Crabtree & Evelyn

Crabtree & Evelyn /ˈkræbtriː ænd ˈiːvlɪn/ is an international retailer of body, fragrance and home care products with stores globally. Founded in the USA, the brand was acquired in January 2016, by Nan Kai Corporation of Hong Kong.

The company was founded in 1968 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Janus Films busineesman Cyrus Harvey. The first retail store was opened in 1977 by Stephen Miller at the Montgomery Mall located in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

The Company's name, conceived by Harvey and designer Peter Windett was inspired by the 17th Century renaissance Englishman John Evelyn, who wrote one of the first important works on conservation. He is also known for his writings on food, including a book on salads, in which he introduced the first salad dressing made with olive oil to Europe. The Crabtree or Wild Apple symbol is native to Britain and the ancestor of all cultivated apple trees It was highly prized for its beauty, as well as its usefulness in home apothecary. Although certain documents and much of the current marketing is consistent with the information above, a number of early Crabtree & Evelyn documents point to the name being inspired by a "George Crabtree", who is allegedly a "17th century Englishmen". If "George Crabtree" was indeed a fictionalised entity (in the vein of "John Bull" or, "Uncle Sam') the surname `Crabtree' and the reason behind its selection would still be consistent with current marketing.

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