Read's Department Stores
Encyclopedia
Read's Department Stores was a Bridgeport, Connecticut
-based retail chain founded in 1857 by D.M. Read. Known for its classy, upscale merchandise, it was once hailed as New England
's largest department store
.
's largest department store
. In 1926, Read's moved to the corner of Broad and John Streets in downtown
Bridgeport, where its flagship store ultimately had over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of selling area on five floors. D.M. Read Company remained an independent store until 1946, when it became a unit of Allied Stores
.
Allied expanded the store into a chain in the 1950s and 1960s. By then they were up to six stores in Fairfield
and New Haven
Counties in Connecticut
.
In 1983, Read's opened a New York location in the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights
, while in 1981 Allied decided to move Read's out of their original flagship store and into space recently vacated by Gimbel's
at the nearby Lafayette Plaza Mall. Around 1985 its television and radio commercials
featured the jingle
, "Reads, Your Something Special Store". Read's operated in its hometown of Bridgeport until 1987 when Campeau Corp. of Canada, which had bought Allied Stores, merged it into Allied's sister division, Jordan Marsh
of Boston, Massachusetts, and the stores subsequently took on the Jordan Marsh name.
In 1988, Campeau acquired Federated Department Stores
of Cincinnati, Ohio
and operated it in conjunction with Allied, subsequently declaring bankruptcy in 1991. As a result of the overall decline of Bridgeport's downtown shopping area, the Lafayette Plaza store closed in 1989, and all but the Trumbull and Jefferson Valley stores were closed by 1992 under the Federated
/Allied Stores
bankruptcy filing.
In 1993, these remaining two stores were converted to the Abraham & Straus
nameplate when that division of Federated Department Stores
merged with Jordan Marsh (as they were in the New York Metropolitan media market, they could operate more efficiently regarding advertising under the A&S name). In 1995 after Federated acquired Macy's
, it consolidated its A&S/Jordan Marsh division into Macy's East
and renamed the two former Read's stores with the Macy's moniker.
The former Read's Trumbull location was abandoned in 2006, when Macy's relocated into the former Filene's
store in the Westfield Trumbull
shopping center upon the completion of the merger of the Federated and May Department Stores
chains. Only the Jefferson Valley Mall store that Read's opened in 1983 has continually operated as a department store to present day.
The former Reads Building in downtown Bridgeport has been converted into useful space for artists, run as a non for profit and is now called "Artspace". The website is http://www.artspace.org/properties/reads/
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
-based retail chain founded in 1857 by D.M. Read. Known for its classy, upscale merchandise, it was once hailed as 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...
's largest 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...
.
Founding and growth
In 1857, David M. Read and W. B. Hall opened a dry goods and carpet store on Main Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with Read going solo in 1877. In 1885, the business expanded to two buildings on Main Street and Fairfield Avenue forming a "very popular and elegant place of business." Read's became known for its classy, upscale merchandise and shopping environment, becoming 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...
's largest 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...
. In 1926, Read's moved to the corner of Broad and John Streets in downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Bridgeport, where its flagship store ultimately had over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of selling area on five floors. D.M. Read Company remained an independent store until 1946, when it became a unit of Allied Stores
Allied Stores
Allied Stores was a department store chain in the United States. It was founded in the 1930s as part of a general consolidation in the retail sector by B. E. Puckett. See also Associated Dry Goods. It was the successor to Hahn's Department Stores, a holding company founded in 1928...
.
Allied expanded the store into a chain in the 1950s and 1960s. By then they were up to six stores in Fairfield
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
and New Haven
New Haven County, Connecticut
New Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
Counties in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Transition
In 1981, Allied closed Read's landmark downtown store, leaving behind a boarded-up building as a reminder of Bridgeport's brighter past.In 1983, Read's opened a New York location in the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights
Yorktown Heights, New York
Yorktown Heights is a census-designated place in the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Yorktown Heights is located at ....
, while in 1981 Allied decided to move Read's out of their original flagship store and into space recently vacated by Gimbel's
Gimbel's
Gimbel Brothers was an American department store corporation from 1887 through the late 20th century. The store is known for creating the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade, the oldest parade in the country. Gimbels was also once the largest department store chain in the country...
at the nearby Lafayette Plaza Mall. Around 1985 its television and radio commercials
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
featured the jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, "Reads, Your Something Special Store". Read's operated in its hometown of Bridgeport until 1987 when Campeau Corp. of Canada, which had bought Allied Stores, merged it into Allied's sister division, 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...
of Boston, Massachusetts, and the stores subsequently took on the Jordan Marsh name.
In 1988, Campeau acquired 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....
of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and operated it in conjunction with Allied, subsequently declaring bankruptcy in 1991. As a result of the overall decline of Bridgeport's downtown shopping area, the Lafayette Plaza store closed in 1989, and all but the Trumbull and Jefferson Valley stores were closed by 1992 under the 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....
/Allied Stores
Allied Stores
Allied Stores was a department store chain in the United States. It was founded in the 1930s as part of a general consolidation in the retail sector by B. E. Puckett. See also Associated Dry Goods. It was the successor to Hahn's Department Stores, a holding company founded in 1928...
bankruptcy filing.
In 1993, these remaining two stores were converted to the 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...
nameplate when that division 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....
merged with Jordan Marsh (as they were in the New York Metropolitan media market, they could operate more efficiently regarding advertising under the A&S name). In 1995 after Federated acquired 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...
, it consolidated its A&S/Jordan Marsh division into 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 renamed the two former Read's stores with the Macy's moniker.
The former Read's Trumbull location was abandoned in 2006, when Macy's relocated into the former Filene's
Filene's
Filene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
store in the Westfield Trumbull
Westfield Trumbull
Westfield Trumbull is one of two shopping malls in Trumbull, Connecticut. The mall is a two-story structure located on Main Street . Current anchor stores include JCPenney, Lord and Taylor, Macy's and Target. Built in 1964, the Trumbull Shopping Park was the first enclosed shopping mall in...
shopping center upon the completion of the merger of the Federated 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...
chains. Only the Jefferson Valley Mall store that Read's opened in 1983 has continually operated as a department store to present day.
The former Reads Building in downtown Bridgeport has been converted into useful space for artists, run as a non for profit and is now called "Artspace". The website is http://www.artspace.org/properties/reads/
External links
- Read's Department Store Souvenir Plate - Bridgeport Public Library