Nugents
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1869 |
| Founder | Byron Nugent |
| Defunct | 1933 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis , United States |
Area served | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Products | Dry goods, department store merchandise |
Number of employees | 1500 |
Nugents, formally known as B. Nugent & Brother Dry Goods Co., was a department store located in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri, positioned at the southeast intersection of Washington Avenue and Broadway. It holds the distinction of being the first downtown department store in the United States to establish a suburban branch.
The enterprise began in 1869 when Byron Nugent (deceased 1908) founded a dry goods store in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He later relocated to St. Louis, opening a modest 23-by-56-foot shop at the southeast corner of Broadway and Franklin in February 1873. By 1878, the store expanded into larger premises at 817 N. Broadway, soon incorporating 819 N. Broadway as well, resulting in a four-story building measuring 50 by 100 feet per floor (approximately 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) total). The company adopted slogans such as "onward and upward" and "one price system." In 1882, additional properties at 815 and 821 N. Broadway were acquired, further extending the complex. The rear section was also developed into a four-story structure measuring 90 by 135 feet (around 48,600 square feet (4,520 m2) total). In 1889, Nugents relocated to an even more spacious location that would serve as its headquarters until closure, later incorporating two more adjacent buildings. By 1914, the store celebrated "41 years underselling," emphasizing its commitment to low pricing and mass-market retailing.
Eventually, the downtown complex comprised three distinct buildings connected by a bridge spanning St. Charles Street to an annex dating back to 1850. Both the bridge and annex were dismantled in 1942.
Today, the primary section of the Downtown store has been refaced and is occupied by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.
Uptown branch
On April 12, 1913, Nugents inaugurated a branch in what was then known as "Uptown" (now Midtown St. Louis) at the corner of Olive and Vandeventer. This marked the first instance of a downtown department store in the U.S. opening a suburban outlet. The company had purchased The Banner Store and transformed it into its new location. This Uptown branch spanned approximately 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) across three floors. This expansion preceded similar moves by other U.S. downtown department stores by about 14 to 15 years.
Subsequently, another branch was established in Wellston, Missouri.
Epilogue
In 1923, the business was acquired by National Department Stores, and it ceased operations a decade later in 1933. At its height, the chain provided employment for approximately 1,500 individuals.