May Company California

May Company California

Company type	Department store chain
Industry	Retail
Predecessor	A. Hamburger & Sons
Founded	1881
Founder	Asher Hamburger
Fate	Merged with J. W. Robinson's to form Robinsons-May in 1993
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	Southern California, Nevada
Key people	Morton May (president), Thomas May (vice-president), Wilbur May (treasurer)
Products	Department store goods
Number of employees	Approximately 1,200 (at flagship store in early 20th century)

May Company California was a prominent American department store chain, originally established in 1881 under the name A. Hamburger & Sons by Asher Hamburger. Following its acquisition by The May Department Stores Company in 1923, the brand was rebranded as May Company California. Its main store and corporate offices were located in Los Angeles, catering primarily to the Southern California region. The chain was well-known for its flagship location in downtown Los Angeles as well as its branch at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, the latter of which appeared in classic films. Additionally, the 1926 parking garage situated at 9th and Hill Street stood out as one of the earliest parking structures in the United States and has been recognized as a Historic-Cultural Monument.

In a brief expansion phase, May Company California entered the Nevada market after merging with Goldwater's, converting the Las Vegas outlet to its branding. The company later combined with J. W. Robinson's in 1993, resulting in the formation of Robinsons-May.

19th century history

The origins of the company trace back to a retail establishment founded by Asher Hamburger and his sons Moses, David, and Solomon in Los Angeles after moving from Sacramento. Launched on October 29, 1881, under the name The People's Store, it introduced a pioneering fixed-price policy with clearly marked "One Price" tags.

In 1882, Hamburger's relocated to the Ponet-Bumiller Block at 45 North Spring Street and progressively expanded into neighboring properties such as the Phillips Block by 1899. That year marked a significant renovation and full occupation of the Phillips Block, providing approximately of retail space and establishing itself as the largest department store west of the Mississippi. Further growth included an additional on New High Street, underscoring its rising prominence and influence within Southern California’s retail landscape.

20th century history

Entering the twentieth century, A. Hamburger & Sons had outgrown its Spring Street premises, which employed around 520 people across five floors. In response, the Hamburger family commenced construction in 1905 of a much larger facility located at Broadway and Eighth Streets—outside the traditional retail core—which opened its doors in 1908. Dubbed the Great White Store, it was recognized as the largest department store west of Chicago and became May Company California’s flagship location.

At launch, this store boasted one of the West Coast’s earliest escalators along with numerous amenities including several restaurants, a drugstore, grocery section, bakery, meat market, U.S. post office branch, telegraph office, barber shop, medical offices, an auditorium, and even its own power plant designed to supply electricity to a city of 50,000 residents. The store also maintained a dedicated volunteer fire brigade and offered an expansive retail area covering 13 acres (482,475 sq.ft.) staffed by approximately 1,200 employees.

From 1908 until relocating in 1913 due to expansion needs, much of the third floor was occupied by the Los Angeles Public Library. Woodbury Business College briefly rented space on the fifth floor during this period. Around 1912, a temporary public menagerie featuring exotic animals was set up on the fourth floor to draw additional visitors.

The store continued expanding until it filled an entire city block bordered by Broadway, Hill, Eighth, and Ninth Streets. In 1923, a nine-story extension was added along Hill Street; another nine-story structure followed in 1930 bringing total floor space beyond one million square feet. During the mid-1920s, May Company also developed a warehouse facility at Grand and Jefferson streets as well as a nine-story parking garage at Ninth and Hill streets.

This extensive growth and diversification reflected May Company California’s strategic approach to securing dominance in Los Angeles’ retail sector through large-scale facilities offering a wide array of products and services all housed within a single complex.

Acquisition by May

On March 31, 1923, the Hamburger family transferred ownership of their department store to the May family from St. Louis for $8.5 million. Thomas and Wilbur May, sons of the May Company’s founder, were appointed to oversee operations at the former Hamburger location. They promptly initiated growth efforts by adding adjacent structures on the city block.

The firm allocated more than $2.5 million toward a nine-story expansion along South Hill Street, in addition to an earlier $600,000 investment in building improvements. Architect Albert C. Martin directed this project, which substantially increased both the store’s frontage and overall footprint. Leadership roles included Morton May as president, Thomas May as vice-president, and Wilbur May as treasurer.

In the years that followed, the May Company extended its presence to nearly cover the entire block bordered by Broadway and Hill Streets between 8th and 9th Streets. The rebranding of the former Hamburger store to the May Company occurred in 1925, representing a significant strategic advancement and reinforcing its foothold within the Los Angeles retail market.

