ELDER-BEERMAN

'Elder-Beerman' is a U.S. chain of department stores founded in 1883 and owned by The Bon-Ton. The chain is based primarily in the United States' Midwest region.

Contents

History

Beginnings

Elder-Beerman

1999 and 2003 Prototypes

Today

Current Locations

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Michigan

Ohio

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Former locations

Illinois

Indiana

Ohio

Pennsylvania

West Virginia

Wisconsin

References

History

Beginnings

In 1883, Elder-Beerman history began when Boston Dry Goods Store opened in Dayton, Ohio and was later incorporated under the name 'Elder & Johnston Company'. In 1930, After a short career with Elder & Johnston, Arthur Beerman, founder of Elder-Beerman Stores Corp., branched out on his own and by 1945 'Beerman Stores' was incorporated. In 1953, Beerman formed a partnership with Max Gutmann and together they established the 'Bee Gee Shoe Corporation', which operated the 'El-Bee Shoe Outlets' and 'Shoebilee!' stores for many years before its recent sale. Beerman and Gutmann spent ten years opening Beerman Stores in suburban areas and expanding
their product lines.

Elder-Beerman

In 1962, Beerman Stores merged with Elder & Johnston Company to form the Elder-Beerman. For the next 20 years, the Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. grew to include furniture and home lines, and the company expanded with new stores throughout western Ohio and several surrounding states, competing with its Dayton rival, Rike Kumler. After Arthur Beerman's death in 1970, Max Gutmann was promoted to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1985, Herb Glaser was named president and CEO of the department store division. With Herb Glaser as president, Gutmann and Glaser developed the Elder-Beerman franchise through the 1980s and early 1990s. When the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 reorganization in 1995, Max Gutmann and Herb Glaser returned from retirement to turn the company around. During the bankruptcy, Frederick J. Mershad asked to replace Gutmann as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Elder-Beerman has acquired two chains throughout its history: Terre Haute, IN-based Meis in 1989^[1], and Wheeling, WV-based Stone & Thomas in 1998 ^[2].

1999 and 2003 Prototypes

In Fall 1999, Elder-Beerman saw introduction of their new concept in retailing, with the opening of two prototype stores in Warsaw, Indiana and Frankfort, Kentucky. The prototype included centralized Service Centers that are always staffed; trained Sales Specialists who are committed to serving customers in the store; open-stock cosmetic and shoe departments that allow customers to select items without searching for assistance; courtesy telephones for free local calls; and pager buttons in the women's fitting rooms so customers may page for assistance.
In 2003, Elder-Beerman opened smaller-scale prototypes in Dekalb, Illinois and Muscatine, Iowa, the latter being the chain's first Iowa location. These stores represented a new marketing strategy of operating smaller-format stores in mid-sized markets.

Today

Elder-Beerman was acquired by The Bon-Ton in 2003 after Elder-Beerman filed for bankruptcy. Today Elder-Beerman operates 63 department stores in 8 states.

Current Locations

Illinois

★ 'Danville' - Village Mall (''., opened 1986 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

★ 'DeKalb' - Northland Plaza (''., prototype store; opened 2003'')

★ 'Mattoon' - Cross County Mall (''., opened 1978 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

Indiana

★ 'Anderson' - Mounds Mall

★
★ Main store (''., opened as H. P. Wasson's, subsequently became Weiler's, then Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1981'')

★
★ Furniture store (''.'')

★ 'Columbus' - Fair Oaks Mall (''., opened 1990'')

★ 'Elkhart' - Concord Mall (''., opened as Robertson's, later Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

★ 'Jasper' - Germantown Shopping Center (''.'')

★ 'Kokomo' - Kokomo Mall (''., opened 1987'')

★ 'Marion' - Northpark Mall (''., opened 1978 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

★ 'Muncie' - Muncie Mall

★
★ Main store (''., opened 1997'')

★
★ Home store (''.'')

★ 'Richmond' - Downtown (''., opened 1974; first location outside of Ohio'')

★ 'Terre Haute' - Honey Creek Mall (''., opened 1973 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

★ 'Warsaw' - Market Place Center (''., prototype store; opened 1999'')

Iowa

★ 'Muscatine' - Muscatine Mall (''., prototype store; former Von Maur, later Staples; opened 2003'')

Kentucky

★ 'Ashland' - Kyova Mall (formerly Cedar Knoll Galleria) (''., opened 1991 as Stone & Thomas; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Frankfort' - 202 Limestone Dr. (''., prototype store; opened 1999'')

★ 'Paducah' - Kentucky Oaks Mall (''., opened 1982 as Meis; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1989'')

Michigan

★ 'Adrian' - Adrian Mall (''., opened 1987'')

★ 'Benton Harbor' - The Orchards Mall (''., opened 1992'')

★ 'Coldwater' - Willowbrook Village Shopping Center (''.; opened 2002 in portion of former Wal-Mart'')

★ 'Howell' - Grand River Plaza (''.; opened in portion of former Wal-Mart'')

★ 'Jackson' - Westwood Mall (''., opened 1993'')

★ 'Midland' - Midland Mall (''., opened 1991'')

★ 'Monroe' - Frenchtown Square Mall
:
★ Main store (''., opened 1988'')
:
★ Furniture store (''; opened mid 1990s in former Phar-Mor'')

★ 'Muskegon' - Lakeshore Marketplace (''., opened 1995'')

Ohio

★ 'Alliance' - Carnation Mall (''.'')

