J. W. Robinson's

J. W. Robinson's

Company type	Department store chain
Industry	Retail
Founded	1883
Founder	Joseph Winchester Robinson
Defunct	1993
Fate	Merged with May Company California to form Robinsons-May
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	Southern California and Arizona
Products	Department store merchandise

J. W. Robinson's (commonly referred to as Robinson's) was a department store chain in the United States, established in 1883 by Joseph Winchester Robinson. The company's main store and headquarters were situated in Los Angeles, California, with operations extending throughout Southern California and Arizona. In 1993, Robinson's combined with May Company California, resulting in the formation of Robinsons-May and the discontinuation of both original brands.

19th century history

File:J. W. Robinson's Boston Store at Jones Block, 171-3 N. Spring St., Los Angeles 1886–1895.jpg

Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) location from 1886 to 1895 at Jones Block, 171–173 N. Spring Street (post-1890 numbering)

File:Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) New Store (1887), 171–173 Spring Street, Los Angeles.png

Alternate perspective of the Spring Street store, circa 1887

Originally a merchant from Waltham, Massachusetts, Joseph Winchester Robinson relocated to Rosemead, California in 1882 with the intention of cultivating orange groves. Finding local retailers' merchandise and service quality unsatisfactory, he returned to retail trade, leveraging his East Coast connections to provide higher-quality products.

In 1883, Robinson launched the 1,440 sq ft (134 m²) Boston Dry Goods Store within the Allen Block at the southwest corner of Spring and Temple streets, promoting "fine stocks and refined 'Boston' service." After Robinson passed away at age 44 in 1891, his father Henry Winchester Robinson traveled from Boston to Los Angeles to assume control of the enterprise. Subsequently, the "Boston Dry Goods Store" was renamed the "J. W. Robinson Company" as a tribute to its founder.

By 1887, the Boston Dry Goods Store relocated to a roughly 3,000 sq ft (280 m²) facility within the Jones Block at 171–173 Spring Street (post-1890 numbering). This move was considered bold since the site was distant from the then-central business district of Victorian-era Los Angeles. When Robinson's shifted locations again in 1895, Nathaniel Blackstone—J.W. Robinson’s brother-in-law—occupied the former premises and launched Blackstone's Dry Goods, which evolved into a standalone downtown department store.

C. W. R. Ford, who previously operated a wholesale business at 522 Market Street in San Francisco, married Robinson’s widow and subsequently became president of J.W. Robinson’s company.

20th century history

File:Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) New Store, 1895, 239 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.png

Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) new store, 1895, 239 S. Broadway, Los Angeles

Between 1880 and 1890, Los Angeles experienced a population surge, growing from 50,395 to 102,479 residents. By January 1895, the J. W. Robinson Co., which had begun marketing itself simply as "The Boston Store," declared that its Spring Street location was no longer sufficient after eight years of operation. Consequently, construction commenced on a new four-story building known as the "Boston Dry Goods Store Building" at 239 S. Broadway—a site opposite the then City Hall and now replaced by a parking lot. The structure was designed by Theodore Eisen and Sumner Hunt, who also designed the Bradbury Building. The new store officially opened on October 1, 1895. At that time, the building was hailed as evidence of Los Angeles' emergence as a true "metropolitan center," eliminating the need for residents to make yearly trips to San Francisco for a broad assortment of quality goods.

The façade showcased a "Grecian" (Greek Revival) aesthetic, constructed from light cream-colored brick and terra cotta. It was topped with an ornate Corinthian-style cornice crowning the front elevation. Above this, a tall parapet was interrupted by a high-relief entresol panel and further adorned with intricate acroteria. The ground floor was illuminated by expansive plate glass windows measuring 60 feet in length and nearly 20 feet in height. Just above the second story, the exterior incorporated Colonial-style elements, while Doric motifs appeared higher up on the building. Equipped with both passenger and freight elevators, the interior was also brightened by skylights extending down to the ground level. Retail operations occupied the first floor and part of the basement, featuring a central cashier and wrapping counter; offices were situated on the ground floor as well. The basement also housed shipping and receiving functions. Manufacturing and wholesale departments—previously located on Temple Street—were relocated to the two upper floors. The second floor contained various merchandise sections, specialized display areas for delicate fabrics illuminated by gaslight, a writing desk stocked with stationery for customers, and ladies' parlors (restrooms). In 1908, a five-story addition facing Hill Street was completed at the rear of the building, with Theodore Eisen serving again as architect.

Flagship store construction

File:600 W. 7th St., Los Angeles.jpg

J. W. Robinson's flagship location from 1915 to 1993 (façade dating to 1934), situated at 600 W. 7th St.

As Los Angeles expanded, Robinson's enterprise flourished, leading in 1914 to the announcement of a new $1,000,000 (~$Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year) investment for a seven-story flagship building. This structure offered more than nine acres (400,000 square feet (37,000 m²)) of retail space along the southern side of West Seventh Street, occupying the entire block between Grand and Hope streets. The architectural design was crafted by Frederick Noonan and William J. Dodd. The grand opening took place on September 7, 1915.

