Bamberger's
Encyclopedia
Bamberger's was a department store
chain with locations primarily in New Jersey
, but also Delaware
, Maryland
, New York
, and Pennsylvania
. The chain was headquartered in Newark, New Jersey
.
as L. Bamberger & Company in Newark, New Jersey
, in 1912 the company built its landmark flagship store designed by Jarvis Hunt
at 131 Market Street (Hunt would also design the Newark Museum
following a gift from Bamberger). In 1929, Bamberger's was purchased by R.H. Macy Co.
Early suburban branch stores were built in downtown Morristown and in Plainfield and at the Princeton Shopping Center in Princeton, NJ. With the post-World War II population shift, Bamberger's built additional stores in suburban locations such as Brunswick Square Mall, Garden State Plaza, Monmouth Mall, Nanuet Mall and Menlo Park Mall. The 1960s and 1970s saw expansion throughout New Jersey and into the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan area, while the 1980s brought entry into the Baltimore, Maryland Metropolitan area. On October 5, 1986, the Bamberger's stores adopted the name Macy's New Jersey, and in 1988 Macy's New Jersey was consolidated with sister division Macy's New York to form Macy's Northeast
(now Macy's, Inc.).
The massive 14-story building covered an entire city block, bounded by Market, Washington, Bank and Halsey Streets. The phone exchange 565 was for the exclusive use of Bamberger's, with direct dial numbers for most of New Jersey's suburbs for phone ordering known as "Tele-Service." The building's loading dock was located well below ground on the fourth basement level, thus avoiding delivery trucks blocking the busy city streets. Two massive elevators would carry fully loaded 18-wheelers from Washington Street down to the loading docks.
Selling space, and escalator service, ran from the second basement level to the ninth floor, and the tenth floor contained a beautiful wood-paneled dining room, and several private banquet rooms. The eighth floor featured an extensive toy, game, and sporting goods departments featuring unique imported merchandise from overseas buying trips. Services offered included dry cleaning, pharmacist, fur storage, travel services, ticket services, watch and jewelry repair, personal shopping services, and a butcher department. Two elevator banks and two escalator banks served the store.
After RH Macy and Co., purchased Bamberger's in 1929, the store started to focus more on serving a middle-income shopper, and some of the higher end services were eliminated, or modified. In the immediate post-World War II years, selling space was reduced to run from the second basement to the seventh floor, and the tenth-floor restaurant complex was leased to a third party and became a private dining club, The Downtowner Club (Bamberger's would use the space on Saturdays for occasional special events). Dining options for its customers continued at The Dinette, a counter style room on the 1st lower level and snack bars on the first and fourth floors. At some point the lower-level eatery was renovated into a classy restaurant named the Garden State Tea Room.
Like every city downtown, Newark had its "shopping night" when stores would remain open into the evening. In Newark's case this day was Wednesday, and starting during the years of World War II, Bamberger's remained open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and created a "night shift" for people looking to work part time. This shift of Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, plus all day Saturday became very popular with women looking to work part time, and remained popular into the early 1970s, when the store started to slowly curtail evenings hours downtown, eliminating them entirely in 1979.
As northern New Jersey's population began its suburban migration, Bamberger's followed in a more aggressive manner than its rivals Hahne and Company, or Kresge-Newark. The first three small suburban branches of Bamberger's: Morristown, Plainfield, and Princeton, were followed by large shopping center-based branches in the 1950s and 1960s. These included locations at Garden State Plaza, the Menlo Park Mall
, the Monmouth Mall
, the Cherry Hill Mall and the Willowbrook Mall
) and became an important source of revenue for the company. By the mid-1970s, the store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus became the chain's largest outlet, not only in terms of sales volume, but also in floor space because more and more space in the downtown Newark store was being used for the corporate office.
Sales volume at the downtown Newark store was also affected by the Newark race riots of 1967, and as the 1970s progressed, shoppers started to avoid downtown Newark all together. Further hurting the appearance of the building were security decisions made to close more than 1/2 of the store's nine public entranceways, and most of the display windows. As evening hours were eliminated downtown in 1979, the hope was that Sunday sales allowed starting in 1980 would give the location additional selling time; however, it did not draw enough business to justify Sunday openings, and Sunday hours were cutback to the holiday selling period only.
