The word "mart" is derived from "marct," a 15th century, Middle Dutch term. In the English language, it is defined as a fair or trading center. By the early years of the 20th century, the term was being used in an agricultural context. References can be found to things such as "wheat mart" or "horse mart" auctions. Apparently, there was no use of mart in reference to the retail industry.

"Mart" probably began to be used in a wholesale-retail context as a result of the May 5, 1930 opening of Chicago's Merchandise Mart. This facility received mass media coverage. It was the world's largest building; a distinction held until January 15, 1943, when The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, was dedicated.

In the post-World War II years, "mart" became a popular buzz word. It was used extensively in newspaper write-ups, with the fledgling discount store industry adopting the term in a big way. The "discount mart" was born!

Within a few years there were Mammoth Mart, Miracle Mart, Valu-Mart, Gov-Mart, Gulf Mart, Villa-Mart, Unimart, FedMart, Worth Mart, Buckeye Mart, Baymart and Almart. In 1962, the most noteworthy mart-type stores of all came along...Kmart and Wal-Mart.

As the post-war era drew to a close, the word "mart" became an archaic, rarely-used term. In fact, had the Kmart and Wal-Mart chains not risen to such prominence, it is likely that, by now, the term would be out of usage altogether.

In this section, we shall cover the rise and fall of the nation's discount mart stores, many no more than a fading mercantile memory. Unfortunately, not every single mid-century discount chain is featured. I hope that I have included all of the major chains, as well as a good selection of smaller ones.

A logo collage for some of America's many mart-type discount stores. Mammoth Mart originated, like so many others, in Massachusetts. It was in operation between 1956 and 1978. Buckeye Mart, as the name implied, operated in Ohio -the "Buckeye State"- from the early 1960s into the mid-1980s.

Chicago's famed Merchandise Mart helped bring the term "mart" into pop culture consciousness in the 1930s. With the end of the "big war," and beginning of America's suburban sprawl, "mart" was adopted as a buying industry buzz word. It was used to depict all in the world of discount retail that was new, exciting and ultra-modern.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Serhii"

Following Chicago's model, wholesale Marts were built in locations such as Dallas and Atlanta. They consolidated a wide array of commerce into single structures. The Dallas Trade Mart, seen here, opened in 1958. It was the plotted destination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He never arrived...
Photo from Wikipedia / Donald H. Speck

A circa-1973 national map shows major -and minor- discount marts. The largest chains were Kmart (486 stores), Grant City (464 stores), TG&Y Family Centers (213 stores) and Woolco (183 stores). Arkansas' Wal-Mart operated sixty-four and Minnesota's Target clocked in with forty-six. Gibson's Discount Centers, a major presence in the Southland, presided over nearly 500 company-owned and franchised locations. 

Although most discount-type stores were freestanding units, there were many shopping center locations. Some anchored shopping malls. In a number of instances, there were dual discount mart malls. Our first example, Johnstown, Pennsylvania's RICHLAND MALL opened, in late 1974, with an (83,400 square foot) Kmart and (86,400 square foot) Sears. By the time of this depiction (1992), there were two discount stores anchoring the complex.

This drawing depicts a more contemporary "Mart Mall;" La Mesa, California's GROSSMONT CENTER. Opened between October 1961 and March 1962, the complex included a Montgomery Ward. A Bullock's department store was added in 1983. This was shuttered in 1993 and became a Target in 1996. Wards shut down in 2001 and re-opened -as a Walmart- in 2004.

We begin our exploration of the Mart store phenomenon with the major discount chains created as divisions of large retail holding companies, regional chains, supermarkets, 5 & 10s and variety stores. The major retail holding companies, who operated various regional department stores, were especially alarmed by the advent of the discount mart. The discount chains that they spun off were a reaction, that -they hoped- would exploit the trend.

Our first logo and store history layout features discount chains that originated, for the most part, in the 1961-1963 time frame. Populating space near the bottom are three chains that would go on to dominate the discount store field.  

Our second layout displays logos of some of the other major discount chains. These came into being between the early '60s and 1980. Not one remains in operation today. 

GRAND-WAY

New Jersey's Grand Union supermarket chain was one of -if not- the first American retail chains to spin off a discount mart division. Known as Grand-Way (or Grand Way), it premiered in June 1956 in Keansburg, New Jersey.

For the first Grand-Way store, an existing Grand Union supermarket was doubled in size, from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet. Lines of general merchandise were stocked. After the debut of the store, major home appliances -such as refrigerators, ranges, washers and dryers- were added to the inventory. Moreover, a layaway department was created and time payment credit plan instituted.

The second Grand-Way "super general store" opened in Albany, New York in October 1957. This was followed by locations in East Brunswick, New Jersey and Poughkeepsie and Courtland, New York. All of these were created out of expanded -pre-existing- Grand Union supermarkets. The first purpose-built Grand-Way, in Danbury, Connecticut, held its grand opening on July 15, 1958.

