How the Oldest Pharmacy in the U.S. Has Adapted During COVID-19
Since 1838, C.O. Bigelow has been serving New York City. "We've been here for 182 years—through world wars, blackouts, and 9/11," says president and owner Ian Ginsberg, the third generation to work at the family apothecary. "I don't want to say we're used to this, but this is what we were meant to do. We're the first place people call."
The oldest pharmacy in the U.S. has lived many lives. When it was first opened by Vermont Physician Dr. Galen Hunter, it was called The Village Apothecary Shoppe, and became an instant hit due in no small part to its first, cult-favorite formula Rose Wonder Cream. In 1880, Clarence Otis Bigelow, who had worked alongside Dr. Hunter, purchased the store and renamed it C.O. Bigelow, moving it to its current location at 102 Sixth Avenue, where Mark Twain would become a regular in 1902. Legend has it that while Thomas Edison was testing an early prototype of the light bulb, he soothed his burnt fingers with Bigelow's balm. During the early 1920s, a lunch counter and soda fountain were installed and would come to be frequented by many artists of the bohemian scene in the '50s and '60s. During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, wife Eleanor would seek respite from the White House at a friend's home on East 11th street, and became a faithful C.O. Bigelow customer, once sending a thank-you letter for a "set of toilet articles." It was in 1939 that William B. Ginsberg, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, purchased the store, eventually passing it on to his son, Jerry, in the '60s, before Ian acquired it in 1996.
In 2020, C.O. Bigelow remains a time capsule that preserves old-world sensibilities, from its vintage interior with glass showcases, to its thoughtfully stocked aisles with namesake formulas and globally sourced treasures, and its mom-and-pop shop approach to helping customers and filling prescriptions. Here, Ian Ginsberg, who has kept the store open and running through major emergencies such as Hurricane Sandy and 9/11, talks about how they're adapting in these unprecedented times.
For you, what were the early warning signs of the threat that COVID-19 posed, and how did you pivot operations when it began ripping through New York City?
On the beauty side, we import and distribute a number of brands from multi-generational families, and three of them are from Italy. We're like family with them, so while we here in the U.S. knew what was going on with the virus but didn't really understand how devastating it was, I knew because I was talking to them every day and hearing the horror stories. When it started to hit here...you know, Bigelow's is the kind of place everybody calls first. It's our credo, but it's really true. I always say, our customers have Google, they're probably some of the smartest, the most sophisticated people in the world, yet they come in to ask us the same question they can get answered online because they trust us. So the phones just started ringing off the hook, everybody asking a million questions and people panicking about their supply of medications. For people who rely on medication to live, whether it's cardiac disease, diabetes, or cancer, having a real relationship with a pharmacy and a pharmacist is super important.
When COVID-19 fears really ramped up in New York City, did you experience a rush of customers? How did you recalibrate in-store procedures?
In the beginning, it hit fast and furious. It was absolute pandemonium, you didn't even have time to breathe. There was extreme panic out there, so people were running to us like crazy, asking questions about what they'd need to stock up on for months and months. Now, the in-store stuff has slowed down a little bit and everybody wants something to be delivered, of course. So we're running messengers all over the place. We're all in the store and the staff is wearing gloves and masks. We have sanitizer everywhere and are giving out gloves at the door when you walk in. We're just doing the best we can and I think, for the most part, people are really exercising their own distancing. If people want, they can do curbside pickup. We want to do whatever the customer wants to do.
How are you keeping up morale, both in-store and within the Greenwich Village neighborhood?
I've been sending these memos out to staff every couple of days just trying to keep them informed, but also to keep them fired up. My son, who works with me as the fourth generation, posted a note on social media just letting the neighborhood know that we're there for them and if there's anything they need, to let us know. Within three days, we had this outpouring of love. People have brought in food, I've received a lot of heartfelt e-mails from customers and their families. In the store now, you can hear people saying, "Thank you so much for being here." I think coming in here just makes people feel good because walking along the streets now, almost everything is closed, and here there's something that's normal. If you're somebody who relies on medication to live, it's really scary not to know that your place is there.
Prior to COVID-19, what were some other challenges and obstacles the pharmacy faced?
It's been 35 years since I was full-time at C.O. Bigelow, but I was born and raised in New York City, so I can speak to the blackout of '77 where the C.O Bigelow, as a landmark site, could light up the store with the gaslights. On 9/11, I was there 24/7, literally sleeping in the store, as well as Hurricane Sandy, where we got a generator to keep things up and running. We have been open 365 days a year for 182 years. The thing that makes us so special is the staff, and if they're going to be there, I'm going to be there with them. I can't expect them to do anything that I'm not willing to do. I'm the first one in and the last one to leave, and I'm very luck to work with a group of people that love what they do and are really passionate about helping people.
What are your personal thoughts on what's ahead, and what are your priorities for C.O. Bigelow?
I think we're in this for the long haul. This is not going away. Our job is focusing on taking care of people. I won't buy masks, you know. I'm getting offered because we do sell medical supplies, but morally I just can't sleep at night buying masks when I hear the horror stories on TV about lack of supplies in hospitals. Knowing there are supply chain problems, we are focusing on making sure that we do our best to stock what we need for the long haul. People are nervous for the future and we want to stay sensitive to that. We want to keep the lights on and try to help as many people as possible.
You're fiercely committed to preserving the hands-on, old-school traditions of C.O. Bigelow. Do you think social distancing might inspire a craving for a more personal experience at the pharmacy going forward?
You know, in the last couple of years, everything has gotten so digital. You go into stores and it's like this world of iPads, flashing lights, and loud music. It's all touch-screen, basically. I still believe that people want a place where you can just walk in, put your phone in in your pocket, be in the moment, and learn something by talking to somebody. In modern times, it's harder and harder to do it because our biggest expenses are labor, of course, because we value staff. But I think that what we’re missing in our lives during social distancing confirms that not everything should be a electronic experience.
Everybody, no matter where you grew up or how old or young you are, has had some experience about going in and seeing the pharmacist. If you didn't feel well, your mother dragged you to see the pharmacist. Let's go show him that rash! This is an experience that bigger chain pharmacies have taken away. It's an experience I don't think people want taken away from them. I want people to say, 'Hey, I don't feel well. Can you help me?' That's the pure essence of what we're about. It's all about assisting the customer and building a relationship with people. I think when you touch people emotionally like that they appreciate it. That's what fuels our loyal customers, and that's what fuels our team. In 2020, it's harder and harder to do that, but as long as we can keep doing it, we'll keep doing it.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
