Jump to content

Myers Whittier

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Myers Whittier, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202543 sources
Boston Stores
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail (department stores)
Founded1934
FounderIra Kaufman
Defunct1996
FateLiquidation
Headquarters
Inglewood, California (original), Carson, California (from 1990)
,
United States
Area served
Southern California and Arizona
Key people
Donald Kaufman (Chairman)
ProductsClothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, housewares
Number of employees
Approximately 1,000 (1990)


Final logo of Boston Stores

Boston Stores, frequently referred to as The Boston Store both originally and subsequently, was a department store chain headquartered in Inglewood, California, located just southwest of Central Los Angeles. The company operated from 1934 until 1996.

The chain was founded by Ira Kaufman, who opened the first location in downtown Inglewood in 1934.[1][2] By 1990, the business had expanded to 20 stores—14 situated in California and 6 in Arizona—employing approximately 1,000 people. That same year, the corporate headquarters were relocated to Carson, roughly 13 miles south of Inglewood.[3]

Numerous unrelated stores across the United States have also used the name "Boston Store." This includes J. W. Robinson's, which was known by this title at its downtown Los Angeles locations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Additionally, two other distinct "Boston Stores" operated in Los Angeles: one in 1925 at 320 S. Broadway within the former Blackstone's Department Store building;Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and another in 1939 with branches at 331 S. Broadway (the old Jacoby Bros. location) and at 4755 Whittier Blvd. in East Los Angeles.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Neither of these were connected to the Inglewood-based Boston Stores.

Myers Whittier

In 1972, Boston Stores acquired the Myers Whittier department store located in Whittier. The Myers enterprise originated around 1905 when Lemuel A. and Wilbert S. Myers established the Myers Dry Goods Company in a modest 25-foot-wide (8-meter) storefront at 109 S. Greenleaf Ave., staffed by five employees.[4]

Around 1911, Myers expanded its premises to a 50-foot-wide (15-meter) location at 110-2 S. Greenleaf. Subsequently, in 1920, the business relocated to a new 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) facility at 141 N. Greenleaf, doubling its space to 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) with an expansion completed by 1922.[4]

The final and largest move occurred in 1955 when Myers shifted to a 42,000 sq ft (3,900 m2) site in Uptown Whittier, featuring parking accommodations for 90 vehicles.[4][5] At this time, the store was rebranded as "Myers Whittier".Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Following Boston Stores' acquisition of Myers Whittier in 1972, the original branding was initially retained. The company even launched a new outlet named "Myers Whittwood" within the Whittwood Center mall on May 2, 1974.[6] However, by 1976, both Whittier locations were rebranded under the "Boston Stores" name.[1]

Wineman's

Main article: Wineman's

In 1984, Boston Stores took over the Wineman's department store chain, which had its roots in Ventura and Oxnard but had established itself since 1924 as a prominent anchor in the bustling Pacific Boulevard retail area of Huntington Park. This district was the most active shopping hub in the southeastern Los Angeles suburbs from the 1930s through the 1950s.[7][8] Initially, the company had grand expansion ambitions in the early 1920s but eventually consolidated to a single outlet in Huntington Park by the end of that decade. A renewed phase of growth began in 1969, during which Wineman's expanded its presence throughout Southern California from 1969 to 1983.[9][10][11]

Following the acquisition, Boston Stores rebranded several Wineman's locations under their own name:

  • The flagship store in Huntington Park, located at 6351 Pacific Boulevard, originally opened in 1935 with a retail space of 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2). During the period from the 1930s to the 1950s, Pacific Boulevard maintained its status as the premier shopping destination in the southeastern Los Angeles suburbs. The store underwent expansions in 1940, 1957, and again in 1966 — growing from a modest 25-foot frontage in 1924 to an impressive 150-foot frontage by 1966.[12]
  • In Placentia, a branch opened at 110 E. Yorba Linda Boulevard on October 19, 1973, offering 26,400 square feet (2,450 m2) of retail space.[13]
  • The Mission Viejo branch was established around September 1975 within the Mission Viejo Village Center.[14][15]
  • Corona also hosted one of Wineman’s outlets.

Moore's (Lompoc)

In 1990, Boston Stores acquired Moore's Department Store located in Lompoc.[16]

Historic expansion

Throughout Southern California and Arizona, Boston Stores experienced significant growth as follows:

