SERVICE MERCHANDISE

'Service Merchandise' was a chain of large stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed from 1934 to 2002. The company's former chairman, Raymond Zimmerman, resurrected Service Merchandise as an Internet-only retailer in 2004 after buying the name and logo at auction, and later forwarded the website to another online store.

Contents

History

Rise to prominence

Fall from grace

Bankruptcy and liquidation

Return of the name

Showroom ordering process

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Former locations

See also

External link

History

Rise to prominence

Service Merchandise was founded by Harry and Mary Zimmerman as a "five and dime" in 1934. The first catalog showroom opened in 1960 on Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
During the 1970s, Service Merchandise was the nation's top catalog-showroom retailer. At its peak, the company achieved more than $4 billion in annual sales. As the company expanded, it began to open showrooms nationwide, mostly in the vicinity of major shopping malls, which were becoming vogue in the mid-1970s. In the early 1980s, the Service Merchandise headquarters were moved from Nashville to nearby Brentwood, Tennessee, becoming one of the first businesses to plant itself in the area that is now known as Cool Springs.

Fall from grace

The company thrived into the 1980s but was hit hard by the emergence of giant discounters such as Wal-Mart, who took away their title of "America's Largest Jeweler", and Best Buy, who all but eliminated their business in electronics. Until its closure, however, Service Merchandise continued to be the largest watch retailer in the United States.
Service Merchandise was also late to embrace the Internet in the mid-1990s as a method of doing business, on both the internal and retail levels.
The company responded to its plight with a series of restructuring plans that included the discontinuation of unprofitable product lines such as electronics, toys and sporting goods, and focusing on fine jewelry, gifts, and home decor products. Many showrooms closed, and many that remained open were downsized significantly. The company succeeded in dividing many of its company-owned buildings into two or three parcels and then renting the newly-created space to other national chain retailers.

Bankruptcy and liquidation

While in the process of changing its retail format, a group of creditors forced an involuntary petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on March 15, 1999, seeking court supervision of the company's restructuring. The company later filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition to improve its relations with its vendors and creditors, and to stabilize its business.
Raymond Zimmerman, son of the company founders, resigned as chairman of the board in November of 2000. The company had attempted to pull itself out of bankruptcy once again in the summer of 2001, but the economic downturn following the September 11, 2001 attacks proved to be a hurdle the company could not clear [1].
With only 200 catalog showrooms left, stock valued at less than one cent per share, and no profitability in sight, Service Merchandise ceased operations and shuttered all of its stores by early 2002, owing over US$500 million to creditors.

Return of the name

Service Merchandise resurfaced on the World Wide Web in 2004, selling a similar line of merchandise. Raymond Zimmerman bought the former company's name and logo at auction, and he continues to be the owner of the newly formed company.
After a period of redirecting to another site, as of July 2007 the site is back.

Showroom ordering process

Service Merchandise was well-known for its unique ordering process which emphasized the catalog, even within the showrooms.
For non-jewelry orders, customers would enter the showroom and be given a tablet which included an order form to record the catalog numbers of desired items. Items were displayed in working order in the showroom, allowing customers to test products as they shopped. Current Service Merchandise catalogs were placed in strategic locations throughout the store to allow customers to shop for items that were not on display. When ready to place their orders, customers would take the tablet to a clerk who would act as a cashier and submit the order to the store's stockroom (this process was altered in the late 1980s to allow customers to place their orders and pay by credit card with a computer terminal named "Silent Sam" which later changed to "Service Express"). The customer would then move to the "Merchandise Pickup Area", where the order would emerge from the stockroom on a conveyor belt.
In addition to jewelry and catalog showroom display items, Service Merchandise also had several self-service items, which were located on shelves, and taken to the checkout to be paid for as in a traditional retail store. These items included many of those in the toy department as well as smaller, low priced items (such as batteries, film, and video cassettes).
The jewelry department, which was featured prominently in the center of every showroom, operated on a first-come, first-served system, in which each customer would be individually served by a jewelry clerk.
In the mid 1990s, the tablets were replaced with barcoded pull tags placed on/near each item in the showroom. These were taken to the cashier instead of the tablet in order to purchase the item, which would still be retrieved from the stockroom. By the late-1990s, many of the showrooms had been converted to allow a more traditional approach to shopping in addition to the catalog ordering process. By 2000, all of the remaining showrooms had been downsized and the catalog-style shopping approach was officially abandoned.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Service Merchandise was known as one of the largest corporate donors to the Muscular Dystrophy Association during its time as an established company. Chairman/CEO Raymond Zimmerman would appear multiple times on the yearly Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon to present donations on behalf of the company and its customers. Around each showroom were several collection boxes for MDA, and each store also sold MDA fundraising shamrocks at St. Patrick's Day. Even during its bankruptcy and liquidation, Service Merchandise continued to be a large supporter of MDA.

