Bergner's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bergner's | |
 |
|
| Type | Department store |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 |
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. |
| Website | http://www.bergners.com/ |
Bergner's is a major department store in central and northern Illinois, established in 1889 in Peoria, Illinois, and offering mid-line to higher end merchandise in their largest stores. The current flagship store is located in Peoria at The Shoppes at Grande Prairie.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
Bergner's was founded in downtown Peoria in 1889 by Peter Alan Bergner. Several years later, Bergner moved to another location in downtown Peoria, remaining at the location for many years. The company was family-owned by P.A. Bergner until his death in the mid-1920s. His son owned the company until his suicide in 1938 in Henry, Illinois. The Maus company, based in Switzerland, acquired the company at that point and gave the store its unique red logo of six hexagons, an emblem Bergner's now shares with five corporate siblings.
[edit] Expansion
In 1957, a second Bergner's store was opened in Peoria at the then-suburban Sheridan Village shopping center. This Bergner's was the largest department store in Illinois outside of the Chicago area. The chain opened more stores in the Peoria-Pekin area afterwards, then expanded as far as the Chicago suburbs.
[edit] Acquisions
The late 1970s and 1980s saw change for Bergner's. It acquired the eight stores of Myers Brothers Company of Springfield, Illinois in 1978. In 1985, Bergner's acquired Boston Store and all of its department stores in Wisconsin along with three Gimbel's locations. In 1989, P.A. Bergner bought Chicago's Carson Pirie Scott for over $450 million. Carson's itself had just bought Minneapolis-based Donaldson's in November 1987. With this, Bergner's was a major Midwestern presence, with stores in five states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Iowa, operating under the Bergner's, Carson Pirie Scott and Boston Store names.
[edit] Bankruptcy and Acquison by Proffit's
In August 1991, Bergner's filed for bankruptcy, with the company coming out of Chapter 11 in 1993 with the new name Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and becoming a publicly-traded company. Proffitt's Inc. (now Saks Incorporated) bought the company in 1998 and named the purchased group of stores the Northern Department Store group internally; its purchase increased the northern presence of the Saks company.
[edit] Sale to The Bon-Ton
In July 2005, Saks completed the sale of its Southern Department Store Group consisting of Proffitt's and McRae's to Charlotte, North Carolina-based Belk, Inc. On October 31, 2005, Saks announced that it was selling Bergner's and its other Northern Department Store Group stores (Carson Pirie Scott, Younkers, Boston Store, and Herberger's) to Bon-Ton Stores in a $1.1 billion deal; the transaction was completed on March 6, 2006.[1] As of 2006, the Bergner's name is used at 14 locations, all in Illinois.
[edit] Locations
[edit] Current Locations
[edit] Illinois
- Bloomington - Eastland Mall
- Champaign - Market Place Mall
- Forsyth - Hickory Point Mall
- Galesburg - Sandburg Mall
- Machesney Park - Machesney Park Mall (opened as Prange's, later Younkers)
- Pekin - East Court Village (formerly Pekin Mall)
- Peoria
- Sheridan Village (opened 1957)
- The Shops at Grand Prairie
- Peru - Peru Mall
- Quincy - Quincy Mall
- Rockford - Cherryvale Mall (opened as Prange's, later Younkers)
- Springfield - White Oaks Mall
- Sterling - Northland Mall
[edit] Former Locations
[edit] Illinois
- Aurora - Northgate Shopping Center (converted to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990)
- Joliet - Louis Joliet Mall (converted to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990)
- Mount Prospect - Randhurst (formerly Wieboldt's, converted to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990)
- Peoria - downtown: flagship store for decades, SE corner of Adams St. and Fulton St. (closed early 1990s; building torn down)
- Rockford
- Colonial Village Mall (closed 2006, vacant)
- North Towne Mall (now Gustafson's Furniture)
- Urbana - Lincoln Square Mall (formerly Carson Pirie Scott, closed 2004)
- West Dundee - Spring Hill Mall (converted to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990)
[edit] Wisconsin
- Beloit, Wisconsin - Beloit Plaza (formerly Charles V. Weise, closed 1997; torn down for Elder-Beerman)
- Racine, Wisconsin - Regency Mall (closed 1986 after purchase of Boston Store)
[edit] See also
- Carson Pirie Scott - more information about corporate activity
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Bergner's - official site and shopping site
- The Bon-Ton to Acquire 142 stores from Saks Incorporated for $1.1 billion in cash — Purchase announcement from October 31, 2005
