Filene's
Encyclopedia
Filene's was a Boston
-based department store
owned by Federated Department Stores (1929-1988; 2005-2006), and May Department Stores
(1988-2005). It operated throughout New England
and in New York
.
, Prussia
, who immigrated to Boston
in 1848. By 1881 Filene had built up many small retail shops around Boston creating his own department store.
Although William Filene is credited with creating Filene’s, it was his sons, Edward
and Lincoln
, who took the store into greatness. Edward and Lincoln were two of the most well known businessmen in America and were responsible for turning their father’s clothing store into one of the largest department stores in the country. The two sons assumed management of the store in 1891 and inherited the store upon their father’s death in 1901.
In 1908 Edward Filene opened the automatic bargain annex or Filene's Basement
as a way to sell excess merchandise from the upstairs department store.
He also developed an automatic mark-down schedule to mark down merchandise still used today. Edward's influence gave Filene’s an early reputation as a customer oriented store with slogans like “money back if not satisfied.”
A flagship
store, Filene's Department Store
, was completed in 1912 on the corner of Washington and Summer
streets by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham
as his last major project. By 1929 Filene’s expanded the flagship building, converting the block around Washington, Summer, Hawley
and Franklin streets into one department store. Also in 1929, Filene’s joined Abraham & Straus
and Lazarus
as the founding members of Federated Department Stores
.
with the country growing and adapting to new shopping malls. However, Filene’s was kept at arms' length by rival Jordan Marsh
, who subsided across Downtown Crossing
in Boston and was also making the transition to shopping malls. In 1947, Filene’s Basement started its annual bridal gown sale
. Lines extending around the store made it famous. In 1988, after the leveraged buyout of Federated
by Campeau Corp.
of Toronto
, Canada
, the division was sold to May Department Stores Co.
along with Foley's
of Houston. It was then that Filene's and Filene's Basement
were disassociated. In 1992 Filene's absorbed G. Fox & Co.
of Hartford, Connecticut
, another division of May Company
. The 1990s saw a doubling of the Filene's organization as May invested in new stores and broadened Filene's price and product assortments. In 2002 it assumed operational control of the Kaufmann's
stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and western New York
.
completed its previously announced acquisition of May Department Stores
, thus reuniting Federated and Filene's. On that day the Filene's/Kaufmann's organization was dissolved and the management of its stores was assumed by Macy's East
and the new Macy's Midwest
. The store's website was largely consolidated into macys.com during spring 2006. On September 9, 2006, the Filene's name and brand were eliminated as Federated
converted Filene's to the Macy's
masthead. The landmark flagship Filene's department store
at Downtown Crossing closed. Federated did not convert this store to a Macy's as there was already a Macy's across the street (the former Jordan Marsh flagship store). But Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino preferred "marrying Macy's to the Filene's building" because of its importance to Downtown Crossing and to Boston. Federated never did switch Macy's leaving an empty department store in the heart of Downtown Crossing. When Filene's closed, the Boston Landmark Commission unanimously voted to protect two of the buildings that housed Filene's. The two oldest buildings were protected including the main 1912 Filene's store building and a 1905 former glassware and china seller's building on the opposite corner. The two newer buildings, built in 1951 and 1973, were demolished in 2008.
Surprisingly, the public did not protest the closing, unlike of Marshall Field's
in Chicago
, and Kaufmann's
in Pittsburgh; the closing represented another closing of long-time institutions in Boston. Largely due to the Northeast Megalopolis
, Boston has lost many local companies to larger companies in the region, especially New York
, including The New York Times'
acquisition of the Boston Globe and the closing of Bank of Boston and Fleet Bank
. In 1996, Jordan Marsh was acquired by Macy’s, followed by Filene’s in 2006. Many Bostonians felt a sense of loss and emptiness. Although the Boston Filene’s building is protected by the Landmark Commission, it only protected the facade of the buildings. This allowed the developers of the site to rip out the building's interior, including the original paneling and beauty first seen in 1912. When the project ran out of money, the buildings were left completely gutted.