In 1923, the building underwent a southern expansion costing $900,000 (~$Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year), with architects Dodd and Richard overseeing the project. This enlargement brought the total floor area to 623,700 square feet (57,940 m²). A significant renovation occurred in 1934, costing between $100,000 and $200,000 (~$Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year), which transformed the façade into a more subdued Modernistic style by removing some of its ornate Art Deco elements and incorporating enhanced parking amenities. Robinson's emerged as the largest retailer within the upscale Seventh Street shopping district, located southwest of the traditional department store hub along Broadway. Nearby competitors included Ville de Paris (later B. H. Dyas), Coulter's, Haggarty's, and Desmond's. The flagship ceased operations in 1993; today, the building at 600 West Seventh Street accommodates telecommunications infrastructure (voice, data, and internet servers), office spaces, and retail outlets on the ground floor.

The store featured various departments organized as follows:

• Ground floor: ribbons, parasols, umbrellas, lace trimmings, lace neckwear, feather boas, ceilings, gloves, handkerchiefs, decorative boas, ornamental hairpins and combs, jewelry, leather items, stationery supplies, men's apparel and accessories, boys' clothing and furnishings, plus a "bargain square"
• Second floor: art needlework sections, linens and sheetings, wash fabrics and linings, silk dress patterns, ladies' restrooms, design studios, beauty salons, and shoe shining services
• Third floor: cloaks and suits for young women and ladies; French room showcasing imported gowns and hats; baby shop offering premium layette materials and clothing; mourning attire; children's dresses; petticoats; blouses; millinery; sweaters; swimwear; kimonos; bathrobes; house dresses; corsetry; knitted underwear; muslin underwear; aprons
• Fourth floor: rugs and draperies; picture frames; brassware; statuary; cut glass items; art porcelains; toys
• Fifth floor: administrative offices; auditorium space; alteration department; workrooms
• Sixth floor: hospital facilities and reserve stock storage
• Seventh floor: employee cafeteria; two outdoor courtyards; women's employee restrooms; large central court and men's lounge
• Top (seventh) floor: roof garden accompanied by a café

Purchase by ADG and Growth

In 1955, Associated Dry Goods (ADG) acquired Robinson's, although CEO Edward R. Valentine described the relationship as Robinson's having "affiliated with" ADG in public statements. At that point, the chain generated annual sales of $32.5 million, with $12 million attributed to its Beverly Hills location.

During the 1930s and 1940s, unlike rivals such as Bullock's, Desmond's, I. Magnin, and Silverwoods, Robinson's refrained from opening branches in prominent upscale shopping districts like Wilshire Boulevard, Pasadena, or Westwood. The sole exception was a modest store at the Desert Inn in Palm Springs, which had originally been a Bullock's outlet. It was only beginning in 1952 that Robinson's launched its first of approximately 30 additional branches, starting with Beverly Hills (detailed below).

File:Robinsons.jpg

Robinson's Palm Springs location, inaugurated in 1958

The chain's second store debuted in 1952 in Beverly Hills, situated near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, just across a courtyard from the Beverly Hilton Hotel (opened 1953). Following this, a small "open during winter months" Mid-Century modern style outlet was established in Palm Springs. Subsequently, a Pasadena branch opened on Colorado Boulevard. This Pasadena location was the last stand-alone store before the rise of shopping malls transformed retail formats. The initial mall-adjacent or mall-connected stores appeared in locations such as Panorama City within the San Fernando Valley during the late 1950s, followed by outlets at Anaheim Plaza, upper State Street in Santa Barbara during the 1960s, and in Glendale. While the Santa Barbara and Newport Beach stores were located within malls, they were essentially free-standing structures. By the time J.W. Robinson's was integrated into Robinson's-May, nearly 30 stores operated throughout Southern California, spanning from San Diego to Palm Desert and up to Santa Barbara.

In 1957, Associated Dry Goods (ADG), a consortium of independently managed department store chains, completed its purchase of Robinson's.

May Acquisition and Transition to Robinsons-May

File:Robinsons-May Department Store Logo.png

Logo representing the Robinson's-May merger

The acquisition of Associated Dry Goods by May Department Stores occurred in 1986, bringing Robinson's under May's ownership. In 1989, May dissolved its Scottsdale-based Goldwaters division and incorporated those operations into Robinson's; Phoenix-area locations were rebranded as Robinson's.

By 1992, May Department Stores merged Robinson's with May Company California to form a unified brand named Robinsons-May. Following this consolidation, Robinson’s stores transitioned into mid-tier department stores similar to former May Co. outlets. Market research firm NPD Group noted that these stores suffered from an "identity crisis," attempting to appeal broadly but ultimately failing to resonate distinctly with any particular customer segment. Federated Department Stores—having acquired Macy’s in 1994 and later rebranding as Macy's, Inc. in 2007—purchased May Department Stores in 2005. Between 2005 and 2006, Robinson’s-May ceased operations; former Robinson’s locations were either shuttered, sold off, or converted into branches of either Macy's or Bloomingdale's.

