O'Neil's
| Company type | Department store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Founder | Michael O'Neil, Isaac Dyas |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Fate | Merged into May Company Ohio |
| Headquarters | Akron, Ohio , United States |
Area served | Northeastern Ohio |
| Parent | May Department Stores (from 1912) |
O'Neil's was a prominent American department store chain established in 1877 by Michael O'Neil alongside Isaac Dyas, which held a leading position in the retail sectors of Akron and Canton. The business grew throughout northeastern Ohio before being purchased by May Department Stores in 1912. In 1989, May consolidated O'Neil's with its Cleveland division to create May Company Ohio, which subsequently merged into the Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's in 1993.
History
Founded in 1877 by Michael O'Neil and Isaac Dyas, the company initially operated a dry goods shop located at 114 East Market Street. Following the passing of Dyas in 1892, the enterprise was renamed M. O'Neil Co. May Department Stores acquired it in 1912 for $1 million. A new downtown Akron location opened in 1927 and remained operational until the late 1980s. The chain expanded its footprint with multiple outlets across Akron and Canton. By 1989, the flagship store in downtown Akron closed, and the remaining stores were integrated into May Company Ohio, leading to the discontinuation of the O'Neil's brand.
Additional stores were situated at Summit Mall (Fairlawn), Chapel Hill and Rolling Acres malls (Akron), Belden Village and Mellett/Canton Centre malls (Canton), 30th Street Plaza (Canton), Stow-Kent Plaza (Stow), Richland Mall (Ontario), and Coshocton. Earlier locations existed in downtown Canton, Lorain, Alliance, Massillon, Mansfield, as well as Akron suburbs including Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, and Fairlawn Plaza.
The flagship store in downtown Akron was known for its notable seasonal window displays that attracted holiday shoppers and competed directly with Polsky's, located across South Main Street.
See also
- List of defunct department stores of the United States
- List of department stores converted to Macy's
External links
- Vintage postcard depicting O'Neil's downtown Akron location (provided by the Center for Policy Studies at the University of Akron)