H. & S. Pogue Company
| Company type | Department store chain |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1863 |
| Founder | Henry Pogue, Samuel Pogue |
| Fate | Acquired by Associated Dry Goods in 1961; later merged with L.S. Ayres in 1983; stores closed or sold off by May Department Stores after 1986 acquisition |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati , United States |
Area served | Cincinnati metropolitan area and suburbs, Kentucky (Florence Mall) |
Key people | Henry Pogue, Samuel Pogue |
| Products | Department store goods including apparel, home furnishings, furniture, appliances, cosmetics, jewelry, gifts, food services |
Number of employees | 2,200 (1,500 full-time and 700 seasonal at time of 1961 sale) |
| Parent | Associated Dry Goods (from 1961) |
The H. & S. Pogue Company, commonly known as Pogue's, was a department store chain headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Established in 1863 by brothers Henry and Samuel Pogue, it grew to become a prominent regional retailer until its acquisition by Associated Dry Goods in 1961.
Origins
Henry Pogue, who emigrated from Cavan, Ireland in 1851, initially worked as a dry goods clerk. By 1863, he was at the helm of Pogue & Jones before he and his brother Samuel took over their uncle John Crawford's business, renaming it H. & S. Pogue Dry Goods Company. Subsequently, three additional brothers joined the enterprise.
Expansion in the Queen City
The Pogues began operations on West Fifth Street but soon moved to a strategic location on West Fourth Street, directly across from Enin, McAlpin & Company, where they experienced significant growth. In 1916, renowned architect Samuel Hannaford designed their flagship store—a seven-story Edwardian structure encompassing six acres of retail space. Although there were intentions for further enlargement, these plans never came to fruition.
During the Great Depression era, an expansion in 1930 introduced a nine-story mechanical tower that linked Pogue's with the Carew Tower arcade, sharing premises with competitor Mabley & Carew. In 1948, a nearby 12-story Service Building was erected to accommodate alterations, engraving, upholstery, and other support functions; this facility was among Cincinnati’s largest garment storage sites. Architect Henry Hake ensured the building’s design harmonized with the modernist skyline of the financial district.
A separate three-level warehouse dedicated to furniture and appliances operated downtown until it was removed to make way for Interstate 75 construction.
Suburban expansion commenced in April 1959 with the opening of a 60,000-square-foot boutique at Kenwood Plaza and plans underway for a larger 160,000-square-foot store at Tri-County Center. By the end of the decade, Pogue’s ranked as Cincinnati’s second-largest department store behind John Shillito Company but faced increasing competition due to suburban migration and automobile-centered shopping habits. Expanding suburban outlets and providing downtown parking became essential yet expensive priorities.
In 1961, ownership transferred to Associated Dry Goods—a consortium of upscale retailers including Lord & Taylor and others operating in major U.S. cities. At that time, Cincinnati’s retail landscape also featured Federated’s Shillito’s and Allied Stores’ Mabley & Carew (which later merged with Rollman & Sons).
At the point of sale, H&S Pogue employed approximately 1,500 full-time staff along with 700 seasonal workers. The flagship location occupied multiple floors hosting a wide range of departments from women’s apparel to home furnishings and executive offices:
- Sub-Basement: Delivery wrapping and employee lockers
- Basement: Budget women’s clothing, infants’ wear, men’s furnishings
- Main Floor: Jewelry, cosmetics, gifts, women’s footwear
- 2nd Floor: Children’s apparel, men’s suits and shoes, linens
- 3rd Floor: Bridal salon, juniors’ fashion section, fur salon
- 4th Floor: Home goods including china sets and toys
- 5th Floor: Furniture showroom, books department, interior design studio
- 6th Floor: Executive offices, appliances department, customer lounge
- 7th Floor: Advertising offices, credit union services, employee support
- 8th Floor: Receiving area and merchandise marking
- 9th Floor: Visual merchandising and sign production
This organizational framework underpinned Pogue's status as a dominant regional retailer before its absorption into a nationwide holding company.
Associated Dry Goods: Growth Followed by Decline
Following the 1962 acquisition by Associated Dry Goods (ADG), Pogue's swiftly expanded its downtown location by incorporating the former Mabley & Carew area within Carew Tower Arcade. In 1964, the well-known Ice Cream Bridge was introduced, linking the two Pogue’s sections and featuring the beloved local Graeter's Ice Cream—a concept later duplicated at the Tri-County store. To improve accessibility, a sizable parking structure with 1,600 spaces was constructed across Race Street and connected to the store’s second floor through a covered walkway.
The downtown flagship underwent a redesign by Raymond Loewy Associates, adopting a modern French Provincial aesthetic that aligned with ADG’s initiative to update its key stores. That same year, the new Camargo Room restaurant opened on the sixth floor, replacing traditional dining with a contemporary, faster-service format that notably welcomed female smokers—mirroring changing consumer trends. This dining model was also implemented at the Tri-County location.
Between 1965 and 1966, Kenwood Plaza experienced a significant enlargement, reaching nearly 200,000 square feet. The expansion introduced men’s and children’s departments, a Camargo Restaurant, a home goods section, and a beauty salon, all supported by an adjacent parking garage. Once again designed by Raymond Loewy & Associates, Kenwood emerged as Pogue’s most prosperous branch, surpassing downtown sales figures by 1983 despite its smaller footprint.
Suburban expansion persisted with the opening of a three-level, 153,000-square-foot store at Northgate Mall in 1970. This outlet featured a Modernist architectural style and debuted The Balcony dining concept, marking a departure from earlier grandiose designs toward sleek contemporary retail spaces.
