From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elder-Beerman is a U.S. chain of department stores founded in 1883 and owned by The Bon-Ton. The chain is based primarily in the United States' Midwest region.
[edit] History
In 1883, Elder-Beerman history began when Boston Dry Goods Store opened in Dayton, Ohio and was later incorporated under the name Elder & Johnston Company. In 1930, After a short career with Elder & Johnston, Arthur Beerman, founder of Elder-Beerman Stores Corp., branched out on his own and by 1945 Beerman Stores was incorporated. In 1953, Beerman formed a partnership with Max Gutmann and together they established the Bee Gee Shoe Corporation, which operated the El-Bee Shoe Outlets and Shoebilee! stores for many years before its recent sale. Beerman and Gutmann spent ten years opening Beerman Stores in suburban areas and expanding their product lines.
[edit] Elder-Beerman
Former Elder-Beerman logo used until 2006
In 1962, Beerman Stores merged with Elder & Johnston Company to form the Elder-Beerman. For the next 20 years, the Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. grew to include furniture and home lines, and the company expanded with new stores throughout western Ohio and several surrounding states, competing with its Dayton rival, Rike Kumler. After Arthur Beerman's death in 1970, Max Gutmann was promoted to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1985, Herb Glaser was named president and CEO of the department store division. With Herb Glaser as president, Gutmann and Glaser developed the Elder-Beerman franchise through the 1980s and early 1990s. When the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 reorganization in 1995, Max Gutmann and Herb Glaser returned from retirement to turn the company around. During the bankruptcy, Frederick J. Mershad asked to replace Gutmann as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Elder-Beerman has acquired two chains throughout its history: Terre Haute, IN-based Meis in 1989[1], and Wheeling, WV-based Stone & Thomas in 1998 [2].
[edit] 1999 and 2003 Prototypes
In Fall 1999, Elder-Beerman saw introduction of their new concept in retailing, with the opening of two prototype stores in Warsaw, Indiana and Frankfort, Kentucky. The prototype included centralized Service Centers that are always staffed; trained Sales Specialists who are committed to serving customers in the store; open-stock cosmetic and shoe departments that allow customers to select items without searching for assistance; courtesy telephones for free local calls; and pager buttons in the women's fitting rooms so customers may page for assistance.
In 2003, Elder-Beerman opened smaller-scale prototypes in Dekalb, Illinois and Muscatine, Iowa, the latter being the chain's first Iowa location. These stores represented a new marketing strategy of operating smaller-format stores in mid-sized markets.
Elder-Beerman was acquired by The Bon-Ton in 2003 after Elder-Beerman filed for bankruptcy. Today Elder-Beerman operates 63 department stores in 8 states.
[edit] Current Locations
Current Elder-Beerman Locations
[edit] Illinois
- Danville - Village Mall (77,300 sq ft (7,180 m²)., opened 1986 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- DeKalb - Northland Plaza (52,252 sq ft (4,854 m²)., prototype store; opened 2003)
- Mattoon - Cross County Mall (54,266 sq ft (5,041 m²)., opened 1978 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
[edit] Indiana
- Anderson - Mounds Mall
- Main store (66,703 sq ft (6,197 m²)., opened 1965 as H. P. Wasson's, subsequently became Weiler's, then Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- Furniture store (15,000 sq ft (1,400 m²).)
- Columbus - Fair Oaks Mall (53,446 sq ft (4,965 m²)., opened 1990)
- Elkhart - Concord Mall (104,000 sq ft (9,700 m²)., opened as Robertson's, later Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- Jasper - Germantown Shopping Center (55,000 sq ft (5,100 m²).)
- Kokomo - Kokomo Mall (77,680 sq ft (7,217 m²)., opened 1987 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- Marion - Northpark Mall (55,525 sq ft (5,158 m²)., opened 1978 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- Muncie - Muncie Mall
- Main store (80,000 sq ft (7,000 m²)., opened 1997)
- Home store (22,912 sq ft (2,129 m²).)