By 1981 selling floors at the downtown Newark store ran from the first lower level to the fifth floor, and by 1984 the lower level to the fourth floor.
In 1986, all Bamberger's stores were re-bannered as Macy's
, and the Newark store operated as Macy's until it was closed in 1991.
During the last seven years it was open, the downtown store focused more on value merchandise and clearance items with no better or designer merchandise carried.
Today the building serves as a base for telecom, and computer support industries. The first level is now a Rite-Aid.
radio was started by Bamberger Broadcasting Service 1922 in an effort to sell more radios. The broadcast studio was located on the sixth floor. The radio station was included as part of the sale to R.H. Macy Co. in 1929, and Bamberger Broadcasting Service became a division of the company. WOR-FM began broadcasting in 1948 simulcasting the AM programming. WOR-TV
, Channel 9 signed on the air on October 11, 1949, becoming the last of the New York City VHF television stations to begin operations. Transmission was made from the WOR TV Tower
in North Bergen
. WOR-TV studios were located on 42nd Street in the New Amsterdam Theater. Macy's/Bamberger's sold the WOR stations to the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1952.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chain with locations primarily in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, but also Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The chain was headquartered in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
History
Founded in 1893 by Louis BambergerLouis Bamberger
Louis Bamberger was Newark, New Jersey's leading citizen from the early 1900s until his death in 1944. He was a businessman and philanthropist and at his death all flags in Newark were flown at half-staff for three days, and his large department store closed for a day.Louis Bamberger was born in...
as L. Bamberger & Company in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, in 1912 the company built its landmark flagship store designed by Jarvis Hunt
Jarvis Hunt
Jarvis Hunt was a "renowned Chicago architect" who designed a wide array of buildings, including train stations, suburban estates, industrial buildings, clubhouses and other structures....
at 131 Market Street (Hunt would also design the Newark Museum
Newark Museum
The Newark Museum is the largest museum in New Jersey, USA. It holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world...
following a gift from Bamberger). In 1929, Bamberger's was purchased by R.H. Macy Co.
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
Early suburban branch stores were built in downtown Morristown and in Plainfield and at the Princeton Shopping Center in Princeton, NJ. With the post-World War II population shift, Bamberger's built additional stores in suburban locations such as Brunswick Square Mall, Garden State Plaza, Monmouth Mall, Nanuet Mall and Menlo Park Mall. The 1960s and 1970s saw expansion throughout New Jersey and into the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan area, while the 1980s brought entry into the Baltimore, Maryland Metropolitan area. On October 5, 1986, the Bamberger's stores adopted the name Macy's New Jersey, and in 1988 Macy's New Jersey was consolidated with sister division Macy's New York to form Macy's Northeast
Macy's East
Macy's East, New York, New York is a division of Macy's, Inc.. It is the operating successor to the original R.H. Macy & Co., Inc. and operates the Macy's department stores in the northeast U.S. and Puerto Rico. Over the years it has been known as Macy's New York and Macy's Northeast...
(now Macy's, Inc.).
Flagship store
The historic Bamberger's flagship store at 131 Market Street in downtown Newark once ranked among the nation's largest.The massive 14-story building covered an entire city block, bounded by Market, Washington, Bank and Halsey Streets. The phone exchange 565 was for the exclusive use of Bamberger's, with direct dial numbers for most of New Jersey's suburbs for phone ordering known as "Tele-Service." The building's loading dock was located well below ground on the fourth basement level, thus avoiding delivery trucks blocking the busy city streets. Two massive elevators would carry fully loaded 18-wheelers from Washington Street down to the loading docks.
Selling space, and escalator service, ran from the second basement level to the ninth floor, and the tenth floor contained a beautiful wood-paneled dining room, and several private banquet rooms. The eighth floor featured an extensive toy, game, and sporting goods departments featuring unique imported merchandise from overseas buying trips. Services offered included dry cleaning, pharmacist, fur storage, travel services, ticket services, watch and jewelry repair, personal shopping services, and a butcher department. Two elevator banks and two escalator banks served the store.
