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07-31-2021 01:23 AM
Name some stores you used to shop in from back in the day. What did you purchase most at the stores? In the Northeast, once upon a time we had these stores that had more than clothing:
Alexander's Department Stores
May's Department Stores
F.W. Woolworth's
Gimbel's
Abraham & Strauss
John's Bargain Stores
Buster Brown (not a department store)
Woolworth had household goods, clothing and a diner indoors. This was a good source to get some things cheaply.
John's Bargain Stores were like today's Dollar stores
May's, Alexander's, Gimbel and Abraham and Strauss sold women's and men's clothing and shoes.
07-31-2021 01:38 AM
@gertrudecloset - I remember Woolworth's. The family owned a summer mansion near where my grandmother lived. It was absolutely beautiful! When we moved north my mom, my brother, and I stayed with her for a year while my parents built their house on the Bay. One of my classmates' fathers was one of the caretakers there. She told us once the vanity in the master bedroom and all of the accessories were glass. We were all fascinated by that!
My mom worked at the store one Christmas season.
07-31-2021 01:39 AM
Robinson's, Southern California
07-31-2021 01:46 AM
Hahnes
Bamburgers
Kresge
3 wonderful department stores in Newark NJ
07-31-2021 02:02 AM
@gertrudecloset Bambergers which became a Macys. Also Gimbels and Orbachs. EJ Korvettes. Miles Shoe Store. Lord & Taylor.
Bambergers was my favorite.
07-31-2021 02:15 AM - edited 07-31-2021 06:20 AM
I remember Gimbels, Woolworths, Kresge's became K-Mart.
John Wanamaker, 1861, Philadelphia. Clothing and homewares. Hess's purchased and renamed.
Hess's, 1897, headquartered in Allentown, PA. Macy's purchased and renamed. Clothing and other.
Strawbridge & Clothier, 1868, Philadelphia, PA
I Magnin, 1876, headquartered in San Francisco. Clothing and Christmas decor.
Henri Bendel, 1891, Manhattan, NYC, NY. Handbags.
Woodword & Lothrop, 1887, Washington, DC.
Jordan Marsh, 1841, Boston, MA
Bombay Co, 1978, New Orleans, LA. Paintings
Bullock's, 1929, Los Angeles, CA. Clothing and other.
Marshall Fields, 1852, Chicago, IL. Clothing
Robinson's, 1886, Los Angeles, CA. Clothing and homewares
Gumps, 1861, San Francisco, CA. Decor
Lord & Taylor, 1826, Manhattan, NYC, NY. It's back online after bankruptcy. All stores closed.
Of all the stores, only a few are memorable.
I. Magnin
John Wanamaker Philadelphia store.
Gump's
Henri Bendel
07-31-2021 03:01 AM
I remember almost all of these stores.
One of my first part time jobs, when I was in high school, was in the Woolworth on 34 th Street in Manhattan. It was right across the street from Macy's.
I worked on the second floor and was in the ribbon department. I learned how to add prices in my mind very quickly and accurately. Took me at least an hour on the train to get home to Brooklyn!
07-31-2021 03:01 AM - edited 07-31-2021 03:19 AM
Garfinckel's in Washington, DC & at Montgomery Mall
Lansburgh & Brother in Rockville, Md & Washington, DC
07-31-2021 03:27 AM
In SoCal, there was a dept. store called May Co. Also, we had Zody's, The Broadway, Bullock's,White Front, JJ Newberry, The Akron, Licorice Pizza (a chain of record stores), Kresge, Ohrbach's.
07-31-2021 04:07 AM - edited 07-31-2021 04:32 AM
@gertrudecloset wrote:Name some stores you used to shop in from back in the day. What did you purchase most at the stores? In the Northeast, once upon a time we had these stores that had more than clothing:
Alexander's Department Stores
May's Department Stores
F.W. Woolworth's
Gimbel's
Abraham & Strauss
John's Bargain Stores
Buster Brown (not a department store)
Woolworth had household goods, clothing and a diner indoors. This was a good source to get some things cheaply.
John's Bargain Stores were like today's Dollar stores
May's, Alexander's, Gimbel and Abraham and Strauss sold women's and men's clothing and shoes.
I shopped at them all. My first 14K hoops came from May's, they were $5. Anyone remember these in NY-
Franklin Simon
Ohrbachs
Kresges
McCrory's
B Altman
Sterns Bros
Pergament (Like Home Depot)
Crazy Eddie (Records/electronics)
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