Hecht's

Hecht's
Company type	Private (family-owned, later subsidiary)
Industry	Retail (department store)
Founded	1857; 169 years ago
Founder	Samuel Hecht, Jr.
Defunct	2006
Fate	Brand absorbed into Federated Department Stores' Bloomingdale's and Macy's divisions
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., United States
Area served	Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States
Key people	Samuel Hecht, Jr. (founder)
Products	Apparel, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, cosmetics, household goods
Owner	The May Department Stores Company (from 1959), Federated Department Stores (from 2005)
Parent	The May Department Stores Company (1959–2005), Federated Department Stores (2005–2006)

Hecht's was a prominent American department store chain established in 1857 by Samuel Hecht, Jr. Based in Washington, D.C., the chain served customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States. The family-owned enterprise was purchased by The May Department Stores Company in 1959, which itself became part of Federated Department Stores in 2005. Hecht's ceased to exist as an independent brand in 2006, with its operations absorbed into Federated’s Bloomingdale's and Macy's divisions.

History

The origins of The Hecht Company trace back to Samuel Hecht, Jr., a German-born immigrant born on December 10, 1830, in Langenschwarz, Hesse. After arriving in Baltimore in 1847 with his family from Germany, Hecht initially worked as a traveling salesman around Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay area. After approximately ten years of itinerant trading, he founded the retail business that would eventually develop into Hecht’s department stores. On January 5, 1854, he married Babette Wolfsheimer in Baltimore.

The company’s expansion was driven by strategic leadership and entry into key markets including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. By 2005, Hecht’s operated 81 stores offering diverse merchandise such as apparel, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, cosmetics, and household goods. The brand’s incorporation into the May Company portfolio and subsequent acquisition by Federated Department Stores illustrate broader retail industry consolidation aimed at enhancing market presence and operational efficiency.

Baltimore stores

In 1857, Samuel Hecht, Jr. launched a used furniture shop on Aliceanna Street in Baltimore, Maryland. By 1870, the business relocated to 519 South Broadway and was known as HECHT'S RELIABLE STORES. The product range expanded to include clothing by 1879. Additionally, a carpet and matting outlet opened at 310 West Lexington Street under the name 'Samuel Hecht, Jr. & Sons,' signaling its evolution into a family-run enterprise.

Four of Samuel’s sons—Emanuel, Albert S., Alexander, and Moses S. Hecht—became involved in the business and helped drive its expansion. Emanuel joined as partner alongside his brother Albert in 1886. Samuel Hecht, Jr. passed away in 1907, leaving the company under the stewardship of his descendants.

The firm broadened its footprint with several Baltimore locations: Hecht Brothers at Baltimore and Pine streets (1885), the Hub store (1897), and a store at Howard and Franklin streets (1926). Additional branches were opened in New York City, Easton, Annapolis, and notably Washington, D.C.

Washington stores

Hecht's entered the Washington market on March 20, 1896, later moving to a distinguished glass-and-marble flagship store at 7th and F Streets NW in 1925. Alexander Hecht oversaw operations in Washington. This flagship was among the first to feature national brands locally and introduced innovations such as the city’s inaugural parking garage and elevator. Its inclusive approach welcomed both African-American and white patrons.

In 1943, Hecht's hosted an exhibition of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings to support World War II initiatives and promote war bond sales.

In July 1951, protests against segregation policies in the store’s cafeteria prompted changes that were implemented by January 1952.

The flagship relocated to a new downtown building in 1985. The original main site near Capital One Arena underwent renovation and reopened in 2003 as Terrell Place in honor of Mary Church Terrell’s civil rights contributions.

Hecht's maintained Washington’s final locally based downtown department store at 12th and G Streets NW until it was converted to Macy's in September 2006. This location provides direct access to the Metro Center station.

Expansion into Suburban Areas

Following the conclusion of World War II, Hecht Company broadened its reach by entering suburban markets surrounding Baltimore and Washington. Key suburban locations included the Northwood store launched in 1954, Edmondson Village in 1956, and Reisterstown Road Plaza in 1962. In 1947, Hecht's introduced a substantial three-level department store in Silver Spring, Maryland, which was expanded with two more floors by 1950 and underwent further enlargement in 1955. This Silver Spring branch ceased operations in 1987 and was subsequently transformed into what is now known as Ellsworth Place mall. Additionally, in 1951, the company unveiled a major $6.5 million, 300,000-square-foot store at Parkington in Arlington, Virginia—then recognized as the largest suburban department store on the East Coast. Other suburban expansions included stores at Prince George's Plaza in 1958 and Marlow Heights Shopping Center in 1960.

Acquisition by May Company

The year 1959 marked a significant milestone when Hecht's was purchased by May Company, enhancing May's retail portfolio. The historic Bernheim-Leader building in Baltimore served as Hecht's flagship location until its closure in 1988 and has since been converted into residential apartments. May Company continued its expansion strategy through acquisitions and rebranding efforts: in 1990, Hecht's incorporated four former Miller & Rhoads outlets in Virginia and integrated the Thalhimers chain acquired from Carter Hawley Hale. By 1991, all Thalhimers stores had been fully rebranded under the Hecht's name.

Further acquisitions strengthened Hecht’s presence, including ten Hess's stores—three of which were converted to Hecht’s branding—the joint acquisition with JCPenney of 17 locations from Wanamaker's and Woodward & Lothrop in 1995, and thirteen stores from Strawbridge and Clothier in 1996. While Strawbridge’s management merged with Hecht’s operations, its brand was maintained for Philadelphia-area stores. In Nashville, Hecht’s assumed control of select former Castner Knott locations acquired through Proffitt’s in 2001, following a sequence of mergers involving Mercantile Stores and Dillard’s.

These strategic acquisitions considerably increased Hecht’s market footprint across diverse regions, solidifying its competitive position through targeted consolidation within the retail sector.