County Seat (store)

County Seat

Industry	Retail
Founded	1973
Defunct	1999
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	Dallas, Texas
Number of locations	740+
Area served	United States
Key people	Jack J. Crocker Carson Pirie Scott
Products	Blue jeans, clothing

County Seat was a U.S.-based clothing retail chain established in 1973. At its height, the company operated over 740 outlets before ceasing operations in 1999 due to Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

History

The retailer was launched in 1973 in Dallas, Texas by Jack J. Crocker, who was then serving as CEO of SuperValu supermarkets. True to the pun implied by its name, County Seat focused primarily on denim jeans and other casual apparel.

By 1977, the chain had expanded to 183 locations and broadened its inventory to include sportswear.

In 1983, the company was acquired by the Chicago-based department store group Carson Pirie Scott for $71 million (approximately $Template:Format price adjusted for inflation). Two years later, Carson Pirie Scott purchased the 19-store Pants Corral chain from Giant Food in Landover, Maryland, converting those outlets into County Seat stores.

Under Carson Pirie Scott's ownership, County Seat stores underwent a redesign featuring matte black fixtures and shifted their product strategy to appeal predominantly to high school-aged customers. By 1989, the chain had grown to 415 stores. Subsequently, when Bergner's acquired Carson Pirie Scott that year, County Seat was divested to a new management group.

In 1996, Wet Seal proposed acquiring 508 County Seat outlets; however, this offer was declined. Later that year, County Seat filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began shutting down some locations. The company filed for bankruptcy once more in 1999.