The Peoples Apothecary — Local services in Bend

Unfortunately had a disappointing experience at this store - my partner had visited for the first time the day before and spent almost $100 on (frankly ridiculously overpriced at $22 per tiny bottle) essential oils, figuring she'd rather support a local business than an online retailer. She smelled some of them but skipped trying the lavender as she assumed she generally knew what it'd smell like, but when she got home and tried that particular scent in the diffuser, it ended up being not quite what she expected and even ended up making her nauseous.

When we swung by the next day to ask if just the one scent could be returned, the lady who seemed to be the owner was rather unhelpful, first asking in a condescending manner if she had "even tried out the scent before purchasing" and then going on to say that "maybe she should sell it to one of her friends" (even if someone happened to want that particular scent, they're not going to want it at anywhere near that price!).

We both understand why the policy to not accept returns on products like this exists, and that issuing a refund would've been a loss for the store on that individual product (though I'd have to imagine still a profit on the overall purchase). It just really felt like she could have tried a little harder to be sympathetic or meet in the middle of this situation, and instead she made my partner feel small and lost a customer for good. Even offering a discount on a replacement oil would've felt better along with making the store more money in the end.

On the positive side, there was a very cute and...

I’m always kind of torn going here for my herbs and tinctures. They are basically the only herb store in Bend, but the owners and staff are very unfriendly and frankly unhelpful. Every time I have a question they act like I’m bothering them. You have to wait a long time before they stop what they are doing and acknowledge that you’re in the store or if you need any help. I understand that they might be busy, but they should hire staff if they are too busy to help the customers. I’ve brought a few different people by to show them the store and each time, I leave very embarrassed by how bad the customer service is. Friends that I’ve brought here say they felt like they were bothering the staff. I always leave feeling like I’ve done something wrong by asking a question or needing help. At least hire a few part time employees, and if you are bothered by questions or having to interact with customers, don’t work FOH. They also have very limited Chinese herbs and formulas, and extremely high prices. They make a lot of the formulas themselves, and still charge too much for anyone making minimum wage to have access to their medicinals. Huge inequality gap. Wishing another herbal store would open in bend with kinder owners and more accesible prices for...

The People's Apothecary is a breath of fresh air. They carry a diverse range of herbal and wellness products from tinctures and teas to books and more. Their staff is well versed in herbal remedies and they are well integrated into the community. I have bought teas and bottles here for my retreat goodie bags and loved them! Plus, their location in Brookswood Plaza is perfect for those who live south of downtown. It's easy to get to even if you don't. It's such a relaxing shopping center; calm and rarely crowded. It makes shopping at The People's Apothecary...