California locations established before 1986 Template:Sort under

Opening Date Closing Date City Address Square Feet Square Meters Additional Information References
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Inglewood Downtown: 100 S. Market St. Planned interior redesign by Chaix and Johnson; however, the store ceased operations around February 1962. [17][18][1][2]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Hawthorne 345 S. Hawthorne Blvd at 131st St. Renovation handled by architects Burke, Kober and Nicolais; reopened in March 1965 featuring a new façade and air conditioning. [19]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Inglewood Crenshaw-Imperial Plaza Template:Nts Template:Nts Expanded in November 1967; architects Chaix and Johnson involved. [20][21]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Seal Beach Rossmoor Center Template:Nts Template:Nts The chain’s largest store location. [22]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Fullerton Orangefair Mall Template:Nts Template:Nts Two-story building; fifth store to open in the chain. [23][24][25]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Anaheim East Anaheim Shopping Center Template:Nts Template:Nts Sixth store to join the chain. [26][27]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 (acquisition)
Originally opened in 1955 as Myers
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Whittier Uptown: 6557 Greenleaf at Bailey The building was inaugurated as Myers Whittier department store’s sole location on November 17, 1955. Boston Stores acquired it in 1972 and rebranded it as Boston Stores by 1976. As of 2024, the premises serve as medical offices. 33°58′52″N 118°02′16″W / 33.9811355°N 118.0377288°W / 33.9811355; -118.0377288[28]

[29][25][4][5]

  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Whittier Whittwood Center Initially opened as a Boston Stores branch but carried the Myers Whittwood brand.[6] The branding switched to Boston Stores in 1976.[1]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Inglewood Downtown: 315 S. Market St. 'Boston Stores' returned to Downtown Inglewood after a fifteen-year absence with this opening. [18]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Diamond Bar Diamond Bar Towne Center 'Boston Stores' grand opening event held here.

[30]

  • Located in Hemet, California, Diamond Valley Shopping Center also housed a Boston Department Store.[31]
  • On March 26,1983 Boston Stores inaugurated their fifteenth outlet at Hi Desert Plaza in Victorville (Bear Valley at Hesperia).[32]

Converted from Wineman's stores in1984

  • Huntington Park location began operations in1935 and closed by1986.
  • Mission Viejo site within Mission Viejo Village Center launched around September1975.[33][34]
  • Placentia Town Center location opened its doors in1973.

Template:Col-start Template:Col-break

California locations opened since1986 By December1985,Boston Stores managed thirteen outlets within California and six across Arizona.[35] Subsequent openings included:

  • Lancaster circa1986.[36]
  • Ridgecrest approximately1987.
  • Pomona around1988; closed circa1990.
  • Poway Plaza in Poway spanned roughly17800 square feet (1655 square meters), debuting on September16,1988 as the chain’s seventeenth location.[37]
  • Camarillo Village Square launched on November25,1988.[38]
  • Lompoc site at118 W. Ocean opened November2,1990; previously operated as Moore's Department Store.[39][40]
  • Oceanside outlet located within Mission Marketplace commenced operations on September12,1991.[41]

Template:Col-break Template:Col-break

Arizona locations

  • Flagstaff store situated at Cedar Pines Shopping Center was operational as of1985.[42]
  • Glendale location active by1985.[43]
  • Maryvale store also open during1985.[43]
  • Mesa location was operational by1995.
  • Prescott outlet also open as of1995.
  • Sun City store was functioning by1986.

Template:Col-end

By1986,the Wineman’s stores located in Corona,Garden Grove,and Monrovia were no longer featured in advertising materials.[36]

Decline and liquidation

For many years, the chain focused on offering moderately priced national labels such as Hart, Schaffner and Marx, which it described as "quality leadership brands." Its business model emphasized operating smaller, more personal stores typically ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet (with exceptions like the larger Rossmore location), situated in neighborhood shopping centers and regions that were either distant from or underserved by major malls and traditional department stores.

In 1984, under the leadership of Chairman Donald Kaufman, management executed a leveraged buyout of his father, Ira Kaufman. This move, combined with acquisitions of other chains including Wineman's and Malcolms, as well as the implementation of a new computerized inventory and cash register system costing approximately $1 million, significantly increased the company’s debt load during the 1980s. In an interview with the Torrance Daily Breeze, Donald Kaufman acknowledged substantial financial losses in 1985 but noted improvements in performance by 1986. Around this period, several locations were shuttered, such as those at Orangefair in Fullerton and Crenshaw-Imperial Plaza in Inglewood.

Moreover, by the mid-1980s, local junior department stores faced challenging conditions as large shopping malls had expanded throughout Greater Los Angeles, reducing the availability of prime markets where these stores could thrive.

In 1992, Boston Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This resulted in the closure of certain outlets.