After RH Macy and Co., purchased Bamberger's in 1929, the store started to focus more on serving a middle-income shopper, and some of the higher end services were eliminated, or modified. In the immediate post-World War II years, selling space was reduced to run from the second basement to the seventh floor, and the tenth-floor restaurant complex was leased to a third party and became a private dining club, The Downtowner Club (Bamberger's would use the space on Saturdays for occasional special events). Dining options for its customers continued at The Dinette, a counter style room on the 1st lower level and snack bars on the first and fourth floors. At some point the lower-level eatery was renovated into a classy restaurant named the Garden State Tea Room.
Like every city downtown, Newark had its "shopping night" when stores would remain open into the evening. In Newark's case this day was Wednesday, and starting during the years of World War II, Bamberger's remained open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and created a "night shift" for people looking to work part time. This shift of Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, plus all day Saturday became very popular with women looking to work part time, and remained popular into the early 1970s, when the store started to slowly curtail evenings hours downtown, eliminating them entirely in 1979.
As northern New Jersey's population began its suburban migration, Bamberger's followed in a more aggressive manner than its rivals Hahne and Company, or Kresge-Newark. The first three small suburban branches of Bamberger's: Morristown, Plainfield, and Princeton, were followed by large shopping center-based branches in the 1950s and 1960s. These included locations at Garden State Plaza, the Menlo Park Mall
Menlo Park Mall
Menlo Park Mall is a two-level super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,232,000 ft² . Menlo Park Mall is currently owned by the Simon Property Group.-History:Menlo Park Shopping Center...
, the Monmouth Mall
Monmouth Mall
Monmouth Mall, an enclosed shopping center in Eatontown, New Jersey owned by Vornado Realty Trust, is located on the corner of the intersection of NJ 35, NJ 36, and Wyckoff Road . Currently, the mall has a gross leasable area of , making it the fourth largest shopping mall in New Jersey , boasting...
, the Cherry Hill Mall and the Willowbrook Mall
Willowbrook Mall (Wayne, New Jersey)
Willowbrook Mall is a two-level, major shopping center located in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. It is near the intersection of U.S. Route 46, Route 23 and Interstate 80. The mall opened in 1969 and was expanded or renovated in 1970, 1988, and 2006...
) and became an important source of revenue for the company. By the mid-1970s, the store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus became the chain's largest outlet, not only in terms of sales volume, but also in floor space because more and more space in the downtown Newark store was being used for the corporate office.
Sales volume at the downtown Newark store was also affected by the Newark race riots of 1967, and as the 1970s progressed, shoppers started to avoid downtown Newark all together. Further hurting the appearance of the building were security decisions made to close more than 1/2 of the store's nine public entranceways, and most of the display windows. As evening hours were eliminated downtown in 1979, the hope was that Sunday sales allowed starting in 1980 would give the location additional selling time; however, it did not draw enough business to justify Sunday openings, and Sunday hours were cutback to the holiday selling period only.
By 1981 selling floors at the downtown Newark store ran from the first lower level to the fifth floor, and by 1984 the lower level to the fourth floor.
In 1986, all Bamberger's stores were re-bannered as Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, and the Newark store operated as Macy's until it was closed in 1991.
During the last seven years it was open, the downtown store focused more on value merchandise and clearance items with no better or designer merchandise carried.
Today the building serves as a base for telecom, and computer support industries. The first level is now a Rite-Aid.
WOR history
WORWOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
radio was started by Bamberger Broadcasting Service 1922 in an effort to sell more radios. The broadcast studio was located on the sixth floor. The radio station was included as part of the sale to R.H. Macy Co. in 1929, and Bamberger Broadcasting Service became a division of the company. WOR-FM began broadcasting in 1948 simulcasting the AM programming. WOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, Channel 9 signed on the air on October 11, 1949, becoming the last of the New York City VHF television stations to begin operations. Transmission was made from the WOR TV Tower
WOR TV Tower
WOR TV Tower was a 760 foot tall lattice tower used for FM- and TV-broadcasting at North Bergen, New Jersey, USA. The 420 ton tower was built in 1949. At the time of its construction, it was the tenth tallest man-made structure in the world. At the beginning of 1953, the TV transmissions were...
in North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...
. WOR-TV studios were located on 42nd Street in the New Amsterdam Theater. Macy's/Bamberger's sold the WOR stations to the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1952.