was a mid-range regional
Department Store chain with locations throughout the
Southeastern United States , and founded and based in
Jackson, Mississippi . The nameplate was in circulation for more than a century, eventually joining with
Tennessee -based
Proffitt's and ultimately sharing a corporate parent with
Saks Fifth Avenue .
As
Saks Incorporated sought repositioning as a more luxury retail-oriented operation, its mid-range chains became targets for sale. McRae's and Proffitt's, representing the Southern Department Store Group within Saks Incorporated, were among the first to sell.
North Carolina -based
Belk , the nation's largest privately-owned department store chain, was the buyer of the stores in a deal that closed in July 2005.
On March 8, 2006, most McRae's stores were converted into Belk stores, with three stores excluded. Locations in
Tuscaloosa and
Gadsden in
Alabama , were retained by Saks to convert to its
Parisian chain, though both stores eventually would be among the Parisian locations also sold to Belk. In addition, the Mall of Louisiana store in Baton Rouge became a
Dillard's location.
- [http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050430/NEWS01/504300363/1002/ Details of the sale of McRae's to Belk] from the '' Clarion-Ledger ''
- History of McRae's timeline
