Franklin Simon & Co.

Franklin Simon & Co.

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	February 1902 (1902-02)
Founder	Franklin Simon, Herman A. Flurscheim
Defunct	1979 (1979)
Fate	Closed following parent company bankruptcy
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Products	Women's apparel, home furnishings, ready-to-wear clothing

Franklin Simon & Co. was a department store network headquartered in New York, New York, primarily focused on women's apparel and home furnishings. Unlike conventional American dry goods retailers, it operated as a series of specialized boutiques within one establishment. Each boutique concentrated on a distinct category, offering ready-to-wear clothing for demographics including women, misses, girls, boys, men, young men, and infants. By the time the company ceased operations in 1979, it maintained a total of 42 locations.

History

Established in February 1902 under the name Franklin Simon Specialty Shops, the enterprise was founded by Franklin Simon (1865–1934) alongside his associate Herman A. Flurscheim. Following Franklin Simon's death in 1934, Leroy C. Palmer assumed the presidency, while Benjamin Goldstein led the company until 1963. The retail strategy emphasized importing a significant portion of merchandise from Europe with the intention of offering these imported items at prices competitive with domestic products.

In 1936, ownership transferred to Atlas Corporation when it acquired the chain from the Simon family for $2 million. Subsequently in 1945, City Stores Company based in Philadelphia took over Franklin Simon & Co. The merger with Oppenheim Collins & Company, Inc resulted in both brands continuing operations independently under City Specialty Stores' umbrella. Around 1961–1962, City Stores consolidated branding by renaming Oppenheim Collins outlets to Franklin Simon stores. However, City Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 1979; as part of its restructuring plan, all 42 Franklin Simon locations were shuttered.

In 1993, Dover Books on Costume republished the "Franklin Simon Fashion Catalog for 1923".

Flagship store

The original flagship location was launched in 1903 at 414 Fifth Avenue near 38th Street, occupying the former residence of Carrie Schermerhorn Astor, sister to John Jacob Astor, and her spouse Marshall Orme Wilson. This establishment was notably the first major retail outlet on Fifth Avenue situated north of 34th Street. The store ceased operations in 1977. A building spanning 280,000-square-foot (26,000 m²), located at 19th Street and Broadway and constructed between 1868 and 1877 as the Arnold Constable Dry Goods Store, subsequently became the flagship site, also housing W. & J. Sloane, another subsidiary under the City Stores umbrella.

Branch stores

Franklin Simon & Co. inaugurated its initial branch in 1932, located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Additional early expansions included outlets in Westport, Connecticut along Boston Post Road near South Compo Road, as well as in Manhasset, New York on Long Island. The chain also operated stores within The Swifton Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, Highland Plaza shopping center in Memphis, Tennessee, Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, New York, the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, New York, Central Avenue in East Orange, New Jersey, and at Livingston Mall in Livingston, New Jersey. In 1932, founder Franklin Simon managed a resort location at Palm Beach, Florida. Branches were present around the Buffalo, New York region as well. The greater Cleveland area featured stores on the West Side and at Shaker Square. By the time of the chain’s closure in 1979, it operated a total of 42 stores.

External links

• Faded sign for Franklin Simon & Co. (retrieved September 1, 2008).