Former locations

The following is a list of the former Service Merchandise locations in the United States.
'Alabama'

★ Birmingham
:
★ 500 Riverchase Village
:
★ Eastwood Mall - originally Pizitz; torn down

★ Huntsville, 930A Old Monrovia Rd. - now H. H. Gregg

★ Mobile, 300 Azalea Rd. - now Dollar General and Furniture to Go

★ Montgomery, 181 Eastern Blvd. - now Fred's Store

★ Tuscaloosa, 1621 E. Skyland Blvd. - vacant
'Arkansas'

★ Fayetteville

★ Little Rock, 11400 W. Markham St. - now Michaels
'Arizona'

★ Glendale, Glendale Town Center - now subdivided into smaller shops

★ Mesa
:
★ 1360 W. Southern Ave. - now International Reupholstery Corp. (IRCA)
:
★ Superstition Springs Shopping Center (6233 E. Southern Blvd.) - now Ashley Furniture
'California'

★ San Francisco, 180 E. El Camino Real - now Kelly Moore Paints

★ San Jose, 5353 Almaden Expressway
'Connecticut'

★ Danbury, 67 Newton Rd. - now Four Seasons Interiors

★ Derby, 600 New Haven Ave. - now Big Lots

★ Manchester, 1520 Pleasant Valley Rd. - now PetSmart

★ Newington, 3563 Berlin Turnpike - now Stickley Furniture

★ Orange, 96 Boston Post Rd. - now Big Lots and Staples

★ Waterbury, 861 Wolcott St. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics
'Delaware'

★ Dover, 1380 N. DuPont Hwy. - now Furniture & More

★ Wilmington, 1400 Rocky Run Pkwy. - now Raymour & Flanigan Furniture
'Florida'

★ Altamonte Springs, 150 S. State Route 434

★ Boca Raton, 8210 Glades Rd. - now Off Broadway Shoes

★ Boynton Beach, 1775 N. Congress Ave. - now Best Buy

★ Bradenton, 825 W. Cortez Rd. - now Bed Bath & Beyond

★ Brandon, 161 Brandon Town Center Drive - now American Signature Furniture

★ Casselberry
:
★ 1455 Semoran Rd.
:
★ 5655 S. US Route 17/92

★ Clearwater, 2343 Curlew Rd. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics

★ Coral Springs, 560 Riverside Dr.

★ Daytona Beach, 260 Jimmy Ann Ave.

★ Fort Myers, 4429 S. Cleveland Ave. - now Big Lots

★ Hollywood, 3601 Oakwood Blvd. - how HomeGoods

★ Jacksonville
:
★ 9400 Atlantic Blvd. - now Marshalls
:
★ 9041 Southside Blvd., Suite 140 - now Michaels

★ Kissimmee, Osceola Square Mall - was a concept store called Service Select

★ Lakeland, 4015 N. US Highway 98

★ Largo, Largo Mall

★ Leesburg, 5415 S. Hwy. 441

★ Miami
:
★ 14870 N. Kendall Dr.
:
★ 7775 40th St. SW

★ Naples, 5052 N. Airport Rd, Carillon Plaza Shopping Center - now a Circuit City

★ North Miami Beach, The Mall at 163rd Street - originally Pantry Pride Supermarket; torn down

★ Ocala, Shady Oaks Mall - now Bealls

★ Orange Park, 6001-29 Argyle Forest - now Michaels

★ Orlando
:
★ 7175 W. Colonial Dr.
:
★ 730 Sand Lake Rd.
:
★ 2999 E. Colonial Dr. - now AC Moore Arts & Crafts

★ Pembroke Pines, 11251 Pines Blvd. - now HomeGoods

★ Pensacola, 7303 Plantation Rd. - now American Water Works

★ Pompano Beach, 1401 S. Federal Hwy. - now Marshalls

★ Port Charlotte, 2000 Tamiami Trail

★ Port Richey, 10340 US Highway 19

★ St. Petersburg, 2500 66th St. N. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics

★ Sanford, 111 Towne Center Blvd.