On October 13, 1958, the eighth Grand-Way store opened in Paramus, New Jersey. The standard store size had been increased to 85,000 square feet. The first Florida location -in Miami- welcomed shoppers on October 27, 1958. On August 22, 1960, two 100,000 square foot units were dedicated in St. Petersburg. Two more of similar size were simultaneously dedicated in Tampa. By this time, the Grand-Way prototype included a luncheonette, beauty salon, pharmacy, Flower & Garden Shop, Bargain Balcony and Kiddie Corner children's fun center and babysitting service.

By 1964, the Grand Union chain had opened twenty-five Grand-Way discount marts. Early stores had incorporated grocery and general merchandise into a single building. This open plan was altered in the mid-1960s, with a wall being built in each location to separate the two divisions. 

By 1966, there were thirty-one Grand-Way stores in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York State, Florida and Vermont. By 1972, Grand-Way had expended into Pennsylvania, but the store count had dropped to twenty-three. Economic doldrums and a so-called "gasoline shortage" resulted in declining sales and profits in 1973. 

Grand-Way was in a downward spiral. Going out of business sales commenced at the fourteen remaining stores in June 1979. The Kmart Corporation took over the leases of seven stores, with the Zayre Corporation assuming the leases of five.  

TREASURE ISLAND / THE TREASURY

This discount department store chain was founded by David, Robert and Stanley Kritznik, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Originally operated under the auspices of the General Merchandise Corporation, the first Treasure Island store was inaugurated, in Appleton, Wisconsin, on November 24, 1961.

General Merchandise was acquired by the J.C. Penney Company in February 1962. There were eventually thirty-four stores. These were branded as Treasure Island in Atlanta and Appleton, Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Treasury nameplate was used in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Dallas and Memphis. Stores encompassed between 75,000 and 120,000 square feet. A branch, known as Treasury Drug, was established in 1969.

A typical Treasure Island-The Treasury store would include departments devoted to shoes, apparel, toys, hobbies, furniture and small appliances, as well as an optical store, dry cleaner, beauty salon, pharmacy, snack bar and freestanding auto service center. Several Treasure Island-The Treasury stores also included a supermarket. These were shuttered in 1977. The jettison of the grocery division was indicative of the profitability problems that the chain had been experiencing since the mid-1970s. 

In February 1981, the Penney's home office announced the closing of all thirty-four stores, which was to conclude in April of the same year. The Treasury Drug division would remain in business until 1997, when it merged with Eckerd Drugs.

AYR-WAY 

Indiana's L.S. Ayres & Company spun off a discount mart chain known as Ayr-way Stores, Incorporated. The first four units opened -in Greater Indianapolis- on October 13, 1961. Operations were soon expanded to the cities of Richmond, Anderson, Kokomo and Evansville. By November 1968, there were ten Ayr-way stores. 

The typical Ayr-way would encompass between 50,000 and 100,000 square feet and include seventy departments. There would be sections for major appliances, toys, sporting goods, family shoes and apparel, as well as a Garden & Outdoor sales area, Tire & Auto store and Ayr-way Food Galaxy supermarket (these covering approximately 25,000 square feet).

L.S. Ayres & Company and Ayr-way Stores were acquired by Associated Dry Goods in January 1972. The Ayr-way chain was greatly expanded. In November 1973, there were twenty-six stores. By March 1977, there were twenty-nine. Thirty-two units had been established by November 1978. At its peak, Ayr-way Stores presided over forty-seven units; these operating in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky.  

The chain soon came under scrutiny of the FTC for anti-trust violations. Allied Stores divested their interest in Ayr-way in January 1977. Forty stores ended up under the ownership of Minneapolis' Dayton-Hudson Corporation in September 1980 and were rebranded with their Target nameplate in July 1981. 

 AYR-WAY-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*MARKLAND MALL, Kokomo, IN (1968)

*SCOTTSDALE MALL, South Bend, In (1973)

*BASHFORD MANOR MALL, Louisville, KY (1973)

JUPITER

As a consequence of America's move to the suburbs, and the resulting decline of the inner city, Troy, Michigan's S.S. Kresge Company was left holding leases of several declining downtown dime stores. To make better use of its cumbersome real estate, the company created a new division in 1961. Known as Jupiter, it would be a deep discount chain offering a limited selection of fast-moving merchandise, such as clothing, health & beauty aids and housewares.

The first Jupiter store opened in Redford Township, a northern Detroit suburb, in the fall of 1961. The conversion of shuttered Kresge stores to the Jupiter format was well underway by the end of the year, when six stores were in operation. By late 1962, there were forty stores. This number had grown to fifty-one by 1964 and 110 by 1966. Store numbers dwindled during the 1970s. By 1979, there were eighty Jupiter locations.

Wanting to focus on its rapidly-expanding Kmart division, the parent company sold its seventy-six remaining Kresge and Jupiter stores, to the McCrory Corporation, in April 1987. In June, said stores were rebannered  under the McCrory nameplate.

KMART

Introduced by the Michigan-based S.S. Kresge Company in 1962, Kmart had become the preeminent discount department store chain in the United States by the mid-1970s. Stores spanned between 40,000 and 110,000 square feet. Each had either a Kmart Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Snack Bar or Cafeteria. Some also had a Kmart Food supermarket.

