DISCOUNT DEPT STORES

DISCOUNT
DEPT. STORES

ALEXANDER'S DEPARTMENT STORES

"You'll find Alexander's has what you're looking for; how lucky can you get?!"

1928 - Catering to low and middle income consumers, Alexander's was founded in New York by George Farkas.
1980 - Interstate Properties acquired a major stake in Alexander's.
1990's - With sales faltering and its parent company (Interstate) more interested in the value of the chain's real estate, Alexander's
made a last-ditch effort to modernize.
1992 - Alexander's declared bankruptcy. Vornado Realty Trust (Two Guys) purchased a controlling interest in Alexander's for its
real estate holdings.
2008 - Alexander's, Inc. continues in business as a commercial real estate developer.

At its height, Alexander's operated 16 discount department stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

This mural by Stefan Knapp was a landmark
in its own right as it hung on the front of
Alexander's Department Store
in Paramus, NJ.
At 200 feet wide x 50 feet tall,
this enamel on medal mural
was the world's largest painting in 1960.
It remained on the store long after
Alexander's closed in 1992
until the property was
eventually redeveloped
into a shopping center.

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FILENE'S BASEMENT
Aisle 3 ~ Automatic Bargain Basement

1908 - Filene's Basement was founded as "Automatic Bargain Basement" by Edward A. Filene in Boston, MA as a was to sell
off excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs.
1988 - Filene's is acquired by May Department Stores Co.
1998 - Filene's files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. More than 30 stores are closed.
1999 - The company launched a weekend-only warehouse store named Aisle 3.
2000 - Value City Department Stores acquired Filene's.

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PACKARD BAMBERGER DISCOUNT DEPT. STORES

1933 - Packard-Bamberger & Co. was founded in Hackensack, NJ.
1970's - Packard-Bamberger is one of the early super centers with
supermarket-discount dept. store combination stores.
2000 - Target opens a department store on the site of the last
Packard-Bamberger store in Hackensack, NJ.

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Pamida

1948 - Jim Witherspoon and Lee Wegener begin operating a service merchandiser business (Pamida).
1962 - ShopKo is founded in Green Bay, WI by James Ruben.
1963 - The first Gibson Products Company store (Pamida) is opened in Knoxville, IO. A 2nd store is opened 2 weeks later.
1971 - SuperValu acquires ShopKo. ShopKo has 10 stores.
1971 - ShopKo adds pharmacy departments to its stores.
1977 - With 21 stores, ShopKo reaches $ 100 million in sales.
1978 - ShopKo opens its first optical center.
1981 - Pamida is sold to the company's employees.
1981 - ShopKo operates 30 stores.
1986 - CitiCorp Capital Investors acquires a primary interest in Pamida.
1986 - ShopKo opens stores in Montana and Idaho.
1988 - ShopKo opens 7 stores in Utah and has 87 stores and sales reach $ 1 billion.
1990 - ShopKo opens its 100th store.
1991 - SuperValu spins off the chain and ShopKo becomes a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
1997 - ShopKo acquires the 18-store Jacks discount stores chain. ShopKo sales reach $ 2 billion.
1999 - ShopKo acquires the 147-store Pamaida chain for $ 375 million.
2001 - ShopKo closes 23 stores.
2005 - ShopKo launches its ShopKo Express smaller format stores.
2005 - The company is acquired by Sun Capital Partners (Drug Fair, Mervyns, Rag Shops).
2006 - ShopKo operates 135 stores in 13 states.

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RETAIL VENTURES
Value City Department Stores ~ Valley Fair Discount Department Stores ~ Filene's Basement ~ Schottenstein's

1917 - Ephraim Schottenstein founded Schottenstein's in Columbus, OH.
1991 - Value City becomes a publicly-traded company.
1948 - Schottenstein launches Value City furniture stores.
1998 - Value City acquired Filene's Basement.
2000 - Value City acquired DSW shoe stores.
2003 - Retail Ventures is established as a holding company for Value City, Filene's Basement and DSW shoe stores.
The company operates stores under the Value City Department Stores; Valley Fair Discount Department Stores,
Filene's Basement and DSW Shoes banners.

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ShopKo

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SKAGWAY STORES (Nebraska)

1939 - George W. Martin purchased the O.P. Skaggs grocery store chain.
1959 - The O.P. Skaggs chain grew to 17 stores.
1959 - Martin opens the first Skagway store in Grand Island, NE.
1964 - The O.P. Skaggs grocery stores are sold.
1964 - A second Skagway store is opened in Omaha, NE.
1968 - The Omaha store is sold.
1991 - A second Skagway store is opened on Grand Island.
2006 - The Martin family owns and operates 2 Skagway stores on Grand Island.

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THE TREASURY

1962 - JC Penney acquires the parent company of The Treasury discount stores.
The chain operated discount stores in most Southern States and California.
1981 - JC Penney closes all The Treasury stores.

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