★ Sarasota, 3750 Bee Ridge Rd. - now HomeGoods

★ Spring Hill, 2418 Commercial Way - now Party Daze

★ Stuart, 3257 Federal Hwy. NW

★ Sunrise, Sawgrass Mills - now American Signature Furniture

★ Tallahassee, Tallahassee Mall - originally Woolco, laterZayre, then Ames, then Service Merchandise; now Goody's Family Clothing, Ross Dress For Less and Shoe Carnival

★ Tampa
:
★ 4340 Hillsborough Ave.
:
★ 1251 E. Fowler Ave.

★ Vero Beach, Indian River Commons

★ West Melbourne, 1557 W. New Haven Ave.

★ West Palm Beach, 1951 N. Military Tr.
'Georgia'

★ Alpharetta, 7491 N. Point Pkwy.

★ Atlanta
:
★ 4805 Old National Hwy.
:
★ Hammond Square Shopping Center - now Whole Foods Market

★ Augusta, 3435 Wrightsboro Rd.

★ Columbus, 3201 Macon Rd.

★ Douglasville, 9425 Georgia Hwy. 5

★ Duluth, 2075 Market St. - originally Segall & Sons

★ Kennesaw, 800 Ernest Barrett Pkwy.

★ Macon, 1689 Eisenhower Pkwy.

★ Morrow, 1400 Morrow Industrial Park

★ Savannah, 5 Abercorn Plaza Rd. - now HomeGoods

★ Smyrna, 2750 Cobb Pkwy. - originally Segall & Sons; demolished for a Lexus dealership

★ Tucker, 1990 W. Exchange Pl.
'Illinois'

★ Arlington Heights, Town & Country Center - now Ashley Furniture

★ Berwyn, 7111 W. Cermak Rd.

★ Bloomingdale, 340 W. Army Trail Rd. - now Circuit City

★ Burbank, 7600 S. LaCrosse Ave.

★ Crystal Lake, 5561 Northwest Hwy.

★ Downers Grove
:
★ 1320 W. 75th St.
:
★ Finley Square Mall - now Wickes Furniture

★ Elgin, Fox River Plaza

★ Homewood, Washington Square Mall - torn down

★ Joliet, Hillcrest Shopping Center - originally Boston Store; later Highland Electronics after Service Merchandise closed

★ Lansing, 16795 S. Torrence Ave.

★ Matteson, 4055 W. 211th St.

★ Naperville, 526 S. Route 59

★ Niles, 8303 W. Golf Rd. - now Archivers

★ Norridge, 4105 N. Harlem Ave.

★ Northbrook, Deerbrook Mall - originally Montgomery Ward; torn down for The Great Indoors which is now vacant

★ Oak Lawn, 8812 S. Cicero Ave.

★ Orland Park, 15770 LaGrange Rd.

★ Schaumburg, 1440 Golf Rd.

★ Skokie, Carpenter @ Touhy

★ Waukegan, 300 Lakehurst Rd. - now Sundance Saloon
'Indiana'

★ Castleton, 8410 Castleton Corner Dr.

★ Clarksville, 750 E. Highway 131

★ Elkhart, Pierre Moran Mall - originally Grant City, then Carson Pirie Scott, then Service Merchandise; later Target, now demolished

★ Evansville, 300 N. Green River Rd. - now David's Bridal

★ Fort Wayne
:
★ 5501 Coldwater Rd.
:
★ Southtown Mall - closed 1997, torn down

★ Greenwood, 1251 W. US-31 - now Dick's Sporting Goods

★ Indianapolis, Indiana
:
★ 5100 W. 38th St.
:
★ 7803 E. Washington St.