Expansion

To accommodate Southern California’s burgeoning population during the Great Depression, May Company inaugurated its first branch in 1939 at Wilshire and Fairfax with a $2 million investment. This five-story, 200,000-square-foot facility—designed by Albert C. Martin and Samuel A. Marx—boasted 96 specialty shops including a beauty salon and restaurant, establishing it as a contemporary retail destination.

Following World War II, a second branch opened in 1947 on Crenshaw Boulevard within a three-story, 200,000-square-foot structure designed as a community shopping center. This site was later incorporated into Crenshaw Plaza anchored by The Broadway department store. Although plans for a Hollywood location were announced concurrently, they never materialized.

Between 1952 and 1992, May Company expanded throughout suburban Los Angeles and Southern California. The opening of the May Company-Lakewood store at Lakewood Center in 1952 featured 346,700 square feet, making it the largest suburban department store globally at that time. The North Hollywood branch debuted in 1955 within the Valley Plaza shopping district, encompassing 452,000 square feet—ranking it as the nation’s second-largest suburban department store after Detroit’s Hudson’s.

Conversion to Robinsons-May

On October 17, 1992, May Department Stores revealed plans to merge May Company California with sister chain J. W. Robinson's to create Robinsons-May, effectively ending May Company California’s independent operations. The Wilshire location along with stores in West Covina, Buena Park, Santa Ana, and San Bernardino were slated for closure by January 1993.

Notable real estate

From early on, May Company developed shopping centers around its flagship stores; the Crenshaw site serves as a notable example.

The original downtown Los Angeles May Company building (formerly Hamburger's) at Broadway and 8th Street closed following the opening of the 7th Market Place store in 1986. This structure is recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. After changing hands, it primarily accommodated small-scale clothing manufacturers. In 2013, amid ongoing redevelopment efforts in the area, the owners placed the 1.1-million-square-foot property on the market. Waterbridge Capital acquired it in 2014 with intentions for mixed-use redevelopment.

During the 1980s, May Company's parent company pursued mall development near Farmers Market to replace the Wilshire store; however, this initiative—later known as The Grove at Farmers Market—was delayed nearly twenty years. The parent company eventually withdrew from the project, and no replacement was constructed for the Wilshire location after the merger in 1993. The Streamline Moderne building was sold to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1994 and is now designated to become The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

List of stores

West CovinaSan Gabriel ValleyEastland Center 1957 January 1993 Demolished post-1996 to make way for Target and Burlington Coat Factory. Redondo Beach South Bay LA Co. South Bay Galleria 1959 Mission ValleySan DiegoMission Valley Center February 20, 1961 Buena Park North Orange Co. Buena Park Mall August 19, 1963 January 1993 Converted to Fedco in 1993; demolished for Walmart development starting in 2003. Canoga Park San Fernando Valley Topanga Plaza Shopping Mall February 1964 Rancho Park, Los Angeles Westside LA Co. Pico and Westwood Boulevards (later integrated into Westside Pavilion) August 2, 1964 Whittier, California Southeast LA Co. The Quad at Whittier 1964 March 31, 1987 Closed six months prior to the Whittier Narrows earthquake; parking structure collapsed during the quake; store was subsequently demolished. Costa Mesa Orange Coast South Coast Plaza February 21, 1966 Arcadia, California San Gabriel Valley El Rancho Santa Anita Shopping Center 1966 San Bernardino Inland Empire Inland Center 1966 January 1993 Converted to Gottschalks in 1995; currently JCPenney since 2016; a new Robinsons-May was built later within the same mall (now Macy's). Montclair, California Inland Empire Montclair Plaza 1968 Carlsbad, California North San Diego County Plaza Camino Real February 10, 1969 Oxnard Ventura Co. Esplanade Mall November 2, 1970 El Cajon East San Diego Co. Parkway Plaza 1972 Riverside, California Inland Empire Tyler Mall August 1973 Eagle Rock, Los Angeles Northeastern Los Angeles Eagle Rock Plaza October 1, 1973 Converted to Macy's in 2006; Macy's ceased operations in September 2023. Orange, California North Orange Co. (The City Shopping Center) 1974 July 1991 Closed shortly after opening a new location in Santa Ana. Westminster, California Orange Coast Westminster Mall August 7, 1974 Culver City Westside LA Co. Fox Hills Mall 1975 Brea, California North Orange Co. Brea Mall 1977 Thousand Oaks Ventura Co. The Oaks Mall 1978 Mission Viejo South Orange Co. Mission Viejo Mall 1979 La Jolla, San Diego San Diego La Jolla Village Square Mall October 4, 1979 Sherman Oaks San Fernando Valley Sherman Oaks Galleria 1980 Pasadena San Gabriel Valley Plaza Pasadena August 1980 1989 Part of a $115 million redevelopment initiative including J.C. Penney and The Broadway. Bonita South Bay San Diego Co. Plaza Bonita 1981 Palos Verdes South Bay LA Co. Promenade on the Peninsula/The Courtyard 1981 Palm Desert Coachella Valley Westfield Palm Desert October 6, 1982 Montebello Southeast L.A. Co. Montebello Town Center 1985 Escondido North San Diego Co. North County Fair February 20,1986 Downtown Los Angeles Seventh Market Place March13 ,1986 Bakersfield Valley Plaza Mall 1988 Las Vegas , Nevada Fashion Show Mall Converted1989 Santa Maria , California Santa Barbara County (North) Santa Maria Town Center 1990 Downey , California SE LA Co . Stonewood Center 1990 Santa Ana , California Central Orange Co . MainPlace Mall May1991 Moreno Valley Inland Empire Moreno Valley Mall October8 ,1992

