Enterprise Stores was founded, in 1912, by Philip Feldman and Samuel Glass, of Massachusetts. The three sons of the two Enterprise Stores owners -Joseph Feldman, Hy Glass and George Glass- had assumed operation of the company by the early 1950's. At that time, Enterprise Stores was headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts.
A new store name and concept were conceived, with the first J.M. Fields store dedicated, in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1955. Early J.M. Fields operations were "mill stores," which only sold apparel and linens. Eventually, the product line was expanded. In March 1956, there were five operational stores; these located in the Massachusetts cities of Salem, Somerville, Lawrence, Everett and Framingham. By 1960, there were thirty-three units. These were located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida.
Philadelphia-based Food Fair Stores acquired Enterprise-J.M. Fields, Incorporated on August 14, 1961. By the mid-1960s, Food Fair was operating seventy-nine locations in the Eastern United States. Many had an adjoining Food Fair supermarket. J.M. Field's and Food Fair Stores, Incorporated were prosperous endeavors throughout the 1960s.
This had changed by the early '70s. Food Fair (whose grocery stores were now operating under the Pantry Pride and Food Fair-Quality Discount banners) was in a downward spiral, taking J.M. Fields along with it. The beleaguered discount chain was sold as part of Food Fair's bankruptcy, of October 1978. All J.M. Fields stores had been shuttered by June 1979.
J.M. FIELDS-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:
*MOHAWK MALL, Schenectady County, NY (1970)
*ASHLEY PLAZA, Charleston, SC (1972)
*NEWINGTON MALL, Newington, NH (1974)
*ASHLEY PLAZA, Charleston, SC (1972)
*NEWINGTON MALL, Newington, NH (1974)
