Hess's

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Hess's
Fate Liquidation
Founded 1897
Defunct {{{defunct}}}
Location Allentown, PA
Industry Retail
Products Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares.

This article is about the Department store chain. For other companies, see Hess.

Hess's was a department store chain based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The department store known as Hess Brothers was founded on February 19, 1897, by Charles and Max Hess.[1] Max Hess came to Allentown in 1896 on a business trip and envisioned a department store serving the area. He moved his family from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1897 and opened Hess Brothers on Ninth and Hamilton streets.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Hess Brothers continued expanding its store by acquiring neighboring properties and filled almost a city block by 1915. While the exterior of the store still appeared as separate buildings, the inside was renovated to look as one large building.[3] Magnificent crystal chandeliers graced the main hall of Hess Brothers, and many windows allowed natural light to fill the store. These and other displays enabled the Hess brothers to succeed at making their store look like a "big city department store."[4]

Max Hess, Sr., died in 1922, and Charles continued to run the store from 1922 to 1932. Max Hess, Jr., continued the Hess’s legacy from 1932 through 1968.[5] The younger Hess was seen as a leader in retailing. In the 1953 B.C. Forbes & Sons book, America’s Twelve Master Salesmen, Hess is listed as the second master salesman. According to this book, Hess’s principle was, “Strive for a specific goal.”

Charles, and later Max Jr., made Hess Brothers a shopping destination. Flamboyance and excitement were cornerstones of the store. It was well known for its fashion apparel as a result of introducing the latest trends from Europe. Additionally, the facade of the store was updated in 1947 using the Art Moderne style,[6] and a 45-foot-tall, 8-ton, red neon sign marked the outside of the flagship store from December 23, 1947 to June 30, 1972.[7] Children delighted at the giant toy soldiers Hess’s used as Christmas decorations in addition to "Pip the Mouse" in a puppet show at the flagship store. All shoppers were treated to the annual May flower show, fashion shows, and celebrity appearances, including by Johnny Carson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Barbara Walters, Rosalynn Carter, and Rock Hudson. Additionally, visitors fondly remember The Patio, the store’s restaurant, popular with many shoppers, for its strawberry pie and sundaes.[8]

In 1968, Max Hess, Jr., sold the store to Philip Berman. At this time, the store business was officially renamed Hess’s, and Berman began an expansion plan for the store, opening new locations in suburban areas, many in shopping malls.[9] In October 1979, Crown American, a developer and owner of hotels and shopping malls, purchased the Hess’s chain, then 17 stores large, as a wholly owned subsidiary.[10] Under Crown American’s leadership, Hess’s enjoyed the booming retail market of the 1980s and expanded to 76 stores by 1990.[11]

In addition to opening stores in available locations, Hess’s purchased other department store chains and converted them to the Hess’s nameplate, such as Penn Traffic Department Stores, based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1981, and Rices Nachmans, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1985.[12] Hess's also purchased the Knoxville, Tennessee based Miller's Department Store chain from Allied Stores in 1987.[13] In September 1987 Hess's agreed to acquire Snyder's, Inc., a privately held Louisville, Kentucky department store, as well as five L. S. Ayres stores in Kentucky that Snyder's had agreed to buy (L. S. Ayres having assumed them from Stewart Dry Goods and Pogue's only a few years earlier). This new division was briefly operated under the Snyder's name, but in November 1987 Hess's announced that it would phase out the Millers and Snyder's names in favor of its own moniker in February 1988.

In a few short years, however, Hess’s suffered under increased retail competition and a national recession, so it sold or shuttered 43 of its stores, especially in the South, including the Knoxville stores to Dillard's and 18 sold to Proffitt's in two deals in 1992[14] and 1993. The remaining 30 stores were sold off in 1994, ending a 97-year enterprise; May Department Stores purchased 10 locations, and Bon-Ton bought 20.[15]

The flagship store at Ninth and Hamilton Streets in Allentown was among those bought by Bon-Ton. The store closed in 1996, due to underperformance and the cost of maintaining the store, as it was a victim of various renovations and additions, none of which were consistent to the previous one. It was torn down in 2000 to make way for The Plaza at PPL Center, an eight-story office building used by PPL.