List of stores

California and Arizona Robinson's locations at the time of their merger with May Co. into Robinsons-May, 1992–1993

Location	Shopping Center or Address	Opening Date	Closing Date	Size (sq ft)	Additional Information
California
1 Downtown Los Angeles (1915 flagship)	Intersection of Seventh, Hope & Grand Streets	September 7, 1915	February 1993	Initially 400,000 sq ft, expanded in 1923 to 623,700 sq ft	Designed by Frederick Noonan and William Richards of Dodd & Richards
2 Beverly Hills	9900 Wilshire Boulevard, adjacent to the Beverly Hilton Hotel	February 13, 1952	2006	236,000 sq ft	Architects were William Pereira and Charles Luckman; interiors by Raymond Loewy. Demolished in 2014. Site redeveloped as One Beverly Hills, designed by Richard Meier & Partners.
3 Palm Springs	333 South Palm Canyon Drive	January 10, 1958	1987		Designed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman with interiors by Raymond Loewy. Expanded in 1973. Currently houses CAMP Community and Meeting Place.
4 Pasadena	777 East Colorado Boulevard	May 12, 1958	February 1993		William Pereira and Charles Luckman served as architects; Raymond Loewy designed the interiors. Featured a parking garage for 700 vehicles. Now operates as a Target store.
5 Panorama City	Van Nuys Boulevard at Chase Street within Panorama City Shopping Center	June 27, 1961		169,000 sq ft
6 Anaheim	Anaheim Plaza Mall	February 1963	January 1988		Closed six months after MainPlace Mall location opened in Santa Ana.
7 Glendale	Glendale Fashion Center	August 1966	February 1993	150,000 sq ft
8 Santa Barbara	La Cumbre Plaza Mall	July 1967		155,000 sq ft	Scheduled for demolition in 2028 following a city-commissioned report that deemed the three-story building architecturally insignificant and lacking association with notable individuals.
9 Newport Beach	Fashion Island Mall	September 1967		225,000 sq ft
10 San Diego	Fashion Valley Mall	September 1969		172,000 sq ft	Currently operates as Bloomingdale’s.
11 Cerritos	Los Cerritos Center	September 1971		146,000 sq ft	Converted to Robinsons-May in 1993; closed in 2006; replaced by Nordstrom in 2010.
12 Woodland Hills	Woodland Hills Promenade	March 1973	February 1993	194,000 sq ft	Later became Bullock's and subsequently Macy's.
13 Puente Hills	Puente Hills Mall	March 1974		153,000 sq ft	"Twin Pines Mall" scenes from Back to the Future were filmed here.
14 Westminster	Westminster Mall	April 1975	February 1993	160,000 sq ft	Converted into JCPenney after closure.
15 Santa Anita	Santa Anita Fashion Park, Arcadia	April 19, 1976		137,000 sq ft	Transitioned to Robinsons-May in 1993; closed in 2006; became Forever 21 in November 2012.
16 Thousand Oaks	'The Oaks' Shopping Center	1978		127,000 sq ft
17 UTC (University Towne Center)	'Westfield UTC', La Jolla (San Diego)	'1978'		'147,000 sq ft'
'18 Mission Viejo'	'Mission Viejo Mall'	'1979'
'19 Santa Monica'	'Santa Monica Place'	'1980'
'20 Sherman Oaks'	'Sherman Oaks Galleria'	'1980'
'21 Del Amo'	'Del Amo Fashion Center'	'1981'
'23 Horton Plaza'	'Westfield Horton Plaza', San Diego	'1985'
'24 Escondido'	'North County Fair'	'1986'
'25 South Coast Plaza'	'South Coast Plaza (Crystal Court)', Costa Mesa	'1986'
'26 Palm Desert'	'Westfield Palm Desert'	'1986'			Transferred to Robinsons-May in 1993; relocated later; converted to Sears in November 2004.
'27 Santa Ana'	'MainPlace Mall'	'1987'
'28 Brea'	'Brea Mall'	'May 1991'	'February 1993'		Subsequently converted into JCPenney.
Arizona (All former Goldwater's locations)
Mesa	Fiesta Mall
Phoenix	Metrocenter Mall
Phoenix	Paradise Valley Mall
Phoenix	Park Central Mall		1990
Scottsdale	Scottsdale Fashion Square

Japan

Prior to its acquisition by May, Robinson's had partnered with Ito-Yokado to establish Robinson's Japan, which operated a single store located in Kasukabe, Saitama. In 2009, this entity, Robinson's Japan, was purchased by Seven & I Holdings Co.

Robinson's Florida

Beginning in 1972, ADG utilized the Robinson's brand to launch a distinct department store division known as Robinson's of Florida, serving the Gulf Coast region of Florida and the city of Orlando, with headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. This division was initiated during the 1970s as ADG’s strategy to replicate the upscale image of its J. W. Robinson's stores along Florida’s rapidly expanding Gulf Coast. Over time, the division expanded to encompass 10 stores. In 1987, May divested this segment to Maison Blanche. Later, Maison Blanche sold seven of these former Robinson's of Florida outlets to Dillard's* in 1991, while the remaining three stores were converted into Gayfers**, which itself was acquired by Dillard's in 1998.

See also

• List of department stores converted to Macy's