- Richmond - Downtown (100,000 sq ft (10,000 m²)., opened 1974; first location outside of Ohio)[citation needed]
- Terre Haute - Honey Creek Mall (69,780 sq ft (6,483 m²)., opened 1973 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
- Warsaw - Market Place Center (56,120 sq ft (5,214 m²)., prototype store; opened 1999)
- Muscatine - Muscatine Mall (43,906 sq ft (4,079 m²)., prototype store; former Von Maur, later Staples; opened 2003)
[edit] Kentucky
- Ashland - Kyova Mall (formerly Cedar Knoll Galleria) (70,000 sq ft (7,000 m²)., opened 1991 as Stone & Thomas; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Frankfort - 202 Limestone Dr. (53,954 sq ft (5,012 m²)., prototype store; opened 1999)
- Paducah - Kentucky Oaks Mall (60,092 sq ft (5,583 m²)., opened 1982 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989)
[edit] Michigan
- Adrian - Adrian Mall (54,197 sq ft (5,035 m²)., opened 1987)
- Benton Harbor - The Orchards Mall (70,977 sq ft (6,594 m²)., opened 1992)
- Coldwater - Willowbrook Village Shopping Center (55,000 sq ft (5,100 m²).; opened 2002 in portion of former Wal-Mart)
- Howell - Grand River Plaza (74,873 sq ft (6,956 m²).; opened in portion of former Wal-Mart)
- Jackson - Westwood Mall (72,500 sq ft (6,740 m²)., opened 1993)
- Midland - Midland Mall (64,141 sq ft (5,959 m²)., opened 1991)
- Monroe - Frenchtown Square Mall
-
- Main store (57,077 sq ft (5,303 m²)., opened 1988)
- Furniture store (41,810 sq ft (3,884 m²); opened mid 1990s in former Phar-Mor)
- Muskegon - Lakeshore Marketplace (87,185 sq ft (8,100 m²)., opened 1995; to be replaced w/ Younkers furniture store in 2008)[3]
- Alliance - Carnation Mall (55,552 sq ft (5,161 m²).)
- Athens - University Mall (42,253 sq ft (3,925 m²)., opened 1988)
- Beavercreek
- The Mall at Fairfield Commons men's store (150,000 sq ft (14,000 m²)., opened 1993. Originally featured all lines, now men's only store)
- The Mall at Fairfield Commons women's store (Opened 2007 in former Parisian)
- Bowling Green - Woodland Towne Centre (40,000 sq ft (4,000 m²)., opened 1987)
- Centerville - Centerville Place (195,000 sq ft (18,100 m²)., opened 1966)
- Chillicothe - Chillicothe Mall
- Main store (55,940 sq ft (5,197 m²).)
- Home store (17,609 sq ft (1,636 m²).)
- Dayton
- Dayton Mall (203,548 sq ft (18,910 m²).; opened 1998)
- Northwest Plaza (217,007 sq ft (20,161 m²).)
- Salem Furniture (124,987 sq ft (11,612 m²).)
- Southtowne Furniture (121,000 sq ft (11,200 m²).)
- Defiance - Northtowne Mall
- Main store (49,484 sq ft (4,597 m²)., opened 1987)
- Mattress store (1,849 sq ft (172 m²).)
- Findlay - Findlay Village Mall (72,356 sq ft (6,722 m²)., opened 1990)
- Franklin - Towne Mall (117,888 sq ft (10,952 m²)., opened 1977)
- Hamilton - 2nd @ High St. (167,925 sq ft (15,601 m²)., opened 1974)
- Heath - Indian Mound Mall (73,185 sq ft (6,799 m²)., opened 1986, expanded 1999)
- Huber Heights - Northpark Center (101,840 sq ft (9,461 m²)., opened 1999)
- Kettering - Kettering Towne Center (101,500 sq ft (9,430 m²)., former Rike's/Shillito-Rike's, later Lazarus; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Lancaster - River Valley Mall (52,000 sq ft (4,800 m²)., opened 1987)
- Lima - Lima Mall (130,031 sq ft (12,080 m²)., opened 1965 as The Leader, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1970s)
- Marion - Southland Mall (75,673 sq ft (7,030 m²)., opened 1984)
- New Philadelphia - New Towne Mall (52,000 sq ft (4,800 m²).)