[edit] Hess's Locations

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Georgia

[edit] Illinois

  • Rockford - Corner of East State Street and North 3rd Street. Constructed in late 1910. Unsure of closing date. Building torn down. Now the site of Fran Kral Lincoln-Mercury-Volvo Dealership (1984-Present)

[edit] Indiana

  • Clarksville - Green Tree Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed late 1993, expanded and reopened as Dillard's 1995. Later became Dillard's Women's store when former Bacon's at nearby River Hills Mall converted to Dillard's Men's. Green Tree store reverted to full-line Dillard's in 2005 when River Hills store closed
  • Evansville - Eastland Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed early 1993, became Famous-Barr 1996, Dillard's 2006

[edit] Kentucky

  • Ashland - Ashland Town Center - opened 1989, became Proffitt's 1993, now Belk
  • Bowling Green - Greenwood Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed early 1993, became Dillard's 1996, which relocated to former Castner Knott 1998; became Famous-Barr 1999, Macy's 2006
  • Elizabethtown - Towne Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, sold to Proffitt's 1993, now Belk
  • Florence - Florence Mall - former Pogue's, L. S. Ayres, and Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed late 1993, became Lazarus Home Store 1995, Macy's Home 2006
  • Lexington - Fayette Mall - former Stewart's Dry Goods, L. S. Ayres, and Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed 1993, became JCPenney 1994
  • Louisville - Jefferson County
  • Bashford Manor Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed late 1993, reopened as Bacon's Home Store, became Dillard's Home 1998, closed 2003, torn down
  • Dixie Manor Shopping Center - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed January l989, now a medical mall[16]
  • Downtown - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed 1993
  • Jefferson Mall - former Stewart's Dry Goods, L. S. Ayres, and Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed 1993, reopened as Bacon's, became Dillard's 1998
  • Oxmoor Center - former Stewart's Dry Goods, L. S. Ayres, and Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed 1993, became Jacobson's 1994, Von Maur 2003
  • Paducah - Kentucky Oaks Mall - former Ben Snyder's, renamed Hess's 1988, closed 1993, became Dillard's 1994

[edit] Maryland

[edit] New Jersey

[edit] New York

[edit] North Carolina

[edit] Pennsylvania

  • Downtown - Flagship, building demolished
  • South Mall - became The Bon-Ton 1995

[edit] Tennessee

  • Downtown - originally located on Gay Street as Millers. Moved to former Rich's store. Gay Street store now home of Knoxville Utilities Board. Former Rich's building is now University of Tennessee Conference Center
  • East Town Mall (renamed Knoxville Center) - originally Miller's, became Dillard's 1992, scheduled to close June 2008
  • West Town Mall - originally Miller's, became Dillard's 1992

[edit] Virginia

  • Granby Mall - formerly Rices Nachmans
  • Janaf Mall - formerly Rices Nachmans
  • Wards Corner - formerly Rices Nachmans

[edit] West Virginia

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Philip I. and Muriel M. Berman Papers: Collection I, Series II.. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  2. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  3. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  4. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  5. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  6. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  7. ^ Whelan, Frank. "Hess Sign in Allentown Was a Giant in Its Day", The Morning Call, 2005-07-27. Retrieved on 2006-12-21. 
  8. ^ Sontag, Samantha (December 2006). "The Hess Experience". Lifestyles Over 50 1 (9): 12–14. 
  9. ^ The Philip I. and Muriel M. Berman Papers: Collection I, Series II.. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  10. ^ The Philip I. and Muriel M. Berman Papers: Collection I, Series II.. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  11. ^ "Court Blocks Developer's Bid for Gee Bee - Bankruptcy Court Halts Crown American Corp.'s Bid for Discount Store Chain.", Discount Store News, 1990-02-26. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. 
  12. ^ "Hess's buying P-VH's Rices Nachmans.", Daily News Record. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. 
  13. ^ Rothchild, John (1991). Going for Broke: How Robert Campeau Bankrupted America's Retail Giants. New York: Penguin, 124. 
  14. ^ [February 2002] Fashion Forward: Assessing the Future of Apparel Manufacturing in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County Workforce Preparation and Economic Development Collaborative, 194. Retrieved on 2006-12-21. 
  15. ^ Macdonald, Laurie. "Hess's Exits Retail, Sells Sites to May, Bon-Ton.", Footwear News. Retrieved on 2006-12-21. 
  16. ^ Benmour, Eric; Terry Boyd (1996-10-11). Caritas medical mall planned at Dixie Manor. Business First of Louisville. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
v • d • e
Store Conversions to Hecht's

1995: Wanamaker's · Woodward & Lothrop    1994: Hess's    1992: Thalhimer's    1990: Miller & Rhoads
See also: Strawbridge's (part of division from 1996)
v • d • e
Store Conversions to Kaufmann's
1995: Hess's    1992: May Company Ohio    1991: Sibley's    1986: Strouss