Schilling Bros.

Buffums

File:Buffums final logo.png
Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (department store)
Founded	1904
Founder	Charles Buffum, Edwin Buffum, and partners
Defunct	1990
Fate	Liquidation
Headquarters	Long Beach, California , United States
Area served	Southern California
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, housewares
Parent	Adelaide Steamship Company (at end)

Buffums final logo

Buffums newly expanded store, 1924

Buffums, initially styled as Buffums' with an apostrophe, was a high-end department store chain based in Long Beach, California. The origins of Buffums date back to 1904 when Illinois natives Charles and Edwin Buffum, along with several partners, acquired the Schilling Bros.—then the largest dry goods retailer in Long Beach—and rebranded it as The Mercantile Co.. This establishment expanded into a prominent downtown department store and, beginning in the 1950s, gradually developed into a modest regional network comprising 16 speciality department store locations throughout Southern California by the time it ceased operations in 1990.

Throughout its history, Buffums earned the nickname "Grand Dame" among local department stores. Its interiors were distinguished by grand chandeliers and other elegant design elements. To set itself apart from competitors such as The Broadway and Bullock's, as well as national chains like May Co. and Robinson's, the company branded itself as "Buffums Specialty Store." Its most recognized marketing slogan, "I've been to Buffums," featured prominently in print and television campaigns during the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, the chain was noted for its "Bag-A-Bargain" campaign, which involved placing printed shopping bags containing discount offers in local newspapers.Template:Fix/category

Similar to many regional department stores of the time, Buffums faced challenges from outdated retail strategies, evolving customer preferences, and competition from newcomers like Seattle-based Nordstrom. In the 1970s, ownership transferred to Australian retailer David Jones, which attempted to divest the underperforming chain during the following decade. By then, Buffums was under the umbrella of the Australian conglomerate Adelaide Steamship Company, which was unable to secure a buyer. In a final attempt at modernization, the chain implemented new IBM point-of-sale systems across all locations in 1990—integrated with their recently acquired IBM AS/400 midrange computer—but ultimately entered liquidation after the Christmas shopping period that year.

Flagship

Buffums' emblem and illustration of the expanded flagship location, 1924

The Downtown flagship of Buffums evolved through several stages:

Originally, Wm. Schilling & Sons, a dry goods retailer, commenced operations in 1892 at the intersection of 2nd and Pine in Long Beach. By 1902, their location had shifted to the Stafford Block at 127–129 Pine Avenue, where they were described as a spacious 6,250 sq ft (581 m²) "department store" offering an extensive selection of dress goods, apparel for men and women, shoes, hats, caps, blankets, comforts, and more. In that same year, William Schilling retired, leading to the rebranding of the business as Schilling Bros..

In 1904, a group of partners acquired Schilling Bros. for $65,000 (approximately $Template:Format price adjusted for inflation). The consortium included Charles and Edwin Buffum from Illinois along with local investors S. Townsend, W. L. Porterneld, and C. J. Walter. The enterprise was renamed The Mercantile Co.. The original Schilling Bros. store at 127–129 Pine Avenue—situated a few doors south of Broadway—later became the men's shoe department within the future flagship Buffums store. In 1905, The Mercantile Co. announced their acquisition of a lot at the southwest corner of Pine and Broadway measuring 74.5 feet by 150 feet (11,175 square feet (1,038.2 m²)), intending to construct a five-story building. Ultimately, this structure was completed in 1912 as a three-story edifice.

• In 1924, the company expanded with a new six-story building; the "New Buffums'" opened incrementally beginning in early May of that year.
• By 1941, the "Autoport" parking garage was constructed and remains standing.
• In 1960, additions included a Varsity Shop, Red Cross Shoe Store, and a four-level parking structure.
• In 1964, an extra 14,000 square feet was incorporated as the store expanded to occupy the entire block along Broadway between Pine and Pacific avenues. This brought the total floor area to 180,000 square feet (17,000 m²) within the Downtown flagship complex. The newly added space featured a comprehensive Interior Design and Home Furnishings department alongside a "Sportsman's Shop".

Within Downtown Long Beach, Buffums faced competition from smaller local department stores such as Marti and Wise Cos., as well as national chains Sears and Ward's—all of which inaugurated large new stores downtown during 1928-29. By the early 1950s, suburban retail centers such as Lakewood Center competed with stores like May Company California and Los Altos Center, alongside The Broadway, attracting shoppers outside the city core.

The flagship property was sold in 1981 and subsequently demolished in 1985 to make way for office developments; by 2020 this site housed a WeWork location. Concurrently, Buffums relocated its Long Beach retail operations and corporate headquarters to the nearby Long Beach Plaza mall upon its opening in 1982.

