Mervyns
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| Mervyns LLC | |
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| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 1949 San Lorenzo, California |
| Headquarters | Hayward, California |
| Key people | John Goodman CEO |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. |
| Website | www.mervyns.com |
Mervyns is a department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carries national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores are found in shopping malls. As of December 2006 Mervyns had 189 stores in 10 states.[1] However, Mervyns closed all of their locations in Oregon and Washington by February 2007, reducing its store count to 172 stores in 8 states. The company said it closed underperforming locations that did not contribute to the company's success. Based on 2005 revenue, Mervyns is the eighty-third largest retailer in the United States.[2]
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[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
Mervin G. Morris was born in Delano, California. His family had a small department store in Delano where he worked during his youth. Though he started college at U.C. Berkeley, he soon had to return home when his father became ill. He never returned to college. He eventually left Delano, however, to become a captain in the United States Army during World War II. After the war, Mervin Morris married Roslyn ("Roz") Grossman. Mervin and Roz Morris have four children and thirteen grandchildren.
The first Mervyns store opened in 1949 in San Lorenzo, California, named after the founder Mervin G. Morris (and adopting the misspelling on the company's first sign). However, the Dayton Hudson Corporation (later known as Target Corporation) acquired the company in 1978.
In 1986, Mervyns made a major expansion into the Southeast, especially the Atlanta market. The chain had never previously been in Georgia, but competed for mall space with J.C. Penney and got top anchor spots at several area malls. Known Mervyns locations in the Atlanta area were Town Center Mall, Shannon Mall, North DeKalb Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall and North Point Mall. The Akers Mill Crossing strip center across from Cumberland Mall in Smyrna was also a location.
The chain, however, failed to sustain itself in the Atlanta market and left the area in 1997.[3] J.C. Penney acquired and converted the Town Center, Shannon and Gwinnett Place stores in 1997. The others became a Burlington Coat Factory at North Dekalb Mall, a Parisian at North Point and a Sports Authority at the Smyrna strip center.
Mervyns closed all of its Florida stores in 1998.
[edit] Mervyns California
From 1996 to 2001, the stores were rebranded as Mervyns California, in an effort to identify with their West Coast heritage. Mervyns TV commercials and catalogs featured former San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Joe Montana in their advertising and one of its popular commercials, "Open, Open, Open." After this, the company later reverted to the original name after seeing no marked improvements.
[edit] Sale from Target and Store Closures
In July 2004, Mervyns was bought from the Target Corporation by a group of investors including private investment firm and turnaround specialist Sun Capital Partners, Inc of Boca Raton, Florida, Cerberus Capital Management of New York, and real estate investment company Lubert-Adler Management Inc. of Philadelphia, immediately closing its Minnesota stores.[4] Rick Leto was named the new president and chief merchandising officer in January 2005.
[edit] Mervyns, L.L.C.
The company announced in September 2005 that it would focus exclusively on Western and Southwestern markets, and planned to close its stores in Michigan, Oklahoma, and Louisiana by February 2006. Twenty-eight of the 62 stores announced for closure were locations in the 40-store Texas market, a market Mervyns entered in 1981.[5] In addition, the store has closed its location in the upscale Washington Square mall in Tigard, Oregon; in January, the company announced plans to close its 17 remaining Oregon and Washington stores by 2007. A Salt Lake City, Utah area store, located in Crossroads Plaza, closed in March 2006. In December 2007, the company announced the closing of its Grand Junction, CO store which was the last remaining store in the state of Colorado.[6]
As of June 2006, Mervyns has implemented new technology in an effort to become recognized as a more independent company, as well as to keep up with the demands of customers and other retail companies, such as Wal-Mart or its former parent company, the Target Corporation. The new technological program, known as MARS (Mervyns Advanced Retail Systems), features more streamlined and efficient cash register functions, as well as a simpler system of store merchandise distribution and logistics.
[edit] Mervyns Focuses New Vision
In 2008, Sun Capital Partners purchased a majority stake in Mervyns.[citation needed] Marketing unveils new branding initiatives including a new website.[citation needed] Mervyns hires John Goodman of Levi's as President.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Mervyns.com Store Locator
- ^ Top 100 Retailers: The Nation's Retail Power Players (PDF), Stores, July 2006.
- ^ Parisian to open in Mervyns spot at North Point, Atlanta Business Chronicle, April 4, 1997
- ^ Target selling Marshall Field's, closing Minnesota Mervyns stores. Houston Business Journal (June 10, 2004). Retrieved on 9 October 2006.
- ^ Mervyns to close 62 stores, exit Houston market. Houston Business Journal (September 7, 2005). Retrieved on 9 October 2006.
- ^ Mervyns prepares to close GJ store. The Daily Sentinel (December 27, 2007). Retrieved on 30 December 2007.
[edit] External links
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