Robinsons-May
Encyclopedia
Robinsons-May was a chain of department store
s operating in Southern California
, Arizona
and Las Vegas, Nevada
, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California
. It was a subsidiary of The May Department Stores Company, having been acquired with Federated's takeover of The May Department Stores Company on August 30, 2005.
was consolidated with their carriage-trade corporate sibling JW Robinson's. May Department Stores
had acquired Robinson's with its 1986 acquisition of Associated Dry Goods
Corp. JW Robinson's had been acquired by Associated Dry Goods in 1957, while May Company California had been established in 1923 when May acquired the then-named A. Hamburger & Sons (founded in 1881 by Asher Hamburger).
Both chains had operated exclusively in Southern California
until 1989 when May Department Stores had dissolved its Goldwaters division, based in Scottsdale, Arizona
, and apportioned its Phoenix metropolitan and Las Vegas, Nevada
, stores between the still separate JW Robinson's and May Company California. In 1993 Robinsons-May absorbed the Tucson-area locations of sister division Foley's
, which were themselves the remains of the former Levy's stores. Robinsons-May was further consolidated with Portland, Oregon
-based Meier & Frank
in 2002, which retained its individual nameplate, but merged its primary headquarters into Robinsons-May's in North Hollywood.
nameplate, either as replacements for existing stores, new locations or as expansions of existing locations. Prime locations at South Coast Plaza
, Costa Mesa and Fashion Valley Mall
, San Diego where Macy's already had stores were shuttered in early 2006 and refurbished as Bloomingdale's
locations.
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...
s operating in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Las Vegas, Nevada
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...
, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
. It was a subsidiary of The May Department Stores Company, having been acquired with Federated's takeover of The May Department Stores Company on August 30, 2005.
May Company and JW Robinson's
The double-barreled Robinsons-May name was created in 1993 when the former middle-to-low-brow May Company CaliforniaMay Company California
May Company California was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California. It was a subsidiary of May Department Stores and merged with May's other Southern California subsidiary, J. W...
was consolidated with their carriage-trade corporate sibling JW Robinson's. 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...
had acquired Robinson's with its 1986 acquisition of Associated Dry Goods
Associated Dry Goods
Associated Dry Goods was a chain of department stores that merged with May Department Stores in 1986. It was founded in 1916 as an association of independent stores called American Dry Goods, based in New York City.-History:...
Corp. JW Robinson's had been acquired by Associated Dry Goods in 1957, while May Company California had been established in 1923 when May acquired the then-named A. Hamburger & Sons (founded in 1881 by Asher Hamburger).
Both chains had operated exclusively in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
until 1989 when May Department Stores had dissolved its Goldwaters division, based in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, and apportioned its Phoenix metropolitan and Las Vegas, Nevada
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...
, stores between the still separate JW Robinson's and May Company California. In 1993 Robinsons-May absorbed the Tucson-area locations of sister division 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,...
, which were themselves the remains of the former Levy's stores. Robinsons-May was further consolidated with Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
-based Meier & Frank
Meier & Frank
Meier & Frank was a chain of department stores founded in Portland, Oregon, and later bought out by the May Department Stores Company. Meier & Frank operated in the Pacific Northwest from 1857 to 2006.-History:Summary...
in 2002, which retained its individual nameplate, but merged its primary headquarters into Robinsons-May's in North Hollywood.
Conversion to Macy's
On August 30, 2005, operational control of the Robinsons-May stores was assumed by Macy's West (the Meier & Frank stores were transferred to Macy's Northwest). Fifteen of its California stores were offered for sale under an agreement with the California State Attorney General, though Federated has retained several of the stores covered by the agreement since satisfactory offers from competitors were not received (including stores at Woodland Hills and Northridge). During 2006, the majority of the Robinsons-May stores were converted to the Macy'sMacy'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...
nameplate, either as replacements for existing stores, new locations or as expansions of existing locations. Prime locations at South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza is an upscale-luxury shopping center in Costa Mesa, California, USA, in Orange County. The largest mall in California, its sales of over 1.5 billion are highest in the United States...
, Costa Mesa and Fashion Valley Mall
Fashion Valley Mall
Fashion Valley Mall is an upscale, open-air shopping mall in Mission Valley in San Diego, California. The shopping center has over 1.7 million square feet of leasable floor area, making it the largest mall in San Diego and one of the largest in California. It is owned and managed by the Simon...
, San Diego where Macy's already had stores were shuttered in early 2006 and refurbished as Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
locations.