★ Kokomo, Markland Plaza

★ Lafayette, Tippecanoe Plaza

★ Lake Station, 202 W. Ridge Rd.

★ Merrillville
:
★ Century Consumer Mall - originally half of Goldblatt's; entire former Goldblatt's space now occupied Burlington Coat Factory
:
★ 2114 E. 80th Ave.

★ Mishawaka, 6502 Grape Rd.

★ South Bend, University Center
'Kansas'

★ Hutchinson, Hutchinson Mall - later Stage, now ESSDACK Learning Center

★ Overland Park, 9000 Metcalf Ave.

★ Wichita
:
★ Towne East Square - later Stein Mart, now Steve & Barry's
:
★ Towne West Square - now Dick's Sporting Goods
'Kentucky'

★ Florence, 7715 Mall Rd.

★ Lexington, 1555 New Circle Rd.

★ Louisville
:
★ 5025 Shelbyville Rd.
:
★ 4601 Outer Loop Rd.

★ Owensboro, 4810 Frederica St. - vacant

★ Paducah, Kentucky Oaks Mall
'Louisiana'

★ Alexandria - vacant

★ Baton Rouge, Cortana Mall - originally Wilson's; now Steve & Barry's University Sportswear

★ Bossier City, Pierre Bossier Mall - vacant

★ Harvey, 1500 Westbank Expy.

★ Houma, 1636 Martin Luther King Blvd.

★ Lafayette
:
★ 4570 Johnston St.
:
★ Northgate Mall - originally Wilson's

★ Metairie, 6851 Veterans Blvd.

★ Monroe, 2010 Louisville Ave.

★ Shreveport, 1750 E. 70th St.

★ Slidell, 119 N. Shore Blvd.
'Maine'

★ Auburn

★ Augusta, 114 Western Ave.

★ Bangor

★ Brunswick
:
★ Cook's Corner Mall - closed 1993, now TJ Maxx
:
★ Merrymeeting Plaza - now Shaw's

★ South Portland, 198 Maine Mall Rd. - now Dollar Tree and other stores
'Maryland'

★ Baltimore, 5210 Campbell Blvd.

★ Columbia 9041 Snowden River Pkwy.

★ Waldorf, St. Charles Plaza
'Massachusetts'

★ Auburn, 366 Southbridge St.

★ Burlington, 34 Cambridge St.

★ Framingham, Cloverleaf Mall - now Golfers Warehouse

★ Holyoke, Holyoke Mall at Ingleside - later AC Moore Arts & Crafts, now The Sports Authority

★ Lanesborough, Berkshire Mall - now Best Buy and Linens 'n Things

★ Leominster, The Mall at Whitney Field - originally Sage-Allen; now Circuit City and Old Navy

★ Saugus, Square One Mall - now Best Buy and Gold's Gym

★ Stoughton, Park St.

★ Swansea, 58 Swansea Mall Dr.
'Michigan'

★ Ann Arbor, Arborland Consumer Mall - torn down

★ Dearborn, 5701 Mercury Dr. - now Value City Furniture

★ Flint, 5038 Miller Rd. - now Gander Mountain

★ Lansing, 5801 W. Saginaw Hwy. - later Farmer Jack, now Hobby Lobby

★ Livonia, Wonderland Mall - originally Foland's; torn down

★ Novi, 43635 West Oaks Dr. - now HomeGoods

★ Okemos, Meridian Mall - originally Woolco; torn down for Jacobson's 2001, Jacobson's replaced by Younkers 2003

★ Roseville, Roseville Towne Centre - now Marshalls Megastore. Entire complex was originally E.J. Korvette

★ Southfield, 29720 Southfield - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Southgate, Southgate Shopping Center - originally Federal; vacant

★ Sterling Heights, 44725 Schoenherr - now partially Big Lots

★ Troy, 600 John R. Road - now DSW Shoe Warehouse

★ Waterford, Summit Place Mall - vacant

★ Westland, 7365 Nankin Blvd. - vacant
'Minnesota'

★ Edina, Mall of America - now Barnes & Noble
'Mississippi'

★ Gautier, Singing River Mall - later Northrop Grumman offices, now vacant

★ Gulfport, 15138 Crossroads Pkwy.

