J. L. Brandeis and Sons Store
Encyclopedia
J.L. Brandeis & Sons, commonly referred to by Midwesterners as Brandeis, was a chain of department stores located in the Omaha, Nebraska
area started by Jonas L. Brandeis in 1881. It was purchased by Younkers
for $33.9 million in 1987, when the stores were converted to the Younkers name.
was completed in 1906. Retail space occupied the first three stories and the basement until it was expanded in 1917, which added two more stories. By the 1950s Brandeis took up the whole facility. The store strived to carry every item possible, including furniture.
in Midtown Omaha. The mall was also anchored by Sears (which still remains today). Crossroads was the 9th enclosed shopping mall in the United States and became the place to be in Omaha. The simple mall design, connecting the three story anchors by an "arcade level", soon proved to be successful when Brandeis opened Southroads Mall
in southern Omaha in 1966. Southroads was designed after Crossroads, but was anchored by Brandeis and JCPenney.
, a Lincoln based department store in 1964. The Gold's flagship store, in downtown Lincoln, was the only store in the company but took up a large portion of the Lincoln market. Gold's kept their name but operated as a division of J.L.Brandeis until it was phased out of the chain and closed in 1981.
at Crossroads Mall in the mid-1980s, Brandeis executives knew that there was no chance of competition. They made a deal with Younkers
, another department store based out of Des Moines, and sold its chain to Younkers in 1987. Younkers kept 11 of the stores and converted them to the Younkers name.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
area started by Jonas L. Brandeis in 1881. It was purchased by Younkers
Younkers
Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
for $33.9 million in 1987, when the stores were converted to the Younkers name.
History
The Brandeis flagship storeJ. L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building
The J. L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building is located at 210 South 16th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It was the headquarters location of the Brandeis Department Store chain. It currently holds apartments and condos...
was completed in 1906. Retail space occupied the first three stories and the basement until it was expanded in 1917, which added two more stories. By the 1950s Brandeis took up the whole facility. The store strived to carry every item possible, including furniture.
Developing the mall
By the late 1950s, Brandeis was looking for a way to expand and modernize. One way to do this was by creating malls, anchored by Brandeis. In 1959, Brandeis Investment Co. developed the Crossroads Shopping CenterCrossroads Mall (Omaha)
Crossroads Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Omaha, Nebraska at the intersection of 72nd and Dodge Streets. Originally opened in 1960 by Omaha's local Brandeis department store, the mall has been home to several major chains, including Sears, Dillard's, Younkers and Target.-Beginnings:In...
in Midtown Omaha. The mall was also anchored by Sears (which still remains today). Crossroads was the 9th enclosed shopping mall in the United States and became the place to be in Omaha. The simple mall design, connecting the three story anchors by an "arcade level", soon proved to be successful when Brandeis opened Southroads Mall
Southroads Mall
Southroads Mall is an enclosed shopping mall at 1001 Fort Crook Road in Bellevue, Nebraska.-History:Developed by the Brandeis Investment Corp., Southroads opened in 1966 with an Omaha based department store, Brandeis, and JCPenney as anchors. The mall has of retail space, which was modeled after...
in southern Omaha in 1966. Southroads was designed after Crossroads, but was anchored by Brandeis and JCPenney.
Merge with Gold's
Brandeis acquired Gold and CompanyGold and Company
Gold and Company also referred to as Gold's was a department store located in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. The store was founded in 1915 and quickly grew into one of Lincoln's dominant retailers throughout the 20th century. It merged with the Brandeis department store in 1964 and was closed for good...
, a Lincoln based department store in 1964. The Gold's flagship store, in downtown Lincoln, was the only store in the company but took up a large portion of the Lincoln market. Gold's kept their name but operated as a division of J.L.Brandeis until it was phased out of the chain and closed in 1981.
Golden age of Brandeis
At the top of its game, Brandeis had around fifteen department stores in its chain. The flagship store downtown had become one of Omaha's most prized symbols of modern culture. Brandeis was Nebraska's department store. The chain had its peak in the early 1970s with 3,000 employees and $100 million dollars in sales. The Crossroads Mall store opened in 1960 with mixed results but soon took off and proved to be one of the best stores in the chain, earning an average of $38 million. Crossroads proved to be extremely successful for Brandeis, despite the risk of opening the first new Brandies in 50 years. Locations opened across the entire state, downtown (Columbus and Hastings) and in the malls (Conestoga in Grand Island, Southroads & Westroads in Omaha, and Gateway in Lincoln). Soon locations were developed into Iowa.Downfall and acquisition by Younkers
Brandeis lost its major store and much of its public approval when the flagship store closed in 1980. The downtown Lincoln (former Gold's) location followed soon after in 1981. It was the end of an era. The Crossroads anchor became the new flagship store, but had lost its power over the Omaha and Nebraska markets. When plans came for a new Dillard'sDillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
at Crossroads Mall in the mid-1980s, Brandeis executives knew that there was no chance of competition. They made a deal with Younkers
Younkers
Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
, another department store based out of Des Moines, and sold its chain to Younkers in 1987. Younkers kept 11 of the stores and converted them to the Younkers name.
Further reading
- "New life for a landmark: A developer will convert Omaha's Brandeis Building into condos," Omaha World-Herald, December 9, 2004.
External links
- Brandeis Building Luxury Condos
- Vintage postcards of Brandeis Building, Omaha Public LibraryOmaha Public LibraryOmaha Public Library is a public library system for the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Originally founded in 1857, the library struggled for many years before formally forming in 1877. In 1895, the library became one of the first six in the nation to create a children's section...