Many retail and department stores have come and gone throughout American culture. These are stores we loved that no longer exist today. Starting off the list is ‘Woolworth.’ The store was one of the pioneers of the five-and-dime store. They created the model that all other stores followed.
Another missed store is ‘Marshall Field’s,’ which was an upscale department store out of Chicago. The company’s first store is a National Landmark in Chicago. The beloved department store no longer exists today.
‘Mervyn’s’ was a department store chain based in California that carried national clothing brands, shoes, bedding, furniture, and toys. ‘Gimbels’ was another department store that operated for over a century. It is most remembered for creating the oldest Thanksgiving parade, which started in 1920.
‘Montgomery Ward’ started as a first-of-its-kind mail-order business, later leading to a department store chain. The famous catalog was an innovative way to reach consumers, and its roots date back to the late 1800s.
‘S.S. Kresge Company’ was one of the largest discount retail organizations, eventually becoming the ‘Kmart Corporation’ in 1977. ‘Kaufmann’s’ was a department store that started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was last owned by ‘Federated Department Stores.’
‘Hills’ was a discount department store based in Massachusetts. Most stores were located in Ohio, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. ‘National Record Mart’ or ‘NRM’ was a music store chain out of Pittsburgh that operated over 130 locations at its peak.
‘Bonwit Teller & Co.’ was a luxury department store in New York City. It specialized in high-end women’s apparel with exquisite quality. They also paid their employees better wages than most. Other notable stores we loved and lost were ‘Circuit City,’ ‘Bon Ton,’ ‘Linens n Things,’ and ‘Sports Authority.’
