Kiehl’s shares the love
From humble beginnings as a family apothecary in New York to a global beauty brand with major following – Kiehl’s has proven its popularity in New Zealand after just one year of trading (in a recession, no less!). Since opening in Auckland at Smith and Caughey’s Queen St store, Kiehls has gone from newcomer brand to fourth in sales prompting the savvy department store to open its second counter in their Newmarket branch.
To say it has a cult status is an understatement – how many of you have requested friends or family travelling to the States to bring home a much-loved Lip Balm, Ultra Facial Moisturizer or Creme de Corps? Until recently it was unavailable here but very much missed by those returning from living overseas.
Kiehl’s growth has been organic: with a no-advertising policy it’s survived through word of mouth from loyal customers and those in-the-know claiming much-lauded magazine space through merit alone.
It also has the luxury of claiming a very long heritage (old man Kiehl started the apothecary in 1851), most of the product recipes remain similar to what they were at inception – formulas that have stood the test of time. Such is the intrigue behind this brand that cosmetic giant L’Oreal purchased it in the early 2000s. Like all of L’Oreal’s acquisitions (Shu Uemera, The Body Shop, Redken etc) the conglomerate has left the brand to its own culture and identity, and studied it from within. The investment has ensured the brand will endure and is able to expand around the globe.
There are many Kiehl’s products I love and enjoy. Over a bloggers breakfast held on Friday, Nikki Lovrich admitted she’s been a loyal Kiehl’s customer for years and says the brand is excellent for those with sensitive skin like she has.
Perhaps one of the nice things about Kiehl’s is that even though they don’t spend millions on glossy ad campaigns they always support local charities. In New Zealand the Kiehl’s brand supports Garden To Table – a very worthy charity that teaches low decile school children to build, grow and harvest a vegetable garden giving them the heads up on nutrition and good eating practices. This reminds me of that wise proverb: Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.
This year marks the 160 year anniversary of Kiehl’s! Happy Birthday!
The above photos were taken at the bloggers breakfast and feature Jackie Secker Roberts (Pead Pr) and counter manager Tom Scoales. Below is makeup artist Nikki Lovrich and L’Oreal Communications Manager Tanya Abbott.
