Benny's
| File:Benny's logo.png | |
| File:Benny's, Greenville, RI 01.jpg The Greenville store as of November 2017. | |
| Company type | Retail Store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Discount retail |
| Founded | November 9, 1924, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Founder | Benjamin Bromberg |
| Defunct | December 11, 2017 |
| Fate | Permanently closed due to strategic business decision |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 31 (as of September 8, 2017) |
Area served | Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut |
| Owner | Arnold Bromberg Howard Bromberg Judy Rosenstein |
Number of employees | 715 (as of September 8, 2017) |
| Website | hellobennys |
Benny's was a discount retail chain based in the New England region, established in 1924 in Providence, Rhode Island. Its operations extended across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The corporate headquarters were situated in Esmond, Rhode Island, within the town of Smithfield. On September 8, 2017, the company declared the closure of all its 31 active stores. The final location, found in Greenville, Rhode Island, ceased operations permanently on December 11, 2017.
History
Benjamin Bromberg (1901–1966), born in Russia to Max and Zlata (Fishman) Bromberg, immigrated to the United States in 1910 and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. His wife Flora (Wolfe) Bromberg (1901–1991), originally from Baltimore, Maryland and daughter of Moses and Anna Wolfe, was among the earliest graduates of Bryant & Stratton Business School. Prior to founding Benny's, Benjamin held a managerial role at American Auto Supply Company. He launched Benny's Auto Store on November 9, 1924, in Providence. Expansion followed with a second outlet opening in 1929 in East Providence, Rhode Island, and by 1931 the first Massachusetts location was established in Taunton. The original Benny's store once occupied the site now home to the Providence Journal building. In 1965, the corporate headquarters moved to the former Esmond Mill in Esmond. After Benjamin Bromberg passed away in 1966, his son Malcolm Bromberg assumed the presidency. A notable event occurred in 1968 when a fire destroyed the East Greenwich store. Throughout the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Benny's expanded further into Massachusetts and Connecticut markets, including locations reaching as far as Cape Cod. The chain's last store was launched in 2005 in Killingly, Connecticut. Following Malcolm Bromberg’s death in 2014, ownership transferred to his children: Arnold and Howard Bromberg along with Judy Rosenstein.
Closure
On September 8, 2017, Benny's declared its intention to shut down all 31 of its stores. This announcement generated some discontent among staff members, as many learned about the closure through unofficial channels like social media and reported not receiving formal communication from the company’s headquarters. At the time of the shutdown, the longest-operating location was the store on Park Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island, which had been in business since 1938. The chain's final store, situated in Greenville, Rhode Island, ceased operations on December 11, 2017. Out of the 31 stores, 29 were acquired by the Carpionato Group, a development firm headquartered in Johnston, Rhode Island. After the last store closed, there was some criticism directed at the company over the absence of severance packages for former employees.
Following Benny’s closure, several of its former locations have deteriorated. For instance, in January 2018, the roof of the old Benny’s building in East Wareham, Massachusetts collapsed. Additionally, a fire occurred at a previous Benny’s site in Seekonk, Massachusetts in May of that year. Some of these properties were subsequently resold by the Carpionato Group to other retail businesses such as Dollar General, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, and Ocean State Job Lot.
In June 2018, an auction took place at Benny’s corporate headquarters where various assets were sold. Items included store fixtures like shelving units and machinery used for operations, delivery vehicles, and returned merchandise that was defective.
Legacy
The declaration of Benny's shutdown came as a surprise to many patrons, given its status as a cherished symbol in southern New England. As a local retail establishment with nearly a century of history, numerous customers took to social media to express their fond memories of the store. Various community businesses also voiced their sympathies following the closure of Benny's.
In honor of the now-defunct retailer, a theatrical production titled Benny's: The Musical was staged in Providence during March and May of 2018.
Benny's locations served as filming sites for movies such as Labor Day and The Polka King, further cementing its cultural significance.
Locations
Throughout its 93 years in business, Benny's operated stores at the following sites:
Rhode Island
- Arctic (Ceased operations in 1977)
- Bristol
- Coventry
- Cranston (Two outlets: 148 Atwood Avenue and 819 Park Avenue)
- Cumberland (Closed in 2005)
- East Greenwich
- East Providence
- Greenville (Shut down in 2017)
- Middletown
- Providence
- Wakefield
- Warwick (Two sites at the time of closure: 1109 Warwick Avenue and 2574 West Shore Road)
- Westerly
Massachusetts
- Dennisport
- East Wareham
- Fairhaven
- Fall River
- Mansfield
- Middleboro
- North Attleboro
- Plymouth
- Raynham
- Seekonk
- South Dartmouth
- Taunton (Established in 1962)
Connecticut
- Danielson
- Groton
- South Killingly
- New London (Ceased operations in the 1980s)
- Norwichtown
- Old Saybrook
- Putnam (Closed during the 1980s)
- Waterford (Shut down in February 2017)
- Willimantic (Closed in 2007)
See also
- Ocean State Job Lot – A comparable but larger discount retailer headquartered in Rhode Island.
- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet – A similar discount store chain based in Pennsylvania with a much broader presence.
- Tuesday Morning – Among the earliest and largest discount retail chains across the United States.
- Building 19 – Another New England-based discount retailer from Massachusetts that is now defunct.