H. L. Green Company
| Company type | Retail chain |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (five and dime stores) |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Founder | Harold L. Green |
| Fate | Merged with McCrory Stores in 1961; stores eventually shuttered in the late 1990s |
Area served | United States, Canada (historically) |
Key people | Harold L. Green (founder), Harold David Kittinger (executive until 1947), Maurice Olen (president after 1957) |
| Products | Variety of five and dime retail goods |
H. L. Green was a prominent American five and dime retail chain named after its founder, Harold L. Green (1892–1951), which operated throughout the twentieth century.
History
Established in 1932, the chain had expanded to 133 outlets by 1935, largely through the acquisition of Metropolitan Chain Stores, Inc.—an organization previously led by Harold Green—as well as F. & W. Grand Stores, Isaac Silver and Brothers Company, and F. & W. Grand-Silver Stores, Inc.
Harold David Kittinger, the founder of the Kittinger's chain that later merged with McLellan's, held an executive role at H. L. Green from its inception until his passing in 1947. At that time, he was president of a growing company operating approximately 200 stores. The corporation also owned Schulte-United department store, with its Canadian division eventually sold to Zellers.
By 1957, H. L. Green operated 227 locations and began expanding into shopping center venues. That year, it acquired Olen Company, a Mobile, Alabama-based retailer. Maurice Olen assumed the presidency of the merged entity but resigned following discovery of an asset discrepancy that triggered an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and led to legal action against Olen. He was subsequently indicted and fined $2,500.
In 1959, H. L. Green purchased United Stores—which held significant stakes in both McCrory Stores and McLellan Stores—only to divest it in 1960 to B.T.L Corporation, owners of Ben Franklin Stores. The following year, H. L. Green merged with McCrory Stores; the combined company adopted the McCrory name. Concurrently, McCrory acquired Lerner Stores. During this period, H. L. Green divested its Canadian subsidiary, Metropolitan Stores, along with other assets, reducing its total store count from 366 to 147.
During the 1960s, H. L. Green was involved in a landmark copyright lawsuit, Shapiro, Bernstein and Co. v. H.L. Green Co., concerning the sale of unauthorized bootleg records by a vendor operating within one of its stores.
The H. L. Green-branded outlets were ultimately shuttered as their parent company, McCrory's, filed for bankruptcy protection in the late 1990s.
Desegregation
Similar to many other retailers of its time, the company maintained segregated lunch counters in its outlets throughout the Southern United States, which led to protests, including notable sit-in demonstrations during the early 1960s. In contrast, some store managers in the Northern states occasionally took proactive steps to integrate their workforce, such as those in Newark, New Jersey during the early 1950s.
In Popular Culture
H. L. Green’s storefront and signage are prominently featured in the 2021 film Thunder Force, which stars Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer. Although the narrative—centered on two childhood friends reuniting—is set in Chicago, Illinois, the actual filming location for H. L. Green’s store was Atlanta, Georgia, where much of the movie was produced. A memorable moment occurs when Lydia (portrayed by Melissa McCarthy) uses her superhuman strength to lift and hurl a ‘Chicago’ No. 88 bus toward Buckingham Fountain. The H. L. Green neon sign is distinctly visible with its bright green lettering and backdrop.