The very first Kmart-branded store opened, in San Fernando, California, on January 25, 1962. This 24,000 square foot "bantam store" was something of a retail experiment. The first full fledged Kmart was dedicated, in Garden City, Michigan, on March 1, 1962. It encompassed 80,000 square feet.

In late 1963, there were fifty-three Kmart stores operating in the United States. By late 1973, 673 stores were in business in the United States, Canada and Australia. Kmart was such a success that its stores had quickly eclipsed the 5 & 10s of the Kresge Company. This resulted in the corporate moniker being changed to the K Mart Corporation in January 1977. 

The combined Kmart store count in 1983 was 2,160 units. At the peak of the Kmart endeavor in 1993, there were 2,486. By the late 1990s, the Kmart star was being eclipsed by Arkansas-based Wal-Mart and Minnesota's Target. Kmart went through bankruptcy proceedings between January 2002 and May 2003; this as a result of some creative accounting and misappropriation of funds by two corporate heads.

The concern, now officially written as the Kmart Corporation, merged with Chicago-based Sears & Roebuck in November 2004, with the new entity assuming the heading of Sears Holdings Corporation. Massive campaigns of store closings followed. As of early 2024, there were eight operational Kmart stores.

KMART-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*SOUTH FORKS CENTER, Grand Forks, ND (1964)
*PYRAMID MALL, Plattsburgh, NY (1975)
*CRYSTAL POINT MALL, Crystal Lake, IL (1978) [Kmart assumed vacant Robert Hall Village]

TARGET

Third in line among the "Big Three" American discount marts, Target was formed by Minneapolis' Dayton department store chain, a.k.a. the Dayton Company. The first Target store was located in Roseville, Minnesota, a Saint Paul suburb. 

Dayton's purchased a partially-completed store that was being built for New York City's Jubilee Shops. This became Target's mother store. When completed, it encompassed a total of 82,500 square feet. A discount department store filled 61,250 square feet, with an adjoining 21,250 square foot section housing an Applebaum Food Markets grocery. The combo store was officially dedicated on May 1, 1962. 

A merger with J.L. Hudson, of Detroit, was finalized in June 1969, with the new enterprise known as the Dayton Hudson Corporation. Stores in the Target discount division encompassed between 100,000 and 120,000 square feet. The chain, a bit more upscale than its rivals, offered high-quality merchandise sold in attractive stores. 

An aggressive expansion program enlarged a small, regional discount chain into a national concern. In 1962, there had been four Target units. This number had grown to forty-six in 1972, 167 in 1982 and 506 in 1992.  

The first extension of Target stores, into the Denver, Colorado market, took place in 1966. Texas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Oklahoma joined the Target fold in 1969. 1970 and '71 brought stores in Wisconsin and Iowa. In 1981, locations opened in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. California and Arizona operations were added in 1983. Michigan and Nevada units debuted in 1987, with the first Washington State, Oregon and Florida stores completed in 1988. The states of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina were "Targeted" in 1989.

The Dayton Hudson Corporation morphed into the Target Corporation in January 2000. The remaining "carriage trade" department stores were sold in 2004. The growth of Target "upscale discount stores" continued into the next decade, with the first stores in Maine making their debut in 2001. Stores in Hawaii and Alaska were dedicated in 2009. 

Several Target store formats were developed over the ensuing years. These included Target Greatland (1990), SuperTarget [a.k.a. "SuperT"] (1995), PFresh (2006), CityTarget (2012) and TargetExpress (2014). The physical size of said stores range from 14,000 to 174,000 square feet. As of early 2024, there were 1,948 Target stores in operation in the United States. 

TARGET-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*COLUMBIA MALL, Grand Forks, ND (1978)

*CORAL RIDGE MALL, Fort Lauderdale, FL (1999)
*WESTFIELD TOPANGA, Los Angeles, CA (2006)

WOOLCO

New York City's F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 empire launched its Woolco discount mart division, with a store on the southern outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, on June 6, 1962. The first Canadian Woolco store was dedicated, in Sudbury, Ontario, in October of the same year. In October 1967, the first Woolco in Great Britain made its debut. This store was located in Oadby, Leicestershire ["Lester-sheer"].

By late 1967, there were forty-five stateside locations, with twenty-two in operation in Canada. Stores in the rapidly-expanding Woolco chain would encompass between 55,000 and 120,000 square feet. The Greater New York City market was entered in 1966. The first Southern California store was dedicated in 1970 with Greater Chicago's first Woolco making its debut in 1973.

After several unprofitable years, the American Woolco division was shuttered. 336 stores had closed for good by January 17, 1983. British Woolco stores were converted to the Woolworth brand in 1982, with non-unionized stores in Canada being sold to Wal-Mart in January 1994.

WOOLCO-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*AZALEA MALL, Henrico County, VA (1962)
*100 OAKS MALL, Nashville, TN (1967)
*LA MIRADA CENTER, La Mirada, CA (1970) 

WAL-MART / WALMART

From humble beginnings in the Natural State, Wal-Mart has grown into its current position as the world's largest corporation and retailer. Wal-Mart founder Samuel Walton opened his first (franchised) Ben Franklin variety store, in Newport, Arkansas, in 1945. He established his own Walton's 5 & 10 store, in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 1950. 

