Garfinckel's

Garfinckel's

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (Department stores)
Predecessor	Julius Garfinkle & Co.
Founded	October 2, 1905 (1905-10-02) in Washington, D.C., United States
Founder	Julius Garfinckel
Defunct	1990 (1990)
Fate	Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ceased operations
Headquarters	Washington, D.C. , United States
Area served	Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
Key people	George P. Kelly (Chairman and CEO at bankruptcy)
Products	Department store goods, clothing, fashion retail
Number of employees	500+ (1936)

Garfinckel's was a distinguished department store chain headquartered in Washington, D.C., known for serving an affluent client base. Its main location, situated at 14th and F Streets within the city's F Street shopping district, is recognized on the National Register. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 1990 and discontinued its operations later that year.

History

Established in 1905 under the name Julius Garfinkle & Co., this retail enterprise was founded by Julius Garfinckel (1872–1936) and initially employed ten sales clerks. The original store commenced business on October 2, 1905, at 1226 F St. NW in Washington, D.C. By August 1924, the business updated its name to Julius Garfinckel & Co. In 1946, it expanded by acquiring the men's specialty retailer Brooks Brothers, followed by the purchase of De Pinna in 1950. The company formed a national retail conglomerate named Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc. after acquiring the Miller & Rhoads chain in 1967. Further growth occurred in 1977 with the addition of the women's fashion chain Ann Taylor. By 1981, this conglomerate operated nearly 190 stores across seven distinct chains. That same year, Allied Stores purchased Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc. for $228 million. Subsequently, in 1986, Campeau Corp. acquired Allied Stores and sold the Garfinckel's chain to the locally owned Raleigh's for $95 million (approximately $adjusted for inflation), creating Garfinckel's, Raleigh's & Co.

Although Garfinckel's expanded into multiple locations over time, a series of mergers and acquisitions ultimately led to its financial downfall. On June 21, 1990, under the leadership of chairman and CEO George P. Kelly, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ceased operations shortly thereafter.

Flagship store

In 1918, the establishment was situated at the intersection of 13th and F Streets, positioned at the western boundary of the city's downtown shopping area. By 1929, a new eight-story department store was constructed on the northwest corner of 14th and F Streets, directly opposite the Willard Hotel. This $2,000,000 edifice was the work of New York-based architects Starrett & van Vleck. By 1936, the workforce had grown to exceed 500 employees.

Following Garfinckel's bankruptcy in 1990, the building remained unoccupied for several years until its redevelopment in 1999. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Between 1997 and 1999, it underwent transformation into a contemporary office complex and retail center known as Hamilton Square.

Borders occupied street-level space until its closure in 2010. Subsequently, the building's owner explored options for introducing a restaurant and retail tenant to fill the vacated area.

Branch stores

In contrast to local competitors such as Hecht's, Woodward & Lothrop, and Lord & Taylor, Garfinckel's refrained from opening numerous suburban branches during the peak retail expansion of the 1950s and 1960s. Its first suburban presence debuted as an original anchor at Seven Corners Shopping Center in 1956. This was followed by a store opening within Montgomery Mall in 1968. Additionally, Garfinckel's operated a 35,000-square-foot location at Spring Valley Shopping Center in Washington, D.C., situated at 4820 Massachusetts Avenue.

Further expansion included a 30,000-square-foot store at Tyson's Corner Center launched in May 1970; a larger 90,000-square-foot outlet at Landover Mall opened on May 11, 1972; and a smaller 600-square-foot boutique inside the Washington Hilton hotel beginning July 1972. The Springfield Mall location commenced operations in January 1973.

Believing that growth had reached an appropriate level and confident that their flagship downtown store would remain successful, Garfinckel's paused expansion until the early 1980s. During this period, new outlets opened at Annapolis Mall, Fair Oaks Mall, and a 16,000-square-foot shop at The Shops at Georgetown Park. These would ultimately be the final suburban stores added.

After choosing not to renew its lease at Tyson's Corner at the close of 1988, Garfinckel's announced intentions to inaugurate a second downtown Washington location at 1130 Connecticut Ave NW—the site previously hosting a temporary Raleigh's store. At the time of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1990, nine stores were operational.

The archival records of Garfinckel's Department Store are preserved by the Library of Congress.

External links

File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• "Garfinckel's (Department store)", Library of Congress
• Garfinkels.com – Preserving America's Fashion Heritage
• Hamilton Square, Washington, D.C.