★ 'Athens' - University Mall (''., opened 1988'')

★ 'Beavercreek'

★
★ The Mall at Fairfield Commons men's store (''., opened 1993. Originally featured all lines, now men's only store'')

★
★ The Mall at Fairfield Commons women's store (''Opened 2007 in former Parisian'')

★ 'Bowling Green' - Woodland Towne Centre (''., opened 1987'')

★ 'Centerville' - Centerville Place (''., opened 1966'')

★ 'Chillicothe' - Chillicothe Mall

★
★ Main store (''.'')

★
★ Home store (''.'')

★ 'Dayton'

★
★ Dayton Mall (''.; opened 1998'')

★
★ Northwest Plaza (''.'')

★
★ Salem Furniture (''.'')

★
★ Southtowne Furniture (''.'')

★ 'Defiance' - Northtowne Mall

★
★ Main store (''., opened 1987'')

★
★ Mattress store (''.'')

★ 'Findlay' - Findlay Village Mall (''., opened 1990'')

★ 'Franklin' - Towne Mall (''., opened 1977'')

★ 'Hamilton' - 2nd @ High St. (''., opened 1974'')

★ 'Heath' - Indian Mound Mall (''., opened 1986'')

★ 'Huber Heights' - Northpark Center (''., opened 1999'')

★ 'Kettering' - Kettering Towne Center (''., former Rike's/Shillito-Rike's, later Lazarus; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Lancaster' - River Valley Mall (''., opened 1987'')

★ 'Lima' - Lima Mall (''., opened 1965 as The Leader, converted to Elder-Beerman in 70's'')

★ 'Marion' - Southland Mall (''., opened 1984'')

★ 'New Philadelphia' - New Towne Mall (''.'')

★ 'Northwood' - Woodville Mall (''., opened 1985'')

★ 'Piqua' - Miami Valley Centre Mall (''., opened 1988'')

★ 'Sandusky' - Sandusky Mall (''., opened 1983'')

★ 'St. Clairsville' - Ohio Valley Mall

★
★ Women's & Children's (''former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★
★ Men's & Home

★ 'Springfield' - Upper Valley Mall (''., opened 1992'')

★ 'Toledo' - Westgate Village Shopping Center (''.'')

★ 'Wooster' - Wayne Towne Plaza (''., opened 1994'')

★ 'Zanesville' - Colony Square Mall (''., opened 1985'')

West Virginia

★ 'Barboursville' - Huntington Mall (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Beckley' - Raleigh Mall (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Bridgeport' - Meadowbrook Mall

★
★ Main store (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★
★ Home store (''., former Murphy Mart'')

★ 'Charleston' - Kanawha Mall (''., opened in former Ames in 2003'')

★ 'Morgantown'

★
★ Morgantown Mall (''., opened 1990'')

★
★ Mountaineer Mall (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Parkersburg' - Grand Central Mall (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

★ 'Teays' - Liberty Square Shopping Center (''., former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

Wisconsin

★ 'Beloit' - Beloit Mall (''., opened 1993 on site of what was originally Charles V. Weise, then Bergner-Weise, then Bergner's'').

★ 'Kohler' - Deer Trace Shopping Center (''.'')

★ 'Plover' - Plover Plaza (''.'')

★ 'West Bend' - 1291 W. Paradise Rd. (''.'')

Former locations

Illinois

★ 'Carbondale' - University Mall (''acquired from Meis in 1989; closed 1997. Now occupied by South Illinois Health Care'') ^[3]

Indiana

★ 'Evansville' - Washington Square Mall (''former Stewart's Dry Goods, later L.S. Ayres; converted to Elder-Beerman in 1993, closed 1998, now Values Unlimited'')

Ohio

★ 'Cincinnati'

★
★ 5th and Vine (''originally Rollman Department Store, later Mabley & Carew; closed 1986'')

★
★ Beechmont Mall (''opened 1981, closed 1992; later operated as Parisian until 2000; mall torn down'')

★
★ Forest Fair Mall (''now Steve & Barry's University Sportswear'')

★
★ Swifton Commons (''former Mabley & Carew, later Elder-Beerman, then Elder-Beerman outlet store; closed 1996. Now a church^[4]'')

★
★ Western Hills Plaza (''closed 1994'')

★ 'Dayton' - Courthouse Plaza (''closed 2002'') ^[5]

★ 'Kettering' (''relocated to current location'')

★ 'Toledo' - North Towne Square (''opened in 1979 as LaSalle's, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1983; closed 1997'')

Pennsylvania

★ 'DuBois' - The Commons Shopping Center (''now Bon-Ton'')

★ 'Erie' - Millcreek Mall (''opened 1998 in former American Dry Goods-owned Boston Store; became Horne's, then Lazarus, then Elder-Beerman; now Bon-Ton'')

West Virginia

★ 'Charleston'
:
★ Charleston Town Center (''former Best Products and Stone & Thomas; now Steve & Barry's'')
:
★ Kanawha Mall (''former Stone & Thomas; vacant; Elder-Beerman moved to former Ames in mall in 2003'')

★ 'Wheeling' (''former Stone & Thomas, converted to Elder-Beerman in 1998'')

Wisconsin

★ 'Green Bay' - Bay Park Square (''., opened 1995 in what was originally a movie theatre in 1980, closed February 2007, to become Younkers Home Store'')
(Opening dates courtesy of Elder- Beerman Stores Corp. Annual Report, 1999)

References

1. http://business.enotes.com/company-histories/elder-beerman-stores-corp/further-reading
2. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4298/is_199806/ai_n15000305
3. http://www.dailyegyptian.com/spring96/020696/elder.html
4. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/04/06/loc_allen_temple_to.html
5. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_May_2/ai_85411250