This store was eventually expanded and renamed as a Walton's Family Center. The Family Center concept gave way to the first Wal-Mart Discount City, which opened, in Rogers, Arkansas, on July 2, 1962. By the end of the year, there was the one Discount City, in Rogers. In 1972, there were fifty-one stores. The count in 1982 was 491, with 1,720 units in operation in 1992. 

Discount City units encompassed between 30,000 and 60,000 square feet, with the average store covering 42,000. The first trans-state extension of the Wal-Mart enterprise, in 1968, brought new stores in Missouri and Oklahoma. By 1971, Wal-Mart was in Kansas and Louisiana. In 1973, locations opened in Tennessee; in Kentucky and Mississippi, in 1974. The Texas market was first entered in 1975. Michigan and Illinois operations debuted in 1977 with those in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia established in 1982. 

By this time, the typical Walmart Discount Store encompassed 105,000 square feet. The first Northeastern United States unit was dedicated, in York, Pennsylvania, in October 1990. Originally centered in the American South and Midwest, Wal-Mart stores were extended from coast-to-coast in 1995. By this time, Wal-Mart's sales had surpassed those of fellow competitors Kmart and Target, making it the most profitable retailer in the nation. 

Over the years, various store formats have evolved. The first Hypermart USA unit was dedicated, in Garland, Texas, on December 28, 1987. The Hypermart USA concept combined general merchandise and groceries in a 220,000 square foot structure. Stores included a food court, bank, video arcade, hair salon, pharmacy, vision center and 1-hour photo lab. The Hypermart format was unsuccessful, as its four stores were simply too large. The concept was abandoned in the year 2000.

The Wal-Mart SuperCenter idea was much more successful. The first unit, in Washington, Missouri, welcomed its first shoppers on March 1, 1988. Stores combined general merchandise and groceries and could include a restaurant, hair salon, optical department, garden center, filling station and Tire & Lube Express. The average size of a SuperCenter was 178,000 square feet. As of late 2021, there were over 3,500 stores in forty-nine states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

In the 2020s, WalMart, Incorporated oversees stores in all of the fifty states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Chile, South Africa, the United Kingdom, China and India. Expansions into Germany, South Korea and Japan were not successful and were eventually abandoned. As of late 2023, there were 4,623 WalMart stores in operation in the United States.

WAL-MART-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*MANOR EAST MALL, Bryan, TX (1981)

*BISCAYNE MALL, Columbia, MO (1983) [WalMart assumed vacant Montgomery Ward]
*BAMA MALL, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1987) [WalMart assumed vacant Murphy's Mart-Ames]

TG&Y FAMILY CENTERS

Following the lead of Kresge-Kmart and Woolworth-Woolco, Oklahoma's TG&Y variety stores brought out their version of discount mart on August 30, 1963. Located in UPTOWN CENTER, in Midwest City, Oklahoma, the first TG&Y Family Center covered 26,000 square feet. Included were departments not found in the typical TG&Y 5 & 10, such as sporting goods, cameras-photo development and a snack bar. Moreover, for the first time, installment buying was offered to customers via new Family Center credit cards.  

The second Family Center was located in the EDMOND PLAZA CENTER, in Oklahoma City. This store, which encompassed 25,000 square feet, opened for business on May 21, 1964. A third Family Center was dedicated -at OKC's SOUTHERN HILLS CENTER- on June 25, 1964. By year's end, five Family Centers were in business.

TG&Y Stores Company was operating over 200 Family Centers in 1973. Stores now sold building supplies and large home appliances and often included a Rexall pharmacy and freestanding Auto Center. By the late 1970's, there were Family Centers in twenty-three southern, western and mid-western states. Two Family Center formats had been established. The smaller Family Center would cover between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet, with the larger Family Center encompassing between 40,000 and 80,000 square feet.  

The 1980s were brutal tears for the TG&Y variety store and Family Center enterprise. The company recorded its first unsuccessful year in 1982, when it sustained a 16 million dollar loss. Part of this could be attributed to the company's introduction of a new store format known as AIM for the best. More upscale than a standard Family Center, the AIM store was devised as an eventual replacement for the Family Center. 

The first AIM store opened, in Stillwater Oklahoma, on July 8, 1982. Thirteen stores were built before the unsuccessful format was abandoned, in August 1984. Meanwhile, Family Centers were being shuttered and repurposed. In May 1984, management decided that no new Family Centers would be built. At this time, the TG&Y store count stood at 247 variety stores and 508 Family Centers.

Woolco's demise, in early 1983, was a mixed blessing for TG&Y Stores. There was now opportunity for expansion into areas previously served by Woolco. Unfortunately, this situation was quickly exploited by a rapidly-expanding discount chain from Arkansas.   

