Wanamaker's

Wanamaker's
Company type	Private (historically)
Industry	Retail (department store)
Founded	January 1, 1861; 165 years ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Founder	John Wanamaker, Nathan Brown
Defunct	1996
Fate	Acquired by May Department Stores Company; rebranded as Hecht's
Headquarters	Philadelphia, United States
Area served	Delaware Valley region, United States
Key people	John Wanamaker (founder), Rodman Wanamaker (son), A. Alfred Taubman (owner from 1986)
Products	Department store goods including apparel, dry goods, furniture, pianos
Parent	May Department Stores Company (from 1995)

Wanamaker's was a prominent American department store chain established in 1861 by John Wanamaker. Recognized as one of the earliest department stores in the United States, it reached its zenith with 16 outlets throughout the Delaware Valley during the 20th century. In 1986, ownership transferred to A. Alfred Taubman, who also controlled Woodward & Lothrop. After filing for bankruptcy, Wanamaker's was acquired by The May Department Stores Company in 1994 and subsequently rebranded as Hecht's in 1995.

The company was a trailblazer in retail, introducing innovations such as the initial implementation of price tags, which helped shape modern retail business practices and market dynamics.

19th century

Born in Philadelphia in 1838, John Wanamaker embarked on his entrepreneurial journey after being unable to participate in the Civil War. In 1861, together with his brother-in-law Nathan Brown, he founded Oak Hall, a store specializing in men's apparel. Following Brown’s passing in 1868, Wanamaker expanded the enterprise by acquiring a defunct Pennsylvania Railroad station in 1876. This location was transformed into a larger retail establishment inspired by European grand exchanges.

Known as the "Grand Depot," this venue debuted during the American Centennial Exposition and featured a unique Moorish Revival architectural style, marking Philadelphia’s first modern department store. By 1877, the store broadened its inventory to include women's apparel and dry goods. It also introduced a circular sales counter encircled by 129 product stations and embraced mail-order services, representing an early form of multi-channel retailing.

Wanamaker’s approach prioritized building customer confidence and ensuring product quality—offering cash refunds and pioneering truthful advertising beginning in 1874. The company also advanced employee welfare by providing benefits such as complimentary medical services, profit-sharing plans, pensions, and professional development through the John Wanamaker Commercial Institute—practices that were notably progressive for their era.

Technological progress at Wanamaker’s included becoming the first department store illuminated by electric lighting (1878), installing telephone lines (1879), and utilizing pneumatic tubes for cash handling (1880), all reinforcing its market leadership.

In 1892, Wanamaker commissioned artist George Washington Nicholson to create a major landscape mural, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to cultural enrichment alongside commercial pursuits.

20th century

The original Grand Depot was succeeded by the flagship John Wanamaker Store in 1911. This location led several retail innovations such as broadcasting news of the Titanic disaster via its wireless station and initiating public Christmas Caroling traditions starting in 1918.

By 1919, Wanamaker's New York branch housed 100 specialized departments, including dedicated services catering to Latin-American clientele. The company sent buyers annually to Europe to procure the latest fashion trends and originated promotional events like the White Sale (1878) alongside other themed sales designed to sustain sales volume while reducing prices. Beginning in 1922, organ concerts were aired on Wanamaker-owned radio station WOO. Under James Bayard Woodford’s guidance, the brand expanded into piano retailing with fixed-price policies and period-style salons aimed at attracting upscale customers.

After John Wanamaker’s passing in 1922, his son Rodman elevated the stores’ status as hubs of luxury and fine art by importing exclusive international goods. Upon Rodman’s death in 1928, management transitioned to a family trust that briefly maintained prosperity. In 1932, the men’s clothing division relocated to its own premises within the Lincoln-Liberty Building, which featured a private family apartment; this property was sold to Philadelphia National Bank in 1952.

Entering the late 20th century, Wanamaker's experienced shrinking market share amid competition from rivals like Bloomingdale's and Macy's within Philadelphia. The family trust sold the business for $60 million cash to Los Angeles-based Carter Hawley Hale Stores in 1978. Despite Carter Hawley Hale investing an additional $80 million into refurbishments, customer losses continued.

In 1986, Woodward & Lothrop—owned by Detroit retail developer A. Alfred Taubman—acquired the chain of 15 stores for roughly $180 million. Taubman restructured the company as Wanamaker's Inc., pouring significant resources into store upgrades and marketing campaigns; however, ongoing financial burdens and underwhelming sales prevented a full turnaround despite these initiatives.

May Department Stores Acquisition and Transition to Hecht's

On January 17, 1994, Woodward & Lothrop filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Subsequently, on June 21, 1995, May Department Stores Company purchased Wanamaker's. Following this acquisition, Wanamaker's Inc. was dissolved, and its operations were integrated into May's Hecht's division headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. After a legacy spanning 133 years, the Wanamaker's name was retired and replaced by the Hecht's brand. In 1996, May expanded further by acquiring competitor Strawbridge & Clothier, rebranding the Hecht's outlets in the Philadelphia region as Strawbridge's, including the flagship store located in Center City. This flagship was downsized and partially converted into office space before being sold to Amerimar Realty in early 1997. By August of that year, it reopened as a Lord & Taylor store, another subsidiary under May. Following Federated Department Stores' acquisition of May in late 2005, this location transitioned to Macy's in August 2006.

The former Wanamaker's flagship on Broadway in New York had become a Kmart by 1996 and later transformed into a Wegmans supermarket by 2023. The rise of national retail chains diminished Wanamaker's distinct regional market advantage; these larger brands provided standardized merchandise and operational efficiencies that challenged the sustainability of independent regional department stores despite their loyal clientele and premium product offerings.

Expansion into Suburban Markets

Wanamaker's extended its reach beyond Philadelphia with the opening of a store in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1950. After closing its New York location in 1954, the company ventured into Philadelphia’s suburban markets beginning with Wynnewood in December of that year, followed by Jenkintown in 1958—situated near competitor Strawbridge and Clothier. Additional suburban outlets were established at Moorestown Mall (1963), King of Prussia Mall (1963), Harrisburg Mall (1969), Berkshire Mall (1970), Oxford Valley Mall (1973), Springfield Mall (1974), Deptford Mall (1975), Roosevelt Mall (1976), Lehigh Valley Mall (1976), Montgomery Mall (1977), and finally Christiana Mall in 1991, marking the last Wanamaker’s store constructed.

Cultural References

The 1950 musical Guys and Dolls includes a mention of Wanamaker's in the song "Marry the Man Today."
Exterior scenes for the 1981 film Blow Out were filmed outside Wanamaker's.
The majority of filming for the 1987 movie Mannequin and its 1991 sequel took place at Wanamaker's.
In the HBO series The Sopranos (2006), a character recounts meeting his wife while she worked at Wanamaker's tie counter.

External links

The John Wanamaker Collection, 1827-1987, which includes letters, financial records, scrapbooks, legal documents, and photographs illustrating the commercial legacy of Wanamaker's department store, can be accessed at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.