Organized Living
Encyclopedia
Organized Living was a specialty retail chain in the United States
that sold storage solutions for home and office. Since 2007, it has operated as an online-only outlet.
The company was founded as Containers Unlimited by Mark Ferrel in Kansas
in 1985, with its first location in Overland Park
. In 1993, the then-two store chain changed its name from Containers and More to Organized Living. By mid-1996, the chain had three stores (the original location plus two locations in St. Louis
) and next expanded by adding two stores in Las Vegas
in early 1997. As it grew, the company consciously decided to focus expansion on markets not already served by The Container Store
, its primary competitor. As of mid-2000, the chain had grown to 11 stores.
The store eventually grew to 25 stores before filing for bankruptcy in 2005 after planned financing did not come to fruition. After private equity firm Saunders Karp & Megrue bought a majority stake in the company, the former head of Bath & Body Works
, Beth Pritchard, was hired in January 2004 to grow the chain into a national presence. Pritchard also moved the company's headquarters from Lenexa
, Kansas
in the Kansas City
area to Westerville
, Ohio
near Columbus
. Pritchard was released in May 2005 during the bankruptcy proceedings. Pritchard cited changes in Saunder Karp's commitment to finance growth as the cause of the collapse.
Schulte Corp., one of the company's biggest creditors, obtained rights to the Organized Living name in the bankruptcy, and operates OrganizedLiving.com as an online retailer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that sold storage solutions for home and office. Since 2007, it has operated as an online-only outlet.
The company was founded as Containers Unlimited by Mark Ferrel in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in 1985, with its first location in Overland Park
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
. In 1993, the then-two store chain changed its name from Containers and More to Organized Living. By mid-1996, the chain had three stores (the original location plus two locations in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
) and next expanded by adding two stores in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in early 1997. As it grew, the company consciously decided to focus expansion on markets not already served by The Container Store
The Container Store
The Container Store is a specialty retail chain that sells storage solutions for home and office.On July 1, 1978, The Container Store opened its doors in a small, retail space in Dallas...
, its primary competitor. As of mid-2000, the chain had grown to 11 stores.
The store eventually grew to 25 stores before filing for bankruptcy in 2005 after planned financing did not come to fruition. After private equity firm Saunders Karp & Megrue bought a majority stake in the company, the former head of Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works, LLC, is an American retail store under the Limited Brands umbrella. It was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio and has since expanded across the United States and Canada. It specializes in lotions, bath items, personal care items, and home fragrances.The company launched both a...
, Beth Pritchard, was hired in January 2004 to grow the chain into a national presence. Pritchard also moved the company's headquarters from Lenexa
Lenexa, Kansas
Lenexa is a city in the central part of Johnson County, located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,190. As a satellite city of Kansas City, Kansas, Lenexa is included in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
area to Westerville
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
near Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Pritchard was released in May 2005 during the bankruptcy proceedings. Pritchard cited changes in Saunder Karp's commitment to finance growth as the cause of the collapse.
Schulte Corp., one of the company's biggest creditors, obtained rights to the Organized Living name in the bankruptcy, and operates OrganizedLiving.com as an online retailer.
See also
- The Container StoreThe Container StoreThe Container Store is a specialty retail chain that sells storage solutions for home and office.On July 1, 1978, The Container Store opened its doors in a small, retail space in Dallas...
- Hold EverythingHold Everything (store)Hold Everything was a specialty retail chain in the United States that sold home organization and storage solutions. Its parent company, Williams-Sonoma, closed the 11 existing stores in the chain in 2006....
, storage chain that closed in 2006. - StorablesStorablesStorables is a specialty retail chain in the United States that sells containers for home and office. As of October 2009, it had seven locations in four states....