Assets of the struggling TG&Y Stores Company were acquired by York, Pennsylvania's McCrory Corporation in January 1986. In March, McCrory announced that they would shutter 200 TG&Y stores and convert 500 to a standard variety store format. The final Family Centers went dark in August 1986.  

TG&Y FAMILY CENTER-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*SHEPHERD MALL, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (1964)

*KINGSHIGHWAY PLAZA MALL, Sikeston, MO (1970)

*DEVARGAS CENTER, Santa Fe, NM (1973)

ALMART / J.B. HUNTER

Devised as a deep discount division of the New York City-based Allied Stores Corporation, Almart joins the list of the many discount mart chains that opened for business during the pivotal retail year of 1962. Pronounced as "Al" [as in "Pal"] "mart," the store's name was often mispronounced as "Allmart."

Before the official inauguration of the chain, Allied had converted two shuttered department stores into prototype discount marts. These experimental units occupied the former Guggenheimer's (in Lynchburg, Virginia) and previous Peck's (in Kansas City, Missouri). The Peck's unit was soon shuttered.

The first purpose-built Almart was located southwest of Wilmington, Delaware and dedicated on October 25, 1962. The second purpose-built unit was situated west of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and began business on November 8, 1962. 

The next Almart units were built near Albany, New York (1964), Youngstown, Ohio (1966) and Wilmington, Delaware [a second store] (1966). Typically, Almarts encompassed between 120,000 and 156,000 square feet. Some units had an adjacent (20,000 square foot) supermarket.

In 1968, a new division was created, which would be managed along with the five Almarts. The J.B. Hunter chain would consist of lower end, full-line department stores. These would include a beauty salon and restaurant and range in size between 124,000 and 154,000 square feet. The first J.B. Hunter units were built in Tennessee. Store number one opened, in the southern environs of Memphis, on May 6, 1968. A northern Memphis unit was dedicated on October 31st of the same year. 

The tenth Allied discount store, a J.B. Hunter, was built in Norfolk, Virginia and opened for business in 1970. J.B. Hunter units were also dedicated during 1970 in Rochester, New York, Louisville, Kentucky [a second store], Memphis [a third store] and Miami, Florida. 

A newly-built Almart was inaugurated in Albany, New York in 1970, as a replacement for the circa-1964 store. It would be the final new Almart. A second Miami J.B. Hunter location -and second in Rochester- were completed in 1971. The final store in the entire division was built in Lauderhill, Florida and held its grand opening in 1972.

At this time, the Almart-J.B. Hunter enterprise consisted of fourteen stores in seven Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. 1972 was the peak year of the bi-chain division. By 1975, the total number of Almart and J.B. Hunter stores had shrunk to ten.

Following years of unsuccessful competition with several up and coming discount chains, the ten remaining  Almart and J.B. Hunter stores were sold to Montgomery Ward in February 1979. The last locations were shuttered in mid-1980, with some re-opening under the auspices of Ward's new Jefferson Ward chain.

ALMART / J.B HUNTER-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*CONCORD MALL, New Castle County, DE (1969) [Almart]
*NORTHWAY MALL, Albany County, NY (1970) [Almart]
*MIDWAY MALL, Dade County, FL (1970) [J.B. Hunter]
*MILITARY CIRCLE CENTER, Norfolk, VA (1970) [J.B. Hunter]

BIG N

Rochester, New York's Neisner Brothers, Incorporated spun off their version of discount mart in the early 1960s. The first Big N unit was dedicated, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on October 17, 1962. Stores encompassed between 62,000 and 68,000 square feet and featured sixty-seven departments, including a Big N Restaurant. 

The number of Big N stores grew steadily through the 1960s. By 1965, eleven units were in operation. The store count had risen to thirty-five in 1970. By 1974, there were thirty-eight Big N stores; these in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, 

The shrinking economy and runaway inflation of the 1970s caused Big N stores to become unprofitable. The foundering enterprise was purchased by Connecticut-based Ames in January 1979. Various stores were shuttered, with others being co-branded as Ames-BigN. The BigN brand was dropped in 1980.

BIG N-ANCHORED SHOPPING CENTERS:

*BIG N PLAZA. Batavia, NY (1963)

*NEWARK PLAZA, Newark, NY (1965)

*COMO MALL, Cheektowaga, NY (1972)

GRANT CITY 

In 1960, New York City's W.T. Grant variety store chain began building larger units. These would carry an expanded line of merchandise, including sporting goods, TV sets, sewing machines, home improvement items, furniture and carpeting. In February 1961, the first house brand major appliances were introduced. 138 Grants stores now sold "Bradford" washing machines, dryers, freezers and refrigerators. 

This large store -expanded merchandise- concept evolved into an entirely new line discount marts known as Grant City. Introduced in January 1973, the new generation of stores would sell the expanded product lines mentioned above. They would include a Bradford House restaurant, outdoor Garden Center and attached -or freestanding- Auto Center. 

Existing Grants stores that encompassed over 50,000 square feet were converted to the Grant City format. The largest locations spanned 180,000. At the time of the conversion, there were 464 Grant City units. All stores opened after 1972 were Grant City operations. 

