Information AboutStrawbridge And Clothier |
Strawbridge's (formerly '''Strawbridge & Clothier''') was a Department Store found in the northeastern United States with stores in Delaware , Pennsylvania and New Jersey . It was part of May Department Stores until that company's August 30 , 2005 acquisition by Macy's Inc.. May had operated it under its Arlington County, Virginia -based Hecht's division. The historical flagship store was located in downtown Philadelphia at The Gallery At Market East . It was announced March 10 , 2006 that this store would close on June 1 , but it actually shut its doors on May 23 . {Link without Title} On February 1 , 2006 , the former May Company division were dissolved and operating control of the Strawbridge's stores was assumed by Macy's East . On September 9, 2006, the Strawbridge's and Hecht's nameplates were completely phased out in favor of the nationally known Macy's . HISTORY The store began as a dry goods store and was founded by Quaker s Justus Clayton Strawbridge ( 1838 - 1911 ) and Isaac Hallowell Clothier ( 1838 - 1911 ) in Philadelphia in 1862 . In 1868 Strawbridge & Clothier purchased a 3-story brick building on the northeast corner of Market and 8th Streets in Downtown Philadelphia , which had been Thomas Jefferson 's office in 1790 while he served as Secretary Of State , and opened their first store. But soon the old building was replaced by a new 5-story department store offering a variety of fixed price merchandise under one roof. In 1928 , this building was replaced by a new store and became one of the anchors in 1977 of The Gallery , an urban mall connecting Strawbridge & Clothier with Gimbels . )]] The 13 Strawbridge & Clothier department stores were bought by May Department Stores Company in 1996 when the Strawbridge & Clothier corporation elected to liquidate its operations (it also operated the Clover discount department store chain). At the time of the May acquisition, the Strawbridge's name was retained, and the Philadelphia area Hecht's stores (the former John Wanamaker locations, which May had acquired in a bankruptcy sale in 1995) also adopted the name. However, the Strawbridge & Clothier head office was closed and its operations were consolidated with Hecht's in Arlington, Virginia . After the sale the stores operated simply as ''Strawbridge's'', although exterior signage reading ''Strawbridge & Clothier'' remained in place at many locations until the stores became Macy's in 2006 . In July , 2006, The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), owners of The Gallery at Market East, agreed to purchase the lower floors of the flagship Strawbridge's store. It is anticipated that PREIT will seek retail tenants for the areas of the building closest to street level but may convert some higher floors to office space. The uppermost floors had previously been sold and converted to offices; they are currently owned by American Financial Realty Trust of Jenkintown . FORMER LOCATIONS New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
FORMER LOCATIONS CLOSED PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2005 Delaware
Pennsylvania
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