Mercury Drug

Mercury Drug is the leading chain of drugstores in the Philippines.

History

The company began in 1945 with a single store owned by Mariano Que. He named it after Mercury, the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology and whose staff, the caduceus, is sometimes used as a symbol of medicine.

In 1945, Mercury Drug cut packaged bulk items into individual pieces. It was called "tingi-tingi" or the selling by piece method.

In 1963, upon the invitation of Ayala Corporation, Mercury Drug opened its second branch in May 1963 at a developing commercial center in Makati (now known as the Ayala Center).

In 1965, Mercury Drug established its landmark branch in Quiapo, Manila.

Innovations

It introduced many "firsts" in the Philippine drugstore industry:

• 1948: Motorized customer delivery service
• 1952: 17-hour, 7 days a week drugstore service
• 1963: Self-service drugstore
• 1965: 24-hour, 7 days a week service
• 1967: Computerized temperature-controlled central warehouse
• 1969: Biological refrigerators to preserve life-saving medicines
• 1976: Expansion throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Bibliography

References

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