Alas, Grants' entry into the discount mart field had been reactionary and slow, allowing competitors to gain a competitive edge. Moreover, the Grant City concept was ill-defined. Stores were of non-uniform size and layout, which confused shoppers. 

Soon after the big Grant City roll-out, the once-mighty Grants chain filed for bankruptcy. Its overly-liberal credit policies had made it possible for virtually anyone who applied for credit to receive it. The company went down in -what was- the second-largest retail failure in US history. Store closings commenced in late 1974, with the final locations locking the doors on March 26, 1976. 

GRANT CITY-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*TWIN CENTERS MALL, Oxnard, CA (1966) [Grants converted to Grant City]

*CRESSONA MALL, Schuylkill County, PA (1973)

*GREEN MOUNTAIN MALL, St. Johnsbury, VT (1974)

GOLD CIRCLE / GOLD TRIANGLE / GOLD KEY

Cincinnati's Federated Department Stores announced their new Gold Circle discount division in November 1967. Based in Worthington, a Columbus suburb, Gold Circle's first store was built in the northern environs of Columbus, in unincorporated Franklin County. It welcomed its first customers on April 28, 1968.

News of Gold Triangle, a Miami-based Federated discount division, surfaced in October 1968. The first two stores were located in the Kendall area of South Dade County and in the city of Plantation (a Fort Lauderdale suburb). Simultaneous grand openings were held on May 21, 1970. 

The typical Gold Circle encompassed between 85,000 and 135,000 square feet. Gold Circle units featured lines of small and major appliances, electronics, cameras, sporting goods, housewares, apparel, shoes, hardware, home improvement and garden supplies. Some locations featured a supermarket, either a Fisher-Fazio, Gold Circle Discount Foods, Kroger or Kanter Food Market. 

Gold Triangle operations were oriented more toward small and major appliances, electronics, cameras, home improvement materials and lawn and garden equipment. Stores averaged between 76,000 and 86,000 square feet. A third store opened in South Dade in 1970. In 1973, Gold Triangle stores were dedicated in Orlando and Tampa. The sixth  -and final- location opened, in Hialeah, in 1974. 

Federated's Gold Key chain of stores was introduced, in Costa Mesa and San Jose, California, in 1972. Units measured between 158,000 and 167,000 square feet. All lines of general merchandise were sold. The Gold Key endeavor proved unsuccessful, with only three store being built. The chain was defunct by 1976. 

At the same time, the Gold Circle chain was expanding at a rapid clip. Additional Buckeye State stores were dedicated in Springfield (1973), Akron (1974) and Canton (1974). These stores were joined by new units in Rochester, New York (1975) and Lexington and Florence, Kentucky (1976).  Expansion into the California market brought Gold Circle stores to Sacramento (1976) and San Jose (1977).

Federated Stores merged with the Atlanta-based Rich's chain in October 1976, taking on its Richway discount division in the process. Six Gold Triangle stores in Florida were shuttered in early 1982. Five re-opened as Richway locations in the fall of the same year. The expansion of Gold Circle into California failed to meet previous expectations. A retail retreat from the Golden State had been completed by late 1979.

In 1986, forty-five Gold Circle and thirty-one Richway stores were joined into a single, Worthington-based operation, with each chain retaining its nameplate identity. However, Richway units in North and South Carolina were rebranded as Gold Circle stores. 

The end came under the auspices of Robert Campeau, the Canadian corporate raider. Campeau sold the two discount divisions in September 1988 in an attempt to bolster his financially-strapped Federated chain. Seventy-six stores closed on November 21, 1988. They were acquired by the Jericho, New York-based Kimco Development Corporation. Thirty-three were re-sold to Minnesota's Dayton Hudson Corporation, with thirty-one being leased by Hills Department Stores.  

 GOLD CIRCLE / GOLD TRIANGLE-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*SKYLAKE MALL, Dade County, FL (1970) [Gold Triangle] 

*WESTERVILLE MALL, Westerville, OH (1974) [Gold Circle] 

*BEECHMONT MALL, Hamilton County, OH (1982) [Gold Circle]

VENTURE 

Missouri's May Department Stores entered the discount mart field -with their Venture venture- in 1970. The first store was dedicated, in Overland, Missouri, on January 29th. A second Venture unit, in South St. Louis, welcomed first shoppers on November 13, 1970. A third Venture store, in the St. Louis County community of Kirkwood, held its grand opening on November 27, 1970. 

Stores in the newly-christened chain covered 163,000 square feet and included the following; a supermarket, bakery, garden center, pharmacy, dry cleaning service, photo-finishing department, Car Care Center, filling station, snack bar and Venture Inn restaurant. Headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon, Missouri, Venture expanded into the Chicago market, with the acquisition of nineteen Turn-Style stores, in March 1978. 

Operations were severed from the May Stores parent company in 1990. A move into Texas, beginning in July 1993, resulted in the chain operating 114 stores nationwide. However, competition from Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target began to take its toll. Texas stores were shuttered in 1997. A further effort to downsize was unsuccessful and the final Venture locations went dark in April 1998. 

