spot.
Today, the store has evolved into a neighbourhood institution; Frommer's 2010 New York City travel guide states "Kiehl's is more than a store, it's a virtual cult. Distinguishing features of the store include its window display of vintage druggist relics, and the collection of classic Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles housed within its doors.