Defunct Discount Department Stores

[RedAngie]

Before Walmart and Target went nationwide, there were plenty of other similar stores in my area. Some held on until the Walmart era, others went out of business a long time before.

Walmart came to my area about 1994; Target about 1999.

There was

E.J. Korvettes (they had a great record album department)
Two Guys ("Two Guys, Naturally" in their TV commercials. During the scene in Rocky Horror Picture Show where Brad and Frank'n'Furter were in bed together, people would yell out the slogan)
Bradlees
Caldor
Jefferson Ward (I think it was associated with Montgomery Ward)
Woolco (sort of a super Woolworth's)
J.M Field's
several others

but my favorites was a Philly metro chain called Clover, the discount division of the Strawbridge & Clothier full line department store. They held on until about 1996, when they could no longer compete.




I'm sure other areas of the country had their own regional or local chains that went defunct.

 

[MIGrandma]

I remember Tempo and Giantway here, from when I was a child. We just finally lost our K-Mart a few months ago. I figured they would go out of business when Meijer opened as we already have Wal-Mart too, but they hung on for another year or so after that.

I do remember Montgomery Wards too, they've been gone a long time.

And there was Woolworth's, and a couple different ones downtown (Grants and Newberry's).

 

[anniemae]

We had Woolworths. I remember going in with my mom. They had a lunch counter that was always really busy.

 

[cijay]

We have bugger all but Wal-Mart and i won't shop there. Luckily, Superstore has underpants that aren't $6/pair because each comes on its own wee hanger. I can get all the clothes I want at work but no underpants.

 

[Planogirl]

We had Fed-Mart and Globe. The Montgomery Ward name still exists in mail order for some reason.

 

[anniemae]

You know, I am actually kind of surprised that stores like Sears and Macys are able to stay in business. It seems everyone goes to either Walmart, Target or Khols.

 

[cabanafrau]

You know, I am actually kind of surprised that stores like Sears and Macys are able to stay in business. It seems everyone goes to either Walmart, Target or Khols.

Of that entire list I only shop at Macy's, none of the others.

Our area had Korvette's, Federals, Woolworth, Neisner's and Kresge's.

 

[daughtersrus]

Jewel/ Turnstyle. They were like super walmart or meijer but way ahead of the time. We still have Jewel (grocery part).

We also had McDade and Service Merchandise. Order from a counter, pay for it and wait to pick it up as it comes down the conveyor belt.

Venture (or the Stripe store ad my kids called it ) and we can't forget Zayer. Both were like Kmart or Target.

Murphy 's dime stores were replaced by Dollar stores.

Ask anyone in the Chicago area and they will say Marshall Fields. Macy's just isn't the same.

 

[smiths02]

Service Merchandise was around in GA when DH bought my engagement ring and a lot of furniture for our first apartment (1999-2000)

I really liked Montgomery Ward in CA

 

[BrianL]

We had Zayre near my house, which was like a lower-budget K-Mart, but I loved it. They had a good toys and video games section, and some arcade machines at the front that I would play.

 

[leebee]

Zayre, Bradlees, Ames, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, Newberry's, Caldor, Service Merchandise, Filene's, Jordan Marsh. I'm sure there are more. Now we have Sears/K-mart, Walmart, Target, Macy's, Penney's. That's about it, and I think all of them are national chains. No more local stores.

 

[richmo]

I remember several of these, especially from OP's list and the one previous to mine. I'd add Makro (kind of a precursor to the warehouse stores of today), Great Eastern, Service Merchandise (bought my first VCR there) and while not a department/warehouse store, I have to add Crazy Eddies, just because of the incessant TV commercials.

 

[Adipoo]

Growing up we had Mammoth Mart, Atlantic Mills, Ann & Hope, Kresge's, Grant's.

 

[Micca]

I'm drawing a distinction between discount stores, department stores, and dimes stores (now extinct.) I feel like RedAngie was asking about the forerunners to Walmart and K-Mart. In that category, I would include Service Merchandise, Atlantic Mills, Ardan's, Zayre's, there was one called Giant that required an annual membership--sort of like a low budget Costco.

Montgomery Ward was a department store like Sears, Macy's, J.C. Penney. At one time my dad sold men's suits at Montgomery Ward.

Woolworth's was a dime store. They don't exist any more, but I suppose it wasn't too far off from a Dollar Store, but not everything was super cheap. I used to love my local dime store to shop for toys as a kid, and they had many of the most popular items there.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

We had TG&Y - my dad called it Turtles, Girdles, and Yoyos. I remember another one, but I can't remember the name. I do remember when it closed - I spent hours browsing their vinyl records.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We had both Wooworth's and WT Grants in the same shopping center when I was young. We shopped frequently at both.

I don't really put Montgomery Ward in that same category, but it seems they were the first to "bite the dust" in the Target/KMart/WalMart onslaught. Sears is a mere shadow of itself here, and JC Penney's is fighting hard, but I'm not sure how much longer they can hold out.

I hope Macy's sticks it out, though, I love their clothes.

 

[lynxstch]

Born and raised and live in MA for a LOT of years. I remember Zayres, Service Merchandise, Paysaver, Two Guys, Caldors, Bradlee's (actually worked there for a # of years). Remember Woolworths and Grants from when I was a kid, my Grandmother would take me to lunch at Woolworths, loved to sit on those stools that turned. I have been told that I ALWAYS ordered a tuna sandwich, lol. Walmart was the last store that opened there not long before I moved to MD. Walmart Supercenter is just about our only shopping place here, other than a couple of other grocery stores, and Dollar Stores, and Big Lots.

 

[daannzzz]

West Coast...
White Front
Gemco

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Zayre, Bradlees, Ames, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, Newberry's, Caldor, Service Merchandise, Filene's, Jordan Marsh. I'm sure there are more. Now we have Sears/K-mart, Walmart, Target, Macy's, Penney's. That's about it, and I think all of them are national chains. No more local stores.

Born and raised and live in MA for a LOT of years. I remember Zayres, Service Merchandise, Paysaver, Caldors, Bradlee's (actually worked there for a # of years). Remember Woolworths and Grants from when I was a kid, my Grandmother would take me to lunch at Woolworths, loved to sit on those stools that turned. I have been told that I ALWAYS ordered a tuna sandwich, lol. Walmart was the last store that opened there not long before I moved to MD. Walmart Supercenter is just about our only shopping place here, other than a couple of other grocery stores, and Dollar Stores, and Big Lots.

Did anyone say Gilchrist?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilchrist's

 

[Pugsly]

We had TG&Y and Winn's. Probably both considered 5 and dime stores, but I remember them being so much better than say, Dollar General. Of course I was a kid and as long as they had a decent toy selection and sold Icees, I was easily impressed.