Murphy Mart

G. C. Murphy

The G.C. Murphy store located in Richmond, Virginia, at Broad Street and Fourth, was designed by the company’s corporate architect Harold Ellsworth Crosby. It was demolished in 2004 to create a parking area.
Industry	5&10 Variety Stores
Founded	1906
Founder	George Clinton Murphy
Defunct	2002
Fate	Purchased by Ames, subsequently McCrory
Headquarters	McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Number of locations	298 (1989)
Subsidiaries	Bargain World, Terry and Ferris, Bruners, Cobbs

G.C. Murphy operated as a variety or five-and-dime store chain in the United States from its inception in 1906 until closure in 2002. The company also managed several other retail formats including Murphy's Mart (large discount outlets), Bargain World (closeout goods), Terry & Ferris and Bruners (junior department stores), as well as Cobbs (specialty clothing) establishments.

In April 1985, ownership of the company transferred to Ames Department Stores Inc. Following this acquisition, Ames converted numerous larger Murphy's Mart locations and later, in 1989, divested the variety store segment to a former rival, McCrory Stores.

Chain beginnings

The enterprise was established in 1906 by George Clinton Murphy in McKeesport, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Murphy began his retail career managing a McCrory's store in 1896. After managing several stores in Detroit, Michigan, he returned to the Pittsburgh region to launch his own retail chain. The company bearing his name was among several major retailers that originated from Pennsylvania.

Murphy passed away in April 1909, just three years after founding the chain. That same year, two former executives from McCrory—John Sephus Mack and Walter C. Shaw—acquired G.C. Murphy, which then consisted of roughly a dozen stores. Under their leadership, the chain expanded rapidly through both new openings and acquisitions of competitors, reaching a total of 173 stores by 1932.

During the 1920s, Murphy's pursued a conservative growth strategy which helped it endure the economic challenges of the Great Depression more effectively than many other retailers. Sales increased by approximately 9% to $17 million in 1930; however, by 1932 sales had declined by 3.7%. Despite these hardships, the company maintained its workforce without layoffs but eliminated overtime pay and docked wages for employee absences during this period.

Feature Summary

Murphy's stores gained popularity in part due to their strategic placement, often situated in small to mid-sized towns that had previously been served exclusively by company-owned outlets linked to the local mining industry. The stores' lunch counters were favored spots for affordable and quick meals prior to the emergence of fast food chains. The design of Murphy's stores was handled internally, maintaining high architectural standards under the guidance of professionals such as Harold Ellsworth Crosby.

Expansion and Development

During the 1950s, G.C. Murphy grew by acquiring 91 Morris stores across the Midwest and 92 Morgan & Lindsey locations in the South and Southwest. The company also began experimenting with larger, more prominent sites, notably opening a major store at Cermak Plaza in Berwyn, Illinois in 1957. By the time President James Stephen Mack—son of John Sephus Mack—passed away in 1968, the chain had expanded to 511 outlets. In 1970, G.C. Murphy launched its first large-format store under the name "Murphy's Mart" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These stores mirrored the size and concept of competitors like Kmart, often positioned in suburban areas. By 1980, the total number of stores stood at 448.

Business Transition and Closure

In April 1985, Ames Department Stores Inc. purchased the company for $48 per share. Following this acquisition, Ames rebranded many of the larger "Murphy's Mart" locations. Four years later, in 1989, Ames sold both the G.C. Murphy and Bargain World divisions to E-II Holdings, the parent company of McCrory, as a measure to reduce debt accumulated from their recent acquisition of Zayre. McCrory's filed for bankruptcy in 1992, proceeded to close numerous stores—including former G.C. Murphy outlets—in 1997, and ultimately ceased all remaining operations by 2002.

Current operations

While the retail locations have long since closed, the G.C. Murphy Foundation, which serves as the chain's legacy, remains active. Former employees and retirees of the stores participate in a volunteer group that helps maintain their connections.

In 2005, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that the Murphy Foundation had engaged an author to document the history of the G.C. Murphy Company. This historical account, entitled For the Love of Murphy's: The Behind-the-Counter Story of a Great American Retailer, written by Jason Togyer, was released in 2008 through Pennsylvania State University Press.