ADG’s 1972 acquisitions of L.S. Ayres and Stewart Dry Goods resulted in a network of 25 stores across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. As one of ADG’s smaller chains, Pogue’s became a platform for testing new executive leadership and management rotations, which affected employee continuity. Branding changes appeared in the 1972 holiday catalogue as part of efforts to appeal to younger demographics.
During the early 1970s, Pogue's downtown location gained an edge by connecting via skywalks to major buildings such as Cincinnati Plaza Hotel (later Westin Cincinnati), Fifth/Third Center, competitor McAlpin's, and Mabley & Carew. These elevated walkways boosted foot traffic and allowed Pogue's to establish service shops along them, enhancing customer convenience while diversifying offerings.
A forward-thinking redesign introduced the Fourth Street Market, showcasing transparent sales floors with updated Housewares and Epicure departments including Servatti's Bakery and Le Petit Café—a sophisticated food bar that attracted new clientele and revitalized lunchtime patronage.
The suburban shift led to shutting down the downtown basement sales area during the 1970s; this space was converted into Merchandise Receiving. To better target younger shoppers per ADG’s directives, Juniors apparel moved to the Main Floor with its own entrance. Several departments were eliminated or outsourced as part of operational efficiencies. The Camargo Room transitioned from quick-service to full-service dining; meanwhile, the Ice Cream Bridge was rebranded as the Bridge Restaurant offering comprehensive menu options.
Pogue's final branch launched in 1976 at Florence Mall, Kentucky—its sole store outside Ohio and without furniture or restaurant amenities. During this period, the Tri-County Ice Cream Parlor was transformed into the successful Le Petit Café format.
By decade’s close, Pogue's held prime retail sites throughout Cincinnati’s key markets with a refreshed downtown presence. Nevertheless, impending challenges arose as rival Mabley & Carew was acquired by Elder-Beerman in 1978 and rebranded—signaling major changes ahead for Cincinnati’s retail industry in subsequent years.
Merger and Closure
In the recession of the early 1980s, Pogue's experienced a decline in earnings, especially at its downtown location, which was challenged by a city-supported Saks Fifth Avenue store situated across Race Street. Saks' insistence on reducing Pogue's loading dock access on Race Street weakened the downtown store's function as the central distribution hub for all five outlets. Additional financial burdens emerged from establishing a separate facility in northern Kentucky. To preserve profitability, Pogue's merged with ADG's Indianapolis affiliate, L.S. Ayres & Company, in 1983. Following the merger, ADG reported a 22% increase in sales and nearly doubled profits at Cincinnati stores, gaining market share from rivals Elder-Beerman, McAlpin’s, and ShillitoRikes. The consolidation had been strategically planned over several years, involving coordinated branding efforts and repositioning Pogue’s merchandise to align with L.S. Ayres’ mid-tier market focus.
The integration was conducted discreetly, with L.S. Ayres managing former Pogue locations with minimal alterations for three years. The well-liked Fourth Street Market concept was incorporated into larger L.S. Ayres stores, leading to the creation of a private label featuring wines and gourmet foods under the same brand. Additionally, Pogue's acclaimed Center for the Executive Woman program was embraced by L.S. Ayres and highlighted in ADG’s annual corporate report.
In response to changing consumer shopping behaviors and diminishing relevance of department stores, ADG combined L.S. Ayres with Louisville’s Stewart Dry Goods in 1985 to maintain regional financial health. In October 1986, ADG was purchased by May Department Stores for $2.2 billion, marking the largest retail merger in U.S. history at that time. Soon thereafter, competitor John Shillito Company (operating as ShillitoRikes) merged into Columbus-based F. & R. Lazarus, resulting in the retirement of the Shillito brand in Cincinnati.
Following May Department Stores’ acquisition of ADG, it exited the Cincinnati market by selling stores at Kenwood Plaza, Tri-County Center, and Northgate Mall to J.C. Penney; transferring Florence Mall to Hess Brothers; and closing the downtown store entirely. The Fourth Street building designed by Samuel Hannaford was demolished to make way for Tower Place Mall, which itself closed in 2012 and was later converted into parking facilities serving the Netherland Plaza Hotel. Retail spaces within Carew Tower were subdivided but faced financial difficulties; by late 2021 foreclosure actions commenced, with redevelopment plans announced in early 2024 to transform it into residential apartments supported by state funding.
The Kenwood Plaza location was converted into an upscale Parisian store in 1993; after Parisian was acquired by Belk in 2007—who chose not to operate in Cincinnati—the property was sold to Nordstrom, which reconstructed the site and continues operations there as of 2024.
At Tri-County Center, part of the former store was repurposed for retail and dining uses; redevelopment plans approved in 2022 call for demolition to facilitate mixed-use residential and office development, though construction had not begun by 2024.
The former Pogue’s site at Northgate Mall was razed in 2008 to make room for a movie theater complex.
As of 2024, only the Florence Mall location remains active as a department store: after being sold to Hess' in 1988, it became an F.& R. Lazarus Home Store in 1993 and later rebranded as Macy's in 2005.
The vacant Service Building at 310 Race Street stands as the sole remaining downtown structure from Pogue's original complex; listed for sale at $5.1 million in 2020, plans were announced in January 2024 to convert it into 108 affordable housing units.
A Facebook group named "H&S Pogue Company of Cincinnati," established in 2010 for enthusiasts and former staff members, had grown to nearly 1,100 participants by 2022, including descendants of founders Henry and Samuel Pogue.