Halls (department store)
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Genre | Department Store |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Founder | Joyce Hall |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 1 |
| Products | apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, shoes, china, crystal, silver, housewares, greeting cards |
| Services | bridal registry corporate gift services and custom tailoring |
| Parent | Hallmark Cards |
| Website | Template:Official |
Halls serves as the department store branch of Hallmark Cards, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The store operates as a specialty retailer situated within the Crown Center commercial district in downtown Kansas City. It offers a diverse selection of upscale merchandise including clothing, beauty products, fine jewelry, footwear, as well as greeting cards and gift items under the Hallmark brand. Halls competes at a luxury price point similar to prominent chains such as Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus.
History
The inception of Halls dates back to 1916 when Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards established the store to complement his greeting card business launched three years earlier. Initially, Halls began as a display area in the lobby of Kansas City's Gordon and Koppel Building. By 1916, the store relocated to 11th Street on the fashionable "Petticoat Lane," expanding its inventory to include a broad range of premium gift merchandise. The move to Grand Avenue downtown in 1950 further solidified Halls' reputation as a distinguished specialty retailer with an increased product assortment.
In 1965, Halls became part of the retail offerings at the prestigious Country Club Plaza, occupying a 55,000-square-foot space that spanned an entire city block. The building featured luxurious architectural elements such as floors embedded with lapis lazuli and chandeliers crafted by Baccarat, harmonizing with the Plaza's distinctive Spanish and Moorish design motifs.
The Crown Center location was developed in 1973 as part of J. C. Hall’s vision to rejuvenate downtown Kansas City alongside the expansion of Hallmark’s corporate headquarters initiated in 1967. This new three-level store encompassed approximately 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) and was designed by architect Paul László. In 2011, a $30 million project transformed the first two floors into attractions including a Sea Life aquarium and a Legoland Discovery Centre. Consequently, the men’s department along with Hallmark Cards relocated to the Crown Center Shops while women’s departments remained on the third floor.
Currently, Halls highlights J. C. Hall’s original mission: providing "a unique shopping experience dedicated to the expression of personal style and the art of living well."
In June 2013, plans were announced to merge Halls’ two existing stores into a single larger location within Crown Center. According to Halls president Kelly Cole, maintaining two nearby stores was no longer practical. The Crown Center store closed in March 2014 followed by the Plaza location on August 3, 2014. The consolidated 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) Crown Center store opened on September 21, 2014, incorporating all departments and featuring a café. This consolidation was expected to reduce staffing by approximately 115 positions.
The unified store operated with little change until October 2020 when Halls revealed plans for remodeling and downsizing early in 2021. Approximately 12,000 square feet were removed from the previous layout; this included discontinuing both home goods and cosmetics departments and significantly reducing jewelry offerings. Additionally, the H Bar café was closed. These changes were attributed to evolving customer preferences. During renovations, operations temporarily moved to remaining space on Crown Center’s third floor above Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium. The downsized store reopened in March 2021.
Products and services
Halls features an assortment of high-end brands across women's and men's fashion, beauty products, jewelry, and home goods, with certain selections offered exclusively within their locations. Additional services include a bridal registry, corporate gifting solutions, and personalized tailoring. The store also houses an in-house Hallmark Gold Crown boutique. Furthermore, Halls has a longstanding tradition of supporting numerous local charitable organizations focused on healthcare, the arts, public broadcasting, and various community initiatives throughout the greater Kansas City area.
References
External links
Template:Hallmark Cards Template:Department stores in the United States