E.J. KORVETTE / KORVETTES

At one time the major east coast discount retailer, the E.J. Korvette enterprise was founded by New York City's Eugene Ferkhauf and Joe Zwillenberg. The name of the chain was a play on "corvette", a type of sub-destroyer in the the Royal Canadian Navy. War time restrictions on the commercial use of military terms were still in force, so the name had to be modified with a K...into "Korvette."

The first Korvettes store opened in 1948. It was located in a loft along Manhattan's East 46th Street. This mother store encompassed 400 square feet and sold only luggage, household appliances and jewelry. Four additional small-format stores would be built, each encompassing around 10,000 square feet. 

A major expansion plan was announced in 1954, with the first large-format store built in Carle Place (Nassau County), New York. Encompassing 2-levels and 90,000 square feet, the Carle Place unit opened for business on December 2, 1954. A (15,000 square foot) Korvettes supermarket was added, which began business in December 1955. 

Expanding ever onward, Korvette units were built in West Islip, Long Island (February 1956), Brooklyn, New York (May 1957), Springfield County, Pennsylvania (August 1957), Brunswick, New Jersey (November 1957) and Hartford, Connecticut (December 1957). By 1961, the Korvette City concept had been adopted. Korvette City installations were one-stop shopping centers, which included a discount department store, Furniture Center, Carpet Center, Korvettes or Hills-Korvettes supermarket and Tire City auto center. 

Merchandise lines included ladies', men's and children's apparel, infant's wear, shoes, paints and hardware, large and small home appliances, lamps, fabrics and notions, toys, lingerie, garden and patio supplies, sporting goods, pets and pet supplies, cigarettes and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, jewelry, fashion accessories, millinery, curtains and draperies, housewares, cameras and photo developing, records, stationery, books, leather goods and luggage. 

The Korvette company was among the first to legally challenge New York State's anti-discounting statutes, which forbade retail sale of various items below a set price. To initially get around this law, Korvette adopted a "membership store" format. However, this was in name only. Membership cards were plentiful and available for free.

A flagship store was established on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. Encompassing 8 levels and 180,000 square feet, it welcomed first shoppers on May 24, 1962. At this time, new markets were being entered around the nation. Two Greater Baltimore stores were officially dedicated on November 1, 1962. The Chicago market was entered, with two stores, on April 29, 1963, with the first two Greater Detroit units opening on August 14th of the same year. Korvettes came to Greater St. Louis by inaugurating two stores on October 29, 1964.

Alas, after years of astounding success, the tide turned on the Korvettes empire. A series of poorly-conceived business decisions took their toll. Lines of large appliances and home furnishings had been eliminated. A shift toward more upscale merchandising was unsuccessful and was quietly abandoned. "The Other Korvettes," a campaign to emphasize fashion, was jettisoned when it became too costly. Moreover, a misguided attempt to compete directly with major department stores, such as Macy's, went over with a resounding thud.  

At its peak, Korvettes had operated fifty-eight stores. In 1979, the foundering company was purchased by the Agache-Willot Group of France. Unprofitable stores were closed and company-owned real estate divested. The last seventeen Korvettes stores went dark on December 24, 1980.

KORVETTES-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*BLACK HORSE PIKE CENTER, Camden County, NJ (1961)
*KING OF PRUSSIA PLAZA, Montgomery County, PA (1962)
*NORTHWAY MALL, Albany County, NY (1970)

Click on this link to view a vintage KORVETTES commercial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7i5KdtfJM8&NR=1