- Northwood - Woodville Mall (106,128 sq ft (9,860 m²)., opened 1985)
- Piqua - Miami Valley Centre Mall (60,000 sq ft (6,000 m²)., opened 1988)
- Sandusky - Sandusky Mall (80,398 sq ft (7,469 m²)., opened 1983)
- St. Clairsville - Ohio Valley Mall
- Women's & Children's (former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Men's & Home
- Springfield - Upper Valley Mall (72,456 sq ft (6,731 m²)., opened 1992)
- Toledo - Westgate Village Shopping Center (154,000 sq ft (14,300 m²).)
- Wooster - Wayne Towne Plaza (53,446 sq ft (4,965 m²)., opened 1994)
- Zanesville - Colony Square Mall (70,874 sq ft (6,584 m²)., opened 1985)
[edit] West Virginia
- Barboursville - Huntington Mall (75,640 sq ft (7,027 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Beckley - Raleigh Mall (45,055 sq ft (4,186 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Bridgeport - Meadowbrook Mall
- Main store (70,789 sq ft (6,577 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Home store (74,723 sq ft (6,942 m²)., former Murphy Mart)
- Charleston - Kanawha Mall (80,000 sq ft (7,000 m²)., opened in former Ames in 2003)
- Morgantown
- Morgantown Mall (71,032 sq ft (6,599 m²)., opened 1990)
- Mountaineer Mall (70,470 sq ft (6,547 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Parkersburg - Grand Central Mall (105,823 sq ft (9,831 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
- Teays - Liberty Square Shopping Center (70,000 sq ft (7,000 m²)., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
[edit] Wisconsin
- Beloit - Beloit Mall (62,732 sq ft (5,828 m²)., opened 1993 on site of what was originally Charles V. Weise, then Bergner-Weise, then Bergner's).
- Kohler - Deer Trace Shopping Center (54,541 sq ft (5,067 m²).)
- Plover - Plover Plaza (55,000 sq ft (5,100 m²).)
- West Bend - 1291 W. Paradise Rd. (55,000 sq ft (5,100 m²).)
[edit] Former locations
Former Elder-Beerman Locations
[edit] Illinois
- Carbondale - University Mall (acquired from Meis in 1989; closed 1997. Now occupied by South Illinois Health Care) [4]
[edit] Indiana
- Cincinnati
- 5th and Vine (originally Rollman Department Store, later Mabley & Carew; closed 1986)
- Beechmont Mall (opened 1981, closed 1992; later operated as Parisian until 2000; mall torn down)
- Forest Fair Mall (now Steve & Barry's University Sportswear)
- Swifton Commons (former Mabley & Carew, later Elder-Beerman, then Elder-Beerman outlet store; closed 1996. Now a church[5])
- Western Hills Plaza (closed 1994)
- Dayton - Courthouse Plaza (closed 2002) [6]
- Kettering (relocated to current location)
- Toledo - North Towne Square (opened in 1979 as LaSalle's, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1983; closed 1997)
[edit] Pennsylvania
[edit] West Virginia
-
- Charleston Town Center (former Best Products and Stone & Thomas; now Steve & Barry's)
- Kanawha Mall (former Stone & Thomas; vacant; Elder-Beerman moved to former Ames in mall in 2003)
- Wheeling (former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998)
[edit] Wisconsin
(Opening dates courtesy of Elder- Beerman Stores Corp. Annual Report, 1999)
[edit] References
- ^ The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp | Further Reading: International Directory of Company Histories
- ^ Elder-Beerman Buying Stone & Thomas. | Daily News Record | Find Articles at BNET.com
- ^ Muskegon's Elder-Beerman Store closing; new store coming. WZZM 13 (2007-11-27). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ http://www.dailyegyptian.com/spring96/020696/elder.html
- ^ Allen Temple to build impressive new church at Swifton
- ^ Elder-Beerman to Close Courthouse Plaza Store in Dayton, Ohio | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET.com