, Filene's opened its famous "Automatic Bargain Basement" in 1909, which became a heavily visited tourist attraction. The concept of the bargain basement was not new (Marshall Field's
opened the first in 1879), but Filene's basement was well lit and ostentatiously decorated. The basement had its own staff which bought surplus, factory clearances, overstock, or closeout merchandise - Filene boasted that he had once sold more than 7,000 pairs of woolen underwear in two July days. Goods were marked down according to an automatic schedule; an item that had been on sale for 12 days was marked down by 25 percent, after 18 days by 50 percent, after 24 days by 75 percent, and after 30 days it was given away. Ninety percent of goods sold in the basement were purchased within the first 12 days of sale. Filene's Basement was separately owned and operated by Retail Ventures, Inc. until 2009 when it was sold to Buxbaum Group, a liquidaton company. The Filene's Basement stores were not affected by the Filene's-Macy's merger, since the "Basement" had long been under totally separate ownership from Filene's. However, in 2007, the flagship Filene's Basement location was closed while the old Filene's building was being gutted and rebuilt. At the time of the closing, the store was expected to move back into its basement space in 2010; however, the company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy as of May 2009 and its future is uncertain.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based department store
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...
owned by Federated Department Stores (1929-1988; 2005-2006), and May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
(1988-2005). It operated throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and in 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...
.
Early years
Filene’s was founded in 1881 by William Filene under the name Filene’s sons and Co. William Filene was a German Jewish immigrant from PosenPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, who immigrated to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1848. By 1881 Filene had built up many small retail shops around Boston creating his own department store.
Edward Filene
Edward Albert Filene was an American businessman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist...
and Lincoln
A. Lincoln Filene
Abraham Lincoln Filene was an American businessman, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he was one of 5 children of William Filene and Clara Ballin...
, who took the store into greatness. Edward and Lincoln were two of the most well known businessmen in America and were responsible for turning their father’s clothing store into one of the largest department stores in the country. The two sons assumed management of the store in 1891 and inherited the store upon their father’s death in 1901.
In 1908 Edward Filene opened the automatic bargain annex or Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement, also called The Basement, is a Massachusetts-based chain of department stores which was owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. until April 2009 when it was sold to Syms....
as a way to sell excess merchandise from the upstairs department store.
A flagship
Filene's Department Store
Filene's Department Store is a historic department store building at 426 Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, Boston, Massachusetts that was home to the main Filene's store.-History:...
store, Filene's Department Store
Filene's Department Store
Filene's Department Store is a historic department store building at 426 Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, Boston, Massachusetts that was home to the main Filene's store.-History:...
, was completed in 1912 on the corner of Washington and Summer
Summer Street (Boston)
Summer Street in Boston, Massachusetts extends from Downtown Crossing in the Financial District, over Fort Point Channel, and into South Boston...
streets by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
as his last major project. By 1929 Filene’s expanded the flagship building, converting the block around Washington, Summer, Hawley
Hawley Street (Boston)
Hawley Street is located in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts, between Milk and Summer Streets. Prior to 1799, it was called Bishop's Alley and briefly in the 1790s Board Alley.-17th century:...
and Franklin streets into one department store. Also in 1929, Filene’s joined Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus was a major New York City department store, based in Brooklyn. Founded in 1865, in 1929 it became part of Federated Department Stores, which eliminated the A&S brand shortly after its 1994 acquisition of R.H. Macy & Company...
and Lazarus
Lazarus (department store)
F&R Lazarus & Company — commonly known as Lazarus — was a regional department store retail chain operating primarily in the U.S. Midwest, and based in Columbus, Ohio...
as the founding members of Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
.
Suburban expansion
From the 1930s through 1990s Filene’s continued expanding beyond New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
with the country growing and adapting to new shopping malls. However, Filene’s was kept at arms' length by rival Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
, who subsided across Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston, Massachusetts, located due east of Boston Common and west of the Financial District. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors...
in Boston and was also making the transition to shopping malls. In 1947, Filene’s Basement started its annual bridal gown sale
Running of the Brides
The Running of the Brides is a one-day sale of wedding gowns, garnering local media attention because of the sight of hundreds of brides-to-be scrambling for bargains...
. Lines extending around the store made it famous. In 1988, after the leveraged buyout of Federated
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
by Campeau Corp.
Campeau
Campeau may refer to:* Charles-Édouard Campeau , politician* Frank Campeau , actor* Jean Campeau , businessman and politician* Lucien Campeau , cardiologist* Robert Campeau , businessman...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the division was sold to May Department Stores Co.
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
along with Foley's
Foley's
Foley’s was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. As of August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's South divisions. Foley's operated stores in Texas,...
of Houston. It was then that Filene's and Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement, also called The Basement, is a Massachusetts-based chain of department stores which was owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. until April 2009 when it was sold to Syms....
were disassociated. In 1992 Filene's absorbed G. Fox & Co.
