Stern's

This article is about the department store. For other uses, see Sterns and Stern (disambiguation).

Stern's

File:Stern's Department Store Final Logo.png Logo used from 1996 to 2001
File:Aeolian Hall (1923).jpg Stern's storefront (left) adjacent to Aeolian Hall in Manhattan
Company type	Department store
Industry	Retail
Predecessor	Gertz (1918–1982)
Founded	1867 (1867) (originally as Stern Brothers Department Store)
Defunct	2001 (2001)
Fate	Majority of locations absorbed into Macy's Remaining stores either transitioned to Bloomingdale's or were shut down
Successor	Macy's (2001–present) Bloomingdale's (2001–present)
Headquarters	Paramus, New Jersey
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, cosmetics, gifts, and household items.
Parent	Allied Stores (1951–1992) Federated Department Stores, Inc. (1992 until closure)

File:Oldsterns.png

Logo used between 1974 and 1985

Stern's was a department store chain primarily serving the states of New York and New Jersey. The business operated for over a century, spanning more than 130 years.

In early 2001, the parent company of Stern's, Federated Department Stores, decided to discontinue the Stern's brand. Following this decision, most locations were converted into fellow Federated subsidiary Macy's stores. A number of others were either closed or relaunched under the Bloomingdale's name.

History

Stern Brothers was established in 1867 by Isaac, Louis, and Benjamin Stern, the sons of German Jewish immigrants. That same year, they began their venture selling dry goods in Buffalo, New York. From these modest origins, the Stern family grew to become a prominent name in New York City's retail landscape.

File:Sterns1980slogo.png

The 1985-1996 logo

In 1868, the business relocated to New York City, where they launched a single-room shop at 367 Sixth Avenue. By 1879, the store moved to a larger space at 110 West 23rd Street. As demand increased, Stern Brothers constructed a new flagship building on this site in 1878, recognized for its distinctive cast-iron front spanning 32 to 36 West 23rd Street and 23 to 35 West 22nd Street.

The design of this edifice was credited to Henry Fernbach. In 1892, it underwent expansion based on plans by W.M. Schinckel. The six-story structure showcased Renaissance Revival architecture. Schinckel’s addition, characteristic of the late 19th century, tripled the original building's size on the eastern side of the property. The tall central section of this extension enhanced the facade’s intricate detailing. Above the main archway, the company’s monogram remains visible. (Today, this building is still in use; Home Depot occupies the ground floor while upper levels serve as showrooms.) Numerous Stern family members were employed here as the store offered both upscale merchandise and goods catering to working-class customers. Renowned for its stylish apparel, Stern Brothers attracted women citywide seeking Parisian fashions. The establishment was distinguished by its elegant doormen sporting top hats and the warm, attentive service provided personally by the Stern family.

Operating as a family-run enterprise for many years, various members of the Stern family managed numerous roles within the store. Notably, Robert Stearns (1888–1954), Isaac Stern’s son who altered his surname from Stern to Stearns, founded the investment bank Bear Stearns in 1923.

It was common for patrons to be welcomed by one of the Stern brothers themselves. In 1914, Arthur D. Brandeis joined the family business; his daughter Aliss Ruth had married Irving C. Stern—son of founder Louis Stern and a director at Stern Brothers. Brandeis was also president of J. L. Brandeis and Sons in Omaha, Nebraska, recognized as the largest department store west of Chicago.

In 1913, Stern Brothers shifted further uptown to inaugurate a new flagship location near Fifth Avenue and West 42nd Street across from Bryant Park. This nine-story store housed buying offices in its basement and catered to an upscale clientele with a dedicated entrance for prominent customers such as the Goulds and Astors. Situated near Manhattan’s Theater District, many aspiring performers found employment there. Peak business hours typically ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., coinciding with local workers’ lunch breaks.

File:Quackenbush's Department Store Logo.png

Quackenbush's department stores were rebranded as Stern's in the early 1960s

In 1951, Allied Stores acquired Stern's. However, during the late 1950s and early ’60s, sales declined as many white New Yorkers relocated to suburban areas. The flagship store in New York City closed in 1969 when corporate headquarters moved to their Paramus, New Jersey store at Bergen Mall, which then became the main location. Concurrently, Allied Stores merged Stern’s division with its Quackenbush division based in Paterson, New Jersey. A second Quackenbush outlet operated in Preakness, Wayne; that same year Stern’s opened another store in Wayne serving as an anchor for Willowbrook Mall’s newly built shopping center. Eventually, the Paterson downtown location ceased operations. In 1971, Stern’s launched a full-line store at Woodbridge Center Mall. Additional outlets followed at Middlesex Mall, Essex Green Shopping Center, Seaview Square Mall, Ocean County Mall among others. The company briefly expanded into Philadelphia by acquiring several former Gimbels locations there.

Chronology

File:Jaguarkappe (3).jpg

Label from Stern Brothers on a women's jaguar cap (circa 1975)

• 1867: The Stern Brothers Department Store was established in Buffalo, New York by the Stern siblings, who had recently immigrated from Ziegenhain, (Schwalm-Eder-Kreis), Germany.
• 1867: The business moved to New York City, initially running a single-room shop at 367 Sixth Avenue.
• 1877: Relocated to a more spacious site at 111 West 23rd Street.
• 1878: Constructed its flagship store on 23rd Street, distinguished by its cast-iron exterior.
• 1913: A new flagship building was erected near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.
• 1914: Arthur D. Brandeis joined the company as Senior Vice President.
• 1922: Louis Stern, the founder, passed away in Paris while visiting his daughter.
• 1925: Ownership shifted away from the Stern family; common stock was issued under new control by a banking consortium.
• 1951: Stern Brothers was purchased by Allied Stores Corporation.
• 1969: The flagship location on 42nd Street was shuttered, with the Bergen Mall store becoming the new headquarters and primary store.
• 1982: Allied Stores’ Gertz division on Long Island merged into Stern's, which had by then expanded mainly in New Jersey.
• 1986: Stern's acquired multiple outlets from Gimbels, marking its entry into the Philadelphia market.
• 1986: Campeau Corporation completed the acquisition of Allied Stores.
• 1988: Campeau also acquired Federated Department Stores (FDS), initiating combined operations between Allied and FDS. Subsequently, five out of seven Philadelphia-area stores (all former Gimbels) were closed.
• 1992: The last two Philadelphia locations were shut down.
• 1992: Allied Stores fully merged into Federated Department Stores.
• 1995: Five former Abraham & Straus locations were converted into new Stern's outlets. Additionally, the Stern's store at Sunrise Mall moved to a former Abraham & Straus site.
• 2001: Federated Department Stores discontinued the Stern's division. Most Stern's stores were promptly rebranded as Macy's. Others were either liquidated or transformed into Bloomingdale's locations. For example, the Manhattan Mall store remained vacant for some time before being redeveloped for office use; its lower levels housed a J.C. Penney from 2009 until its closure in 2020.

See also

• List of department stores transformed into Macy's