C. R. Anthony Co.

C.R. Anthony Co.
Company type	Public
Industry	Retail (department stores)
Founded	1922 in Cushing, Oklahoma, United States
Founder	Charles Ross Anthony
Defunct	1997
Fate	Acquired by Stage Stores Inc. and rebranded or closed
Successor	Stage Stores Inc.
Headquarters	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Area served	Western United States (west of the Mississippi River)
Key people	Charles Ross Anthony (founder), Guy Anthony (president 1972–1980), Bob Anthony (president 1980–1987)
Products	Department store merchandise

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article C. R. Anthony Co., available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 2025

C.R. Anthony Co., commonly referred to as Anthony's, was a family-operated high-end department store chain established in 1922 in Cushing, Oklahoma by Charles Ross Anthony. The business expanded outside Oklahoma, entering Kansas in 1924 and Texas in 1925. By 1972, it managed 325 outlets across 21 states located west of the Mississippi River. In 1997, Stage Stores Inc. acquired Anthony's, subsequently rebranding most locations under the Stage or Beall's names.

C.R. Anthony

Charles Ross Anthony (born August 10, 1885 – ), the founder of the company, originated from near Trenton, Tennessee and relocated to Oklahoma during his youth. His early career included working as a bookkeeper for the thriving Wewoka Trading Company in Wewoka, Oklahoma, where he wed Lutie Mauldin in 1910. Anthony contributed to local organizations by donating stock and financial support to institutions such as the Seminole Nation Museum and Historical Society.

Anthony developed retail expertise through employment with J.C. Penney, having multiple encounters with Penney between 1904 and 1913. Despite receiving partnership offers from Penney, Anthony initially earned higher wages elsewhere. By 1916, he became a partner in a Penney store located in Idaho but eventually left due to financial and personal challenges, returning to Oklahoma.

Subsequently, he joined the J.P. Martin Company in Cleveland, Oklahoma, advancing to vice president and acquiring a one-third ownership stake by 1918. In 1922, he sold his shares to establish his own retail enterprise, laying the groundwork for the Anthony's department store chain and its future expansion.

Anthony company history

On September 1, 1922, C.R. Anthony inaugurated the Dixie Store, occupying a 25-foot storefront in Cushing, Oklahoma. By the following year, he operated six stores: four Dixie Stores located in Cushing, Pawhuska, Hominy, and Barnsdall; along with two C.R. Anthony Stores situated in Anadarko and Chickasha.

The company's growth strategy depended on reinvesting profits from existing outlets to finance new openings. Store managers were developed internally and granted one-third ownership stakes in their respective stores to encourage responsibility and engagement. Anthony focused on serving rural and smaller communities by customizing merchandise assortments to meet local demands. In 1926, he transformed the business into a publicly held corporation but limited stock ownership exclusively to employees, aligning their interests with company success. The C.R. Anthony Company was eventually listed on Nasdaq under the ticker CRAU.

The company's motto was "The friendliest store in town." Its first urban location launched in Oklahoma City in 1939. The pricing approach centered on offering products at the lowest feasible prices while ensuring profitability.

In 1985, Anthony's introduced its proprietary credit card aimed at boosting customer loyalty and providing financial convenience.

By that year, the company operated 88 department stores throughout Oklahoma with sales surpassing $427.5 million. Additionally, it earned the Corporate Humanitarian Award from KOCO-TV for its community involvement through donations, employee volunteer efforts, and contributions enhancing quality of life in Oklahoma City.

Key milestones of Anthony Stores

C. R. Anthony inaugurated the initial Dixie store in 1922.
By 1923, six Anthony's locations were operational in Oklahoma, with two retaining the Dixie Stores name.
The chain, consisting of 75 stores, adopted the name Anthonys by 1947.
By 1950, Anthonys had extended its presence to Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, and Arkansas.
The number of stores reached 300 by 1964, all situated west of the Mississippi River.
Annual revenue hit $100 million in 1973 and surged to $200 million by 1978.

Retirement of the founder and leadership transition

C.R. Anthony stepped down in 1972, passing the presidency to his son Guy Anthony. In 1980, Guy retired, and his son Bob Anthony assumed the role of president until 1987. That year marked shareholder approval for a sale to an investment group led by Citicorp Venture Capital. C. R. Anthony died on June 16, 1976.

Bankruptcy proceedings

In 1991, Anthonys initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after lenders withdrew a $32 million seasonal credit line due to a technical breach of loan terms. At that time, the company operated 182 stores nationwide. The company successfully emerged from bankruptcy in 1992. The credit withdrawal was triggered by a decline below a mandated fixed charges to operating income ratio under a $40 million financing deal from the 1987 acquisition, despite timely loan payments and $24 million in debt repayment.

Acquisition by Stage Stores Inc.

In 1997, Stage Stores Incorporated purchased C. R. Anthony's for roughly $92 million. At acquisition, Anthony's operated 226 stores across 14 states and subsequently added 13 more before most locations were either closed or rebranded under the Stage banner. Stage Stores oversaw 316 department stores in 19 states under various names such as Stage, Bealls, and Palais Royal. Nevertheless, Stage Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020 after being unable to find a buyer amid declining sales trends.

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Anthony's
Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Anthony, son of the founder, conducted April 27, 2010
Archived commercials from Anthony's sale campaigns during the 1980s