Venture Stores

For the Australian chain with the same name, see Venture (department store).

Venture Stores, Inc.

File:Venture Discount Store Final Logo.png Final logo, utilized from 1995 until 1998
Company type	Defunct
Traded as	Template:NYSE was
Industry	Retail (Department & Discount)
Founded	1968 (1968) St. Louis, Missouri
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Bankruptcy, Liquidation
Headquarters	O'Fallon, Missouri
Key people	Robert Wildrick, Julian Seeherman
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares.
Number of employees	10,000
Website	www.venturestores.com (archived at Deadmalls.com)

Venture Stores, Inc. operated as a discount department store chain. It was established in 1968 by John Geisse, previously associated with Target Stores, along with Dave Babcock, who was then executive vice president at May Department Stores. Over nearly three decades, Venture grew to more than 70 outlets, securing a significant presence in markets such as St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City. The company became the largest discount retailer in Chicago before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 1998 and ceasing operations within six months.

History

The inception of the chain dates back to 1968 when John F. Geisse, founder of Target, joined forces with May Department Stores. Due to an antitrust agreement with the Department of Justice, May was restricted from acquiring additional retail chains at that time. Seeking an approach to compete with emerging discount retailers, May's Dave Babcock approached Geisse after learning of his departure from Target Stores. This collaboration led to the creation of Venture.

The inaugural Venture location opened its doors on January 29, 1970, in Overland, Missouri, followed by a second store in Fairview Heights, Illinois on March 24 of the same year. By 1976, the chain had grown to 20 stores when Geisse retired and exited the company.

In 1978, Venture expanded its footprint by acquiring 23 Turn Style stores from Jewel food stores in the Chicago area. This acquisition boosted the chain to over 40 outlets within Chicago’s metropolitan region, including numerous urban sites. It stood as Chicago’s largest discount retailer with locations inside the city apart from competitors such as Zayre/Ames.Template:Fix/category In 1990, Venture separated from May Department Stores and transitioned into a private company.

File:Venture - 1970.svg

Original logo used from 1970 to 1991

File:Venture Stores (logo).png

Italicized second logo used between 1991 and 1995

Throughout the 1980s, Venture marketed itself with the slogan "Save at Venture, Save With Style," often abbreviated as "SWS". During the following decade, two additional slogans were adopted: one aligned with a comprehensive remodeling effort aimed at making stores resemble those of Kohl's, which was "See What's New For You!". At the time of closure, the company's tagline was "See What A Little Money Can Buy".

Dining

Following a popular practice among American department stores, numerous Venture locations featured an in-store dining section, commonly known as Cafe Venture. This venue served typical American dishes such as hamburgers and pizza, with the option to order a "hot dog with the ends cut off." Additionally, the dining space included a separate concession stand offering popcorn, pretzels, and Icee beverages.

Corporate affairs

The headquarters for Venture's corporate operations were situated in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Bankruptcy

File:VentureSign.jpg

Sign for the Venture store in Davenport, Iowa, in January 1998

By the late 1990s, Venture struggled to maintain competitiveness against major retailers like Kmart, Target, and Wal-Mart. In an attempt to revive its original identity as a higher-end discount retailer, the company renovated most of its more than 90 outlets. However, instead of consolidating its established markets, Venture made a strategic error by expanding into Texas. The Texas stores were subsequently sold to Kmart in 1997, accompanied by the closure of the distribution center located in Corsicana, Texas. On January 20, 1998, the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and sought to continue operations on a reduced scale. Despite these efforts, Venture was unable to recover and announced its complete shutdown on April 27, 1998. The liquidation of remaining inventory persisted through July of that year. Following closure, many former Venture locations were taken over by other retailers—primarily Kmart for their new Big Kmart format—while others were acquired by chains such as Kohl's, ShopKo, and Burlington Coat Factory.

External links

• Television commercials Archived 2016-01-09 at the Wayback Machine at The Museum of Classic Chicago Television