★ Hattiesburg, next to Turtle Creek Mall

★ Jackson, 6388 Ridgewood Ct.
'Missouri'

★ Crestwood, 9809 Watson Rd.

★ Florissant, 13963 New Halls Ferry Rd.

★ St. Peters, 5881 Suemandy Dr.

★ Springfield, 1533 E. Battlefield St.
'Nevada'

★ Las Vegas, 4701 Faircenter Pkwy.
'New Hampshire'

★ Dover, 875 Central Ave.

★ Manchester, 70 March Ave.

★ Nashua, 268 Daniel Webster Hwy.

★ Plaistow, 58 Plaistow Rd.

★ Salem, 271 S. Broadway
'New Jersey'

★ Hazlet, 3120 State Hwy. 35 - vacant

★ Paramus, 651 S. Rte. 17

★ Wayne, West Belt Plaza
'New Mexico'

★ Albuquerque, Wyoming Mall - torn down for Wal-Mart Supercenter

★ Las Cruces, Mesilla Valley Mall - now Dillard's Home Store
'New York'

★ Cedarhurst, Bay Harbour Mall - now Bed Bath & Beyond; entire complex was originally E.J. Korvette

★ Cicero, Marketplace Mall - torn down

★ East Meadow, Clearmeadow Mall - now part of Wal-Mart. Entire complex was originally Great Eastern Mills store and later Woolco

★ Fishkill, Dutchess Mall - originally Luckey Platt; later a flea market, now torn down

★ Hartsdale, 299 N. Central Park Ave.

★ Holbrook, Sun-Vet Mall - now Toys "R" Us

★ Kingston, Kings Mall - originally Kings Department store; now Marshalls

★ Lake Grove, 2045 Smith Haven Plaza - now Bed Bath & Beyond

★ Massapequa, The former Sears shopping center (Now Phillips shopping center) - now Burglington Coat factory

★ Middletown, 88-25 Dunning Rd.

★ Patchogue, 499 W. Sunrise Hwy.

★ Plattsburgh, Champlain Centre North - now Gander Mountain

★ Poughkeepsie, South Hills Mall - vacant, to be torn down

★ Saratoga Springs, Pyramid Mall at Saratoga - torn down

★ Woodhaven, 102-34 Atlantic Ave.

★ Yorktown Heights, Jefferson Valley Mall - now partially H&M
'North Carolina'

★ Cary, 427 Crossroads Blvd.

★ Charlotte, 5809 Independence Blvd.

★ Fayetteville, 2817 Fort Bragg Rd.

★ Gastonia, 1495 E. Franklin Ave.

★ Greensboro, 1307 Bridford

★ Pineville, 10600 Centrum Pkwy.

★ Raleigh, US-1 @ Millbrook (Capital Crossing)
'Ohio'

★ Cincinnati
:
★ 9450 Colerain Ave.
:
★ 5100 Glencrossing Way
:
★ 650 Eastgate Dr. South, Suite C

★ Columbus
:
★ Northland Plaza
:
★ Service Merchandise Plaza

★ Fairlawn

★ Lima, Lima Center

★ Springdale, 11444 Princeton Pike
'Oklahoma'

★ Midwest City, Heritage Park Mall� - originally Wilson's; now A & Z Outlet

★ Norman, Sooner Mall

★ Oklahoma City
:
★ 7301 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
:
★ 5537 Northwest Expressway

★ Tulsa
:
★ Eastland Mall - vacant
:
★ near Woodland Hills Mall

★ Warr Acres, 5537 Northwest Expy.
'Pennsylvania'

★ Allentown, 1885 Catasauqua Rd.

★ Dickson City, Business US Route 6. Now Demolished for Sheetz Gas Station.

★ Greensburg, US-30

★ Harrisburg, 5086 Jonestown Rd.

★ Lancaster, 1515 Lititz Pike

★ Pittsburgh, Ross Park Mall

★ Reading, 845 Woodland Rd. Now "The Restaurant Store".