VENTURE-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*PHOENIX VILLAGE MALL, Fort Smith, AR (1979) 

*KENTUCKY OAKS MALL, Paducah, KY (1989) 

*UNIVERSITY MALL, Carbondale, IL (1990) 

MURPHY'S MART 

McKeesport, Pennsylvania's G.C. Murphy 5 & 10 chain started its discount subsidiary, known as Murphy's Mart, at the same time that the first Venture store had opened for business in Missouri. The first Murphy's Mart occupied a former Mayfair department store in Bethel Park, a Pittsburgh suburb, and opened on May 27, 1970.  

Murphy's Mart stores spanned from 66,000 to 98,000 square feet and carried shoes, apparel, hardware, small appliances, furniture, housewares, candy, toys, hobbies, sporting goods, automotive goods and gardening supplies. All stores had a restaurant or snack bar. Some also featured an attached Auto Center.

The chain was expanded exponentially and, by 1980, there were 448 stores. These operated in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Soon, trouble was brewing for the G.C. Murphy Company, resulting in the shuttering of some stores. Industry analysts opined that the chain had expanded so quickly that it was unable to manage itself. A campaign of downsizing and upgrading of merchandise, along with an updating of store interiors, brought an increase in profitability. 

Unfortunately, hostile takeovers in the 1980s left much of the retail industry decimated, including G.C. Murphy / Murphy's Mart. Connecticut's Ames Department Stores, Incorporated engulfed G.C. Murphy enterprises in August 1985 and -in essence- ran the chain into the ground. Ames rebranded Murphy's Mart locations as Ames stores during 1986 and 1987. All Ames stores were shuttered by mid-September 2002.

MURPHY'S MART-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:

*LAUREL MALL, Fayette County, PA (1971) 

*CAPITAL CITY MALL, Cumberland County, PA (1974) 

*RALEIGH MALL, Beckley, WV (1974)

JEFFERSON WARD

Montgomery Ward bought the Miami-based Jefferson Stores chain in January 1973. In February 1979, the failing Almart / J.B. Hunter division of Allied Stores was also acquired. Ward's then set about to merge these chains into a single discount division.

The first Jefferson Ward stores were established in South Florida in January 1980. These had previously been J.B. Hunter and Jefferson Stores locations. They were followed by Jefferson Ward operations, in Greater Philadelphia, in July 1980. These had been stores in the Almart, J.M. Fields and Two Guys discount mart chains. Jefferson Ward stores averaged 80,000 square feet.

Eventually encompassing forty-four stores, the creation of the chain proved to be a less than fortuitous move for Montgomery Ward. Various stores were sold to Bradlees and Kmart in October 1985. The rest were repurposed as Montgomery Ward Clearance Outlets.

JEFFERSON WARD-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:
  
*BOCA RATON MALL, Boca Raton, FL (1980)
*LAKES MALL, Lauderdale Lakes, FL (1980)
*CONCORD MALL, New Castle County, DE (1980) [previously Almart]

J.M. FIELDS

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)

A Grand Union supermarket in Keansburg, New Jersey was doubled in size, with a general merchandise section created. The store re-opened, as the first Grand Way Discount Center, in June 1956.

Photo from the Grand Union Company Annual Report 1956

Graphic from the Grand Union Company

An early -and substantially Mid-Century Modern- Grand Way store. 

Drawing from the Grand Union Company

The Grand Way enterprise peaked in 1966, when there were thirty-one operational stores. The tide had begun to turn by 1972, when the store count had dropped to twenty-three. By 1979, remaining stores held going out of business sales. 

Graphic from the Grand Union Company 

Enterprise Stores originated in Massachusetts in 1912. The store seen above, located in Everett, Massachusetts, had a grand-re-opening in the early 1950s. The Enterprise chain was renamed "J.M. Fields" in 1955. It was acquired by Philadelphia's Food Fair Stores in August 1961. At the height of the endeavor -in the mid-1960s- there were seventy-nine stores in ten Atlantic Seaboard states. 

Graphic from Food Fair Stores, Incorporated

This Tallahassee, Florida J.M Fields store commenced operation in  May 1964.  

Photo from Food Fair Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1965

Graphic from Food Fair Stores, Incorporated

The Field's store included a Food Center.

Photo from https://www.floridamemory.com / Harvey Eugene Slade

There was also had a Pet Shop.

Photo from https://www.floridamemory.com / Harvey Eugene Slade

Two full-color snapshots show a latter-day J. M. Fields store. Above, we see a Men's Wear department. 

Photo from Food Fair Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1968

A ladies wear Fashion Center is seen here.

Photo from Food Fair Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1968

Treasure Island and The Treasury stores were a discount division of New York City's J.C. Penney Company.

Graphic from the J.C. Penney Company

"Under the squiggly roof," as the adverts used to say. The Treasure Island -The Treasury chain started off in Wisconsin and spread to Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Texas and California. The final stores were shuttered  in mid-1981.

Graphic from the J.C. Penney Company

Indy's Ayr-way chain debuted, with four Greater Indianapolis stores, in the fall of 1961.   

