Which defunct stores do you remember fondly? (girl, clothes, thin)

[dazzleman]

I don't miss a lot of the stores that went out of business in this area.

But I do miss Filene's. Not the basement, but the regular department store. The stores really went downhill after Macy's took them over.

I can't really find a decent department store these days.

[Townandcountrygal]

Originally Posted by Mr_Geek

Montgomery Ward

Oh yes, "Monkey" Ward. My mother and I would pore over their catalogs together. When our order came into the store to pick up and it was winter time in Minnesota, we'd take a short cut and walk through the snow and over a frozen river to get to our local Montgomery Ward store.

[Townandcountrygal]

Frederick and Nelson in Seattle. They had a nice "tea room" type of restaurant, a very functional ladies' lounge, and their F&N mint/chocolate candies called "Ebonies" were my favorite.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Gimbel's, the former arch-rival of Macy's.

The original Abercrombie & Fitch which was a sporting goods store on 5th Avenue in New York.

And Bamberger's which started in Newark and was re-branded as Macy's in the 1980's although Macy had owned them since the 1930's.

Two Guys, another chain that started in New Jersey and where I used to buy my Matchbox cars. Incidentally, the Vornado Corp (NYSE: VNO) that today owns shopping centers all over the country is the corporate descendant of Two Guys!

And was originally called Two Guys from Harrison, according to my mother.

Do you also remember:

S. Klein
Haynes
Jacobs
Meyer Brothers

[johnp292]

Today's Man

And all the little mom-and-pop corner stores

[graytabbie]

Mervyn's

[oldhousegirl]

Originally Posted by baileyvpotter

I second that. Here's a link I found for those who miss Marshall Field's "where the customer
is always right," as said by Mr. Field.

The Department Store Museum: Marshall Field & Company, Chicago

Ooh. Thanks for the link! Being from Chicago, I miss Field's. Another Chicago store is Chas a Stevens which was downtown with the cool vintage accordian door elevator and operator. And also Spiegel's outlet store which was in Bridgeport. Many a day spent with my mom and Aunts and Cousins making our way up those LONG rickety stairs. Really, now as I think about it, that was likely a major fire hazard. And obviously not ADA friendly.I don't think there was an elevator.

[hellpaso]

Originally Posted by scgoldengirl

I just thought of one-does anybody remember Shainberg's? I am going way back to the 60's probably. There was also a smaller store called Kent's-sort of a low budget store. Geez-I'm old.

I remember them--you're not old at all! Mama had a credit card at Shainberg's, so I had a lot of things from there .

Goldsmith's, Lowensteins, Julius Lewis, Gerber's; all old Memphis department stores
Helen of Memphis (for the monied set--I remember tagging along with my aunt)

Hit or Miss, Contempo, Casual Corner.

Sad to see Coldwater Creek bite the dust last year

[oldhousegirl]

Originally Posted by baileyvpotter

It's still there since it is a historic building but there's also a Target inside.


Favorites were Marshall Fields, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Tower Records, Virgin Records, 5,7,9 Shop,
Robertsons (they had a cute tea room), Bonwit Teller, Turnstyle, Chandlers Shoes, The Wild Pair,
Waccamaw, Venture and Woolworth's as a kid.

Here's a good site for those posters who lived near or in Chicago

CraigsLostChicago

Thanks for this link!! So many of those stores were favs of mine. I thought I saw my mom's car in one of those pics in front of a store; the '79 Fiat Brava . I would not be surprised. I was her side kick for many an expedition to Turn Style, Goldblatt's, Hit or Miss. It was alot of fun.

[johngolf]

Jordan Marsh in Boston. Barney's in NYC before it got uppity. Lazarus in Columbus OH, J M Fields in Chicago.