G. Fox & Co.
G. Fox & Co. was a large department store that originated in Hartford, Connecticut. The store was also the largest privately held department store in the nation when it was sold in 1965 to the May Department Stores Company. In 1992 May Department stores phased out the G. Fox & Co. name converting...
of Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, another division of May Company
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
. The 1990s saw a doubling of the Filene's organization as May invested in new stores and broadened Filene's price and product assortments. In 2002 it assumed operational control of the Kaufmann's
Kaufmann's
Kaufmann's was a department store that originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was owned in the early 20th century by Edgar J. Kaufmann, patron of 'Fallingwater' and the Kaufmann's Desert House. In the post-war years the store became a regional chain in the eastern United States, and was last...
stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and western 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...
.
Closing
On August 30, 2005, Federated Department StoresFederated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
completed its previously announced acquisition of May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
, thus reuniting Federated and Filene's. On that day the Filene's/Kaufmann's organization was dissolved and the management of its stores was assumed by Macy's East
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...
and the new Macy's Midwest
Macy's Midwest
Macy's Midwest, St. Louis, Missouri, is a former division of Macy's, Inc. It had operations in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It was created February 1, 2006 from a reorganization of the Famous-Barr division acquired August 30, 2005...
. The store's website was largely consolidated into macys.com during spring 2006. On September 9, 2006, the Filene's name and brand were eliminated as Federated
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
converted Filene's to the 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...
masthead. The landmark flagship Filene's department store
Filene's Department Store
Filene's Department Store is a historic department store building at 426 Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, Boston, Massachusetts that was home to the main Filene's store.-History:...
at Downtown Crossing closed. Federated did not convert this store to a Macy's as there was already a Macy's across the street (the former Jordan Marsh flagship store). But Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino preferred "marrying Macy's to the Filene's building" because of its importance to Downtown Crossing and to Boston. Federated never did switch Macy's leaving an empty department store in the heart of Downtown Crossing. When Filene's closed, the Boston Landmark Commission unanimously voted to protect two of the buildings that housed Filene's. The two oldest buildings were protected including the main 1912 Filene's store building and a 1905 former glassware and china seller's building on the opposite corner. The two newer buildings, built in 1951 and 1973, were demolished in 2008.
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Kaufmann's
Kaufmann's
Kaufmann's was a department store that originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was owned in the early 20th century by Edgar J. Kaufmann, patron of 'Fallingwater' and the Kaufmann's Desert House. In the post-war years the store became a regional chain in the eastern United States, and was last...
in Pittsburgh; the closing represented another closing of long-time institutions in Boston. Largely due to the Northeast Megalopolis
Northeast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
, Boston has lost many local companies to larger companies in the region, especially 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...
, including The New York Times'
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
acquisition of the Boston Globe and the closing of Bank of Boston and Fleet Bank
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
. In 1996, Jordan Marsh was acquired by Macy’s, followed by Filene’s in 2006. Many Bostonians felt a sense of loss and emptiness. Although the Boston Filene’s building is protected by the Landmark Commission, it only protected the facade of the buildings. This allowed the developers of the site to rip out the building's interior, including the original paneling and beauty first seen in 1912. When the project ran out of money, the buildings were left completely gutted.
Filene's Basement
Under the direction of company president Edward FileneEdward Filene
Edward Albert Filene was an American businessman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist...
, Filene's opened its famous "Automatic Bargain Basement" in 1909, which became a heavily visited tourist attraction. The concept of the bargain basement was not new (Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
opened the first in 1879), but Filene's basement was well lit and ostentatiously decorated. The basement had its own staff which bought surplus, factory clearances, overstock, or closeout merchandise - Filene boasted that he had once sold more than 7,000 pairs of woolen underwear in two July days. Goods were marked down according to an automatic schedule; an item that had been on sale for 12 days was marked down by 25 percent, after 18 days by 50 percent, after 24 days by 75 percent, and after 30 days it was given away. Ninety percent of goods sold in the basement were purchased within the first 12 days of sale. Filene's Basement was separately owned and operated by Retail Ventures, Inc. until 2009 when it was sold to Buxbaum Group, a liquidaton company. The Filene's Basement stores were not affected by the Filene's-Macy's merger, since the "Basement" had long been under totally separate ownership from Filene's. However, in 2007, the flagship Filene's Basement location was closed while the old Filene's building was being gutted and rebuilt. At the time of the closing, the store was expected to move back into its basement space in 2010; however, the company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy as of May 2009 and its future is uncertain.
See also
- Downtown CrossingDowntown CrossingDowntown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston, Massachusetts, located due east of Boston Common and west of the Financial District. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors...
- Jordan MarshJordan MarshJordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
- List of defunct department stores of the United States
External links
- Boston Public Library. Filene’s Marketing Archives