Branches

At the time Buffums ceased operations, it maintained 16 stores:

Location	Shopping center or street	Area (sq ft)	Area (sq m)	Year Opened	Year Closed	Additional Information
Long Beach flagship	Fourth/Pine	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1912	1982	The original flagship store launched in 1912, undergoing expansions throughout its operation. It shuttered in 1982 and was succeeded by the Long Beach Plaza location. The building was demolished in 1985.
Santa Ana	Main/Bush/9th/10th Streets	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1950	1987	This standalone store marked Buffums' first branch outside Long Beach. It was erected on the former site of Santa Ana Junior College, which relocated in 1947. Designed by architects Wurdeman & Becket, also known for Bullock's Pasadena, it opened on July 6, 1950. A men's store addition appeared across the street in 1963. After closing in 1987, the buildings now serve as offices for Orange County's probation and child support departments.
Marina district, Long Beach	E. 2nd St. at PCH	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1961	1976	Opened as Buffums' Marina Sportswear, this two-level store was dubbed the "World's First Shopping Resort" and specialized in mid-to-upper-tier sportswear for men, women, and children. The grand opening ribbon was cut by Miss International 1960, Stella Márquez of Colombia. Its interior featured nautical themes and maritime antiques. Parking accommodated 200 vehicles plus boat slips. It closed when a larger Buffums location opened nearby in 1976. The site now houses a CVS Pharmacy at 6265 E. 2nd St.
Pomona	Pomona Mall East	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1962	1991	Positioned along Pomona's former pedestrian mall downtown, this store was designed by local artist Millard Sheets. The Palomare Room showcased two extensive murals by Sheets depicting early Spanish settlements in the Pomona Valley.
Palos Verdes Peninsula	Peninsula Center	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1963	1991
Lakewood	Lakewood Center	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1965	1991
Newport Beach	Fashion Island	Template:Nts	Template:Nts	1967	1991	This location opened concurrently with Fashion Island mall on September 9, 1967. Designed by Welton Becket and Associates, after Buffums closed, the space was subdivided for other tenants.
La Habra	La Habra Fashion Square	120,000	11,150	1968		Opened on August 10, 1968, featuring furniture and chandeliers designed by noted stage and film designer Tony Duquette.

Location	Shopping center or street	Area (sq ft)	Area (sq m)	Year Opened	Year Closed	Additional Information
San Diego	Fashion Valley			1969	1991	Subsequently occupied for roughly one year by I. Magnin, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue; currently houses Forever 21.
Laguna Hills	Laguna Hills Mall			1973	1991	Two-story store inaugurated on September 5, 1973.
Arcadia	Santa Anita Fashion Park			1974	1991	Opened with the mall on October 14, 1974, later demolished and replaced by Nordstrom in 1994.
Westminster	Westminster Mall			1975	1991	Initially transformed into Robinsons-May Home Store; demolished in 2002 to make way for Macy's and currently occupied by Target.
Marina Pacifica, (Long Beach)	Marina Pacifica Mall			1976	1991	Two-level store that relocated from a smaller adjacent location of approximately . At opening, it was part of a complex featuring over one hundred stores and six restaurants.
(Glendale)	Glendale Galleria			1976	1990	Opened alongside The Broadway in August of that year before the rest of the mall debuted two months later. Closed in 1990; later replaced by Robinsons-May (1993) and Target (2007).
(La Mesa)	Grossmont Center		1979 1991 Added as a third anchor store in a new wing in 1979. Subsequently became Oshman's, then Sports Authority; currently functions as a Restoration Hardware Outlet.
(Manhattan Beach)	Manhattan Village		1980 1991 Converted to Macy's Men and Home Store until its closure in 2018. The premises are now occupied by Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and West Elm.
Downtown Long Beach	Long Beach Plaza		1982 1991 This location replaced the original flagship store that had operated since 1912.
(La Cañada Flintridge)	Plaza de la Cañada		1986 1991 Formerly an Iver's store; rebranded as Buffums on October 1, 1986. As of 2021 operates as a TJ Maxx.
(Palm Springs)	Palm Springs Mall		1989 1991 Originally opened as Walker Scott in 1970; reopened under Buffums on October 18, 1989. Later became Harris Gottschalks in 1990; the mall is now home to College of the Desert.
(Solana Beach)	Lomas Santa Fe Plaza		1989 1991 Originally launched as Walker Scott in 1970; subsequently housed Ross Dress for Less and is currently a HomeGoods store.

Relaunch

In January 2015, a group of investors from California registered Buffums' Stores, LLC. with the California Secretary of State. The buffumstores Facebook page announced a revival in October 2015, featuring a compact specialty store situated in Long Beach's Belmont Shore district. Nevertheless, this revival was brief, as the original Buffums Stores, Inc. executives relocated their business to Naples, Florida. There, they launched a new store under the name The b.Store and subsequently closed the Belmont Shore location on 2nd Street in March 2016.

See also

• Dorothy Buffum Chandler