Photo from the Indianapolis Historical Society

Ayr-way Stores used the same basic logo for all of their 20 years in business. The trademark was updated a bit in the late 1970s.

Graphic from Ayr-way Stores, Incorporated

The first Kmart-branded store was located in San Fernando, California. The 24,000 square foot prototype, referred to as a "Bantam Store," was inaugurated in January 1962. At the same time, an 80,000 square foot store (seen above) was being built in Garden City, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It opened, as the first full fledged Kmart, in March 1962.  

Photo from the Detroit Free-Press

Some early Kmart stores included an adjacent Kmart Foods supermarket.

Photo from the Kresge Company Annual Report 1964

Graphic from the Kresge Company

A vista view of a new Kmart store in Colorado Springs. It was the first Kmart in the Centennial State.

Photo from the Kresge Company Annual Report 1964 

An early Kmart ad for the Fredericksburg, Virginia store. It was printed in the local newspaper's August 30, 1963 edition.
Advert from the Kresge Company

The Kresge and Kmart Companies operated the Jupiter chain between 1961 and 1987. Stores were always in downtown locations. They carried a small line of fast-moving merchandise.

Drawing from the Kresge Company Annual Report 1961

Shoppers await the official opening of the first Kmart de Puerto Rico, in October 1964. The first Canadian stores had been dedicated in 1963.

Photo from the Kresge Company Annual Report 1964

A store interior view from the mid-1970s. 

Photo from the Kresge Company Annual Report 1976

Kmart introduced a couple of new store formats in the 1990s. In this snapshot, we see a Kmart "Super Center." The first store debuted -in Medina, Ohio- in 1991. Super Centers included a full-line grocery store. 

Photo from Wikipedia / "Caldorwards4"

The first "Big Kmart" debuted -in Chicago- in 1997. Big Kmarts did not include a supermarket. They were not successful and stores were gradually phased out. Several locations were returned to the standard Kmart format.

Photo from Wikipedia / "Caldorwards4"

Kmart introduced a new logo in 2002. It was installed -as a nameplate- on a small number of stores.

Graphic from the Kmart Corporation / Sears Holdings

The latest Kmart logo, circa-2021.

Graphic from the Kmart Corporation / Sears Holdings

The very first Target store opened in Roseville -a northern St. Paul suburb- in May 1962.
Photo from the Target Corporation

In 1962, the fledgling -four store- chain was promoted as a "Discount Store and Supermarket."

Graphic from the Target Corporation

Bullseye, an English Bull Terrier, is the Target Corporation's mascot. The canine first appeared in a 1999 television ad campaign. 

Photo from Wikipedia / David Weekly 

Target store Number One was replaced by the "SuperTarget" seen here in 2005.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Bobak Ha'Eri"

The dual-entranced Target Greatland prototype debuted -in Apple Valley, Minnesota- in 1990. Larger than a standard Target, it was strictly a general merchandise operation, with no grocery section.
Rendering from Wikipedia / John Reed

The Dayton Hudson Corporation introduced the SuperTarget ("SuperT") store format -in Omaha, Nebraska- in 1995. A SuperT included full lines of general merchandise, as well as a supermarket.
Photo from Wikimedia / Jayesh Naithani

A trip down discount mart memory lane takes us to a Target store check-out line in the early 1970s. This was just before the Universal Product Code scanning system was introduced. The girl running the register had to punch in every single price by hand.

Photo from Dayton Hudson Corporation Annual Report 1972 

A more contemporary snapshot shows a Target home electronics department.

Photo from Wikipedia / "Fastily"    

Woolco, a discount mart division of New York City's F.W. Woolworth Company, opened its first store -in the southern environs of Columbus, Ohio- on June 6, 1962. In 1982, there was a total of 349 Woolco stores; which was the highest number ever operated by the company. 

The GRACELAND SHOPPERS MART Woolco -in Columbus, Ohio- opened its doors on October 3, 1962. It was the fourth unit in the newly-established Woolco discount mart division.   

A peek inside a typical Woolco store shows a Ladies Fashions department, which seems to exemplify Woolco's "A New Fashion In Modern Retailing" slogan.

Photo from F.W. Woolworth Company Annual Report 1964

A Woolco Men's & Boys Department carries everything from bargain-priced socks to finely-tailored suits.

Photo from F.W. Woolworth Company Annual Report 1964

Woolco stores included a complete pharmacy and health and beauty aids department.

Photo from F.W. Woolworth Company Annual Report 1964

The man who started it all...Wal-Mart-wise. Samuel Moore Walton is seen in an early 1970s photo.

Photo from Wal-Mart Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1972

The very first Wal-Mart Discount City opened in July 1962. The store was located in Rogers, which is in the northwest corner of Arkansas.

Photo from the Walmart Museum

A "Frontier logo" store. The trademark was in use between 1964 and 1981.

Photo from Wal-Mart Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1980

A vintage "Wally World" annual report provides a peek into a Wal-Mart store from way back in 1972. At the time, there were fifty-one Wal-Mart stores. These were located in the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Missouri.
Photo from Wal-Mart Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1972