★ Wilkes-Barre, 520 Kidder St.
'South Carolina'

★ Charleston, Charles Towne Square - originally Wilson's; torn down

★ Columbia, 3 Diamond Lane

★ Greenville, 101 Verdae Blvd.
'Tennessee'

★ Antioch, 5301 Hickory Hollow Pkwy. - now Bed Bath & Beyond

★ Chattanooga, 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd.

★ Franklin, 1735 Galleria Blvd. (flagship store) - now Wild Oats Markets

★ Goodlettsville (Rivergate) - now DSW Shoe Warehouse

★ Jackson, 50 Old Hickory Blvd.

★ Johnson City, 3211 Peoples St., Suite 7

★ Knoxville
:
★ 9333 Kingston Pike
:
★ East Towne Mall (now Knoxville Center) - now Rush Fitness

★ Madison, 2130 N. Gallatin Pike - now American Signature Furniture

★ Memphis
:
★ 6120 Winchester Rd.
:
★ 9730 Giacosa Place
:
★ Mall of Memphis - originally Wilson's; vacant

★ Nashville

★
★ Downtown (original store) - later NASCAR Cafe, now Red Iguana nightclub

★
★ Green Hills - now Wild Oats Markets

★
★ Harding Mall - originally G.C. Murphy; later Marshalls, now torn down for Wal-Mart Supercenter
'Texas'

★ Abilene, Mall of Abilene - now Dillard's Home Store

★ Amarillo, Western Plaza Shopping Center - originally Woolco, then Wilson's; later a nightclub, now vacant, to be demolished

★ Arlington
:
★ 1530 W. I-20
:
★ Forum 303 Mall - originally Wilson's; vacant

★ Austin
:
★ 6500 Airport Blvd. - now offices
:
★ Westgate Mall - originally Woolco, then Wilson's; torn down for Central Market

★ Baytown, San Jacinto Mall - vacant

★ Beaumont, 4450 Dowlen Rd. - now Interior Decorating Cents

★ College Station, Post Oak Mall - originally Wilson's; now Dillard's Men's & Home

★ Dallas
:
★ 11250 N. Central Expressway
:
★ White Rock Marketplace

★ Fort Worth, 5000 S. Hulen St.

★ Harlingen, 702 S. Dixieland Rd., Suite A

★ Houston
:
★ 2665 Hwy 6 South
:
★ 17727 Tom Ball Pkwy.
:
★ 12009 Northwest Freeway
:
★ 1410 Lake Woodlands Dr.
:
★ 1211 W. Bay Area Blvd.
:
★ Meyerland Plaza - originally Wilson's; torn down
:
★ Gulfgate Mall - torn down
:
★ 10225 Katy Freeway

★ Lake Jackson, Brazos Mall

★ Laredo, 5720 San Bernando Ave.

★ Lewisville, 2422 S. Stemmons Freeway

★ Longview, Longview Mall

★ McAllen
:
★ La Plaza Mall
:
★ 600 E. US-83

★ Mesquite, 2021 Town East Blvd.

★ North Richland Hills, 7563 Grapevine Hwy.

★ Plano, 801 W. 15th St., Suite B

★ Richardson, 1300 E. Beltline

★ San Angelo, Sunset Mall - now Dillard's Women's Store

★ San Antonio, 6161 NW Loop 410

★ Sugar Land, 15235 Southwest Freeway

★ Temple, Temple Mall - later Stein Mart, now Steve & Barry's

★ Tyler, 4820 S. Broadway Blvd.

★ Webster, 1211 W. Bay Area Blvd.
'Vermont'

★ Burlington, 555 Shelburne Rd. - now Ashley Furniture
'Virginia'

★ Chantilly, 13856 Metrotech Dr. - demolished for Lowe's

★ Chesapeake, 4300 Portsmouth Blvd.

★ Fredericksburg, 3545 Plankk Rd.

★ Glen Allen, 9860 W. Broad St.

★ Midlothian, 1300 Huguenot Rd. - now DSW Shoe Warehouse

See also

★ Best Products

★ Brendle's

★ Consumers Distributing - a similar (and also failed) retailer in Canada.

★ Witmark

External link

★ Service Merchandise website