Webb's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Department store) |
| Founded | 1917 in Glendale, California, United States |
| Founder | Harry S. Webb |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Fate | Closed due to declining sales |
| Headquarters | Glendale, California , United States |
Area served | Glendale and Redlands, California |
Key people | Harry S. Webb (founder), Ned Blanc (owner from 1949) |
| Products | Department store merchandise |
| Owner | Ned Blanc (from 1949) |
Webb's, also known as H. S. Webb, was a pioneering department store established in Glendale, California, recognized as the city's inaugural department store.
Origins
Harry S. Webb (deceased 1947) founded the establishment in 1917, initially operating from a single room located in Downtown Glendale.[1][2] The business later expanded to include branches at the Glendale Fashion Center and in Redlands, California.
Ownership transferred to Ned Blanc in 1949, who retained the original store name.
In 1951, Blanc undertook enlargement of the initial location at 139 N. Brand by annexing the adjacent Lawson Building.[3]
A fire incident occurred at the premises in 1977. Subsequently, Webb's relocated to a previously occupied J. C. Penney space, roughly half the size of its original site, situated at the southeast intersection of Brand Blvd. and California Avenue.
Glendale Fashion Center
Two years following this move, Webb's transitioned into the Glendale Fashion Center, occupying a location vacated by Joseph Magnin after their shift to the Glendale Galleria. The store expanded its footprint from 30,000 to 67,500 square feet and commenced operations there on September 27, 1979.[4][1]
Decline
For approximately fifty years, Webb's held the distinction of being Glendale’s sole prominent department store. The arrival of competitors began with J. W. Robinson's, which opened a location within the Glendale Fashion Center in 1966. This was followed by the opening of the Glendale Galleria in 1976 and its subsequent expansion in 1982. The mall featured outlets for retailers such as The Broadway, Buffums, J. C. Penney, Mervyn's, and Nordstrom.
Webb's sales reached their zenith at $8 million in 1974 but averaged near $5 million annually throughout its final six years of operation. The Glendale location ultimately ceased operations in 1985 due to diminishing revenue figures. At that point, Webb's maintained a customer base of approximately 30,000 charge account holders.[1]
Redlands location
Spanning 42,000 square feet, the Redlands location commenced operations on August 30, 1973, situated within the Citrus Village shopping center. This modest retail complex housed 16 specialty shops.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Walker, Theresa (6 June 1985). "Glendale's First Department Store Succumbs to Competition: Sale Ends Webb's 67-Year Retail Legacy". Los Angeles. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ↑ "Obituary for Harry S. Webb (Aged 70)". The Los Angeles Times. 4 August 1947. p. 18.
- ↑ "Glendale Store Expansion Set". Los Angeles Times. October 21, 1951.
- ↑ "Webb's Store Schedules Move to Glendale Facility". Los Angeles Times. September 16, 1979.