By 1996, all remaining locations underwent liquidation.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named myers
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named obit1
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named lompoc
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fourth
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named myers1955
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named whittwood
  7. ↑ "6351 Pacific Boulevard, Huntington Park". LoopNet.
  8. ↑ Burns, Melinda (September 4, 1983). "Street Rebounds as Shoppers Return: Pacific Blvd in Huntington Park Recovers From Decade of Decline". Los Angeles Times. p. Southeast Edition p.1.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Sheila (October 22, 1969). "From This Corner". Arcadia Tribune.
  10. ↑ "Advertisement for Wineman's". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1980.
  11. ↑ "Wineman's Department Store celebrates 50th anniversary". Daily News-Post (Monrovia CA). March 12, 1974. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Wineman's have a success story". Daily News-Post (Monrovia, CA). October 21, 1969.
  13. ↑ "Interest in Monrovia Continues: Wineman's Department Store Expands Again". Daily News-Post (Monrovia, CA). October 5, 1973. p. 9. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Wineman's Will Open in Mission Viejo". The Los Angeles Times. 3 November 1974. p. 110. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "The New Wineman's Dept. Store Mission Viejo Open in September (classified ad)". The Los Angeles Times. 21 August 1975. p. 178. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Boston Store buys Moore's Lompoc". The Lompoc Record. 10 July 1990. p. 7. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Boston Store Will Redesign Interior". The Los Angeles Times. 3 December 1961. p. 200. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Boston Returns after 15 Years". The Los Angeles Times. 12 December 1976. p. 82. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Boston Store-Hawthorne in ad for Boston Stores". The Los Angeles Times. 21 February 1965. p. 165. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Charity Day event opens new store". Southwest Topics-Wave. 26 October 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 27 March 2024. Chaix and Johnson, arch., 30,000 sqft
  21. ↑ "New Shop Added at Plaza Store". The Los Angeles Times. 19 November 1967. p. 145. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "Break Ground Today for New Boston Store". Independent. 10 February 1963. p. 54. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "Boston Stores Grand Opening Fullerton #5". The Register. 8 October 1968. p. 32. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Boston Store Fullerton Grand Opening". The Los Angeles Times. 9 October 1968. p. 7. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Boston Store to open two new Orange County units". The Los Angeles Times. 28 April 1968. p. 406. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  26. ↑ "Boston Stores Grand Opening Anaheim". The Register. 11 November 1968. p. 32. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  27. ↑ "Boston Stores Anaheim opening". The Los Angeles Times. 13 November 1968. p. 9. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  28. ↑ "6557 Greenleaf, Whittier CA". Google Maps. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  29. ↑ "Vacant Stores: Biggest Problem in Village Today". East Review. 15 February 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  30. ↑ "Boston Stores Diamond Bar Grand Opening". The Los Angeles Times. 16 September 1981. p. 61. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  31. ↑ Template:Citation :title Directory of Shopping Centers in the United States :date 1992 :volume 4 :page 263 :publisher National Research Bureau :quote Diamond Valley Shopping Center Hemet CA… Boston Dept. Store, GLA:16,000
  32. ↑ Template:Cite news :last1 Pilcher :first1 Helen R. :title Boston Store opens next Saturday :url https://newspapers.com/article/daily-press-boston-store-opens-next-satu/144233726/ :access-date 27 March 2024 :work Daily Press :date 20 March 1983 :pages13
  33. ↑ {{cite news:title The New Wineman's Dept. Store Mission Viejo Open in September (classified ad) :url https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-the-new-winemans/144227367/:access-date27 March2024 :work The Los Angeles Times :date21 August1975 :pages178}}
  34. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Wineman's Will Open in Mission Viejo :url https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-winemans-will-ope/144227063/:access-date27 March2024 :work The Los Angeles Times :date3 November1974 :pages110
  35. ↑ {{cite news:title Shoppers will have to rush after Thanksgiving (Boston stores19 locations11/24/85):url https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-shoppers-will-have-to-r/144187185/:access-date26 March2024 :work The Daily Breeze :date24 November1985 :pages113}}
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Seeks Port of Call (p.2 of2):url https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-boston-stores-port-of-c/55844041/:access-date26 March2024 :work The Daily Breeze :date30 November1986 :pages56
  37. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Poway tries on its first upscale department store:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-advocate-poway-tries-on-its-first/144181407/:access-date26 March2024 :work Times-Advocate :date16 September1988 :pages15
  38. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Camarillo Grand Opening ad:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/camarillo-star-boston-stores-camarillo-g/144181931/:work Camarillo Star :date23 November1988 :pages8
  39. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Lompoc Grand Opening:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-ynez-valley-news-boston-stores-lom/144180009/:access-date26 March2024 :work Santa Ynez Valley News :date1 November1990 :pages22
  40. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores seeks Chapter11 bankruptcy protections in court:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lompoc-record-boston-stores-seeks-ch/55830349/:access-date26 March2024 :work The Lompoc Record :date1 November1992 :pages1
  41. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Grand Opening Oceanside, Mission Marketplace9/12/91:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-county-times-boston-stores-grand-o/144185534/:access-date26 March2024 :work North County Times :date11 September1991 :pages7
  42. ↑ Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Flagstaff ad:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-sun-boston-stores-flagstaf/144180494/:work Arizona Daily Sun :date13 February1985 :pages12
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Template:Cite news:title Boston Stores Glendale Maryvale Arizona ad:url https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-boston-stores-glendale/144180779/:access-date26 March2024 :work Arizona Republic :date7 August1985 :pages121

Related profiles

BButler Brothers Department StoresFFederated Stores (Butler Brothers)FFedcoMMcBratney's
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Myers_Whittier&oldid=31614"