Luxury & Fashion
Abr 1, 2015
Brazilian Beauty
"Boticário" (apothecary) is what pharmacists used to be called, and that was the name Miguel Krigsner chose for his new compounding pharmacy, which opened its doors on 22 March 1977 in the centre of the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
The idea came to him ater he attended a course in Porto Alegre on the revival of compounding handmade medicinal products. These types of products offered patients personalised treatment, particularly in the area of skin care. But Krigsner wanted his new shop to be more than just a pharmacy. He wanted it to be a truly pleasant place where people would feel good. So, instead of counters full of remedies, the store had a carpeted waiting room with a sofa, magazines and coffee for people to enjoy while their prescriptions were being prepared. It was the beginning of the special customer care that the brand is still known for today.
At the compounding pharmacy where the O Boticario story begins, in place of the usual pharmacy assistants, pharmacists and the owners themselves attended customers at the counter, conveying a serious, trustworthy image. Word got around in no time at all, and people started flocking to the pharmacy for its products, which had become synonymous with quality. Ater the success of his prescription compounding business, Krigsner began to produce products under the "O Boticário" brand name. He started out by whipping together creams using an extra electric mixer his sister had received as a wedding git. Thus, the first O Boticário products were born - a moisturising cream, a shampoo and a bubble bath formulated with marine algae and the brand's first cologne, Acqua Fresca, which is still famous today.
In 1979, with several branded products already on the market and with that special customer care, the first shop exclusively dedicated to the brand opened at Curitiba airport. O Boticario quickly became a specialist in perfumes and cosmetics desired by people in all the other states of Brazil. Flight crews passing through Curitiba airport discovered the delights of this special store and began spreading the word and carrying O Boticário products to other parts of the country.
In a few short years, what started out as a small pharmacy had become the largest perfume and cosmetics network in the world with more than 3,600 shops in Brazil and approximately 600 points of sale in other countries.