City	Suburban region	Mall or address	Opened	Closed	Notes
initially launched as Hamburger's
Victorian Downtown Los Angeles		Main Street near Requena	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	1882	A 20-by-75-foot space, approximately 1,500 square feet (140 m2), recognized as The People's Store.
		Bumiller Block, Temple and Spring, northwest corner of Spring Street and Franklin Avenue	1882	1908	Started with a 46 by 100 ft. (4,600 square feet (430 m2)) area within the Bumiller Block. Expanded in July 1888 into the Philips Block, adding an additional 7,200 sq. ft. plus a basement stockroom. Acquired the Ponet store to the north in April 1899. Underwent renovation and opened the full four-story Philips Block with 3.5 acres of floor area in June 1899. Subsequently added a further 2,500 sq. ft. at the rear.
Broadway, Downtown L.A.		City block bordered by Broadway, Hill, Eighth, and Ninth Streets	August 10, 1908	1986	Initially covering 482,475 sq. ft., constructed as Hamburger's; sold to May Co. in 1923 and expanded beyond 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) by 1930. Currently known as Broadway Trade Center with mixed-use functions.
established as May Company
Miracle Mile		Northeast corner Wilshire Boulevard & Fairfax Avenue	September 7, 1939	January 1993	200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) facility; currently houses the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Crenshaw District, Los Angeles		Northwest corner Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard	October 1947		A freestanding 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) store incorporated into Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza mall during the 1970s.
Lakewood, California	South Bay/Long Beach, California	Lakewood Center	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting		The four-story May Company-Lakewood spanned 346,700 square feet (32,210 m2) and was the largest suburban department store worldwide at its opening; attracted shoppers from Long Beach and rivaled downtown retail districts.
North Hollywood, Los Angeles	San Fernando Valley	Laurel Plaza	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting		With an area of 452,500 square feet (42,040 m2), this was the largest suburban branch department store in the Western U.S.; offered apparel, appliances, a beauty salon, tearoom, and auditorium; later transitioned to mixed retail uses following Macy’s closure in 2016.
	Recognized as an architectural landmark; currently vacant.
	Covered 150,000 sq ft.; designed by Welton Becket & Associates.
	Spanning three levels and totaling approximately 140,000 sq ft., it anchored a new shopping center development.
	A new $10 million store opened in March.
	Three-level shopping center anchored by May Co., aimed at affluent customers.
	125,000 sq ft.; recorded May Co.'s best opening week sales in five years; key anchor of Ernest Hahn’s development.
	150,000 sq ft.; sixth location in San Diego County; part of a regional mall featuring multiple anchors including Broadway and Nordstrom planned.
	Smaller replacement for original flagship at Broadway and Eighth Streets; corporate headquarters moved to North Hollywood Laurel Plaza store in1983 . Now occupied by Nordstrom Rack , Target , and H&M .
	Acquired from sister company Goldwater’s during consolidation efforts to reduce expenses . One of two acquired stores rather than newly built .
	|- Santa Clarita Santa Clarita Valley Valencia Town Center September1992
	Last new store prior to merger with J.W . Robinson’s creating Robinsons-May .

In popular culture

• Within the Jack Benny radio and television shows, Benny’s persona encountered his girlfriend Mary Livingstone (portrayed by his spouse, Sadie Marks) in the hosiery section of the May Company. This represents a unique example where an actual retailer was incorporated into the plot. (In truth, Jack and Mary became acquainted through mutual friends.)
• In the 1948 film noir Pitfall directed by Andre de Toth, Lizabeth Scott’s character is employed in the fine dresses division of the May Company's Wilshire Boulevard location.

See also

• May Company Building (Broadway, Los Angeles)
• May Company Building (Wilshire, Los Angeles)
• May Company Building (Mission Valley, San Diego)
• List of department stores converted to Macy's