Stuart's Department Stores

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Stuart's Department Stores, Inc.
Type	Discount store
Founded	1957
Headquarters	New York City, New York
Industry	Retail
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares.
Website	None

Stuart's Department Stores was founded in New England in 1957. It incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1983, around which time the regional clothing and houseware retailer had stores in every state in New England with a primary focus on Massachusetts. Its stock once traded for close to $30 a share.

Contents 1 History 1.1 List of Stores 1.2 Bankruptcy 2 References

[edit] History

Through the 1980s and 1990s the store went through a variety of major changes. First the chain tried to shed its image as a reseller of leftover department store merchandise by investing in their own label. They also invested a major amount of capital into a cosmetic overhaul of their real estate that introduced a more "Bradlees"-like color scheme. They rapidly expanded to 26 outlets, including the purchase of Harry's of Barre, Vermont. A major distribution and office complex was also built in Franklin, Massachusetts.

During all of this change there was instability in corporate management. The chaos this caused resulted in a missed opportunity for this small retailer. They never modernized their sales/inventory tracking systems at the store level. While other chains like Rich's Department Stores where already using barcode scanners, computerized shipping manifests, and automated sales result reports, Stuart's was still doing it by hand. By the early 1990s shares struggled to maintain $1 per share

[edit] List of Stores

CT

• 1.New Britain:(Closed 1991)

ME

• 1.Biddeford:53.332 sq.ft.Main st(Rt.1)(Closed January 1, 1995)Became The Barn, then Marden's
• 2.Brunswick:(Closed 1989)

MA

• 1.Athol:48,000 sq.ft.Athol Plaza,Main st(formerly Mars Department stores)(Opened 1989)(Closed Summer 1995)Now Family Dollar
• 2.Brockton:
• 3.Billerica:TOwne Plaza,BOston Rd(Opened 1965)Now officemax and a few stores
• 4.Chelsea:MYstic Mall,Everett Ave(formerly K-mart)(Opened 1984)(Closed summer 1995)Now demolished)
• 5.Fitchburg:62,000 square feet.Central Plaza,(Opened 1970)(CLosed Summer 1995)
• 6.Grafton:COuntry Plaza,(Closed 1993)Now Stop and Shop
• 7.Haverhill:57,300 sq.ft.Central Plaza,Water st(Formerly Ames/Zayre)(Opened Summer 1992)(Cloesd Spring 1995)
• 8.Lawrence:First location:(Closed 1991)
• 9.Lawrence:2nd Location:60,000 sq.ft.Plaza 114,Winthrop ave(Formerly Ames/Zayre)(Opened Summer 1992)Now divided into smaller stores
• 10.Lowell:50,000 sq.ft.Sun Plaza,Plain st.Now AJ Wright
• 11.Lowell:52,635 sq.ft.Sunrise Shopping Center,Bridge st(Formerly Mars)(Opened 1989)Became Ames from 1996-2002
• 12.Malden:65,000 sq.ft.Broadway Plaza,Broadway(Opened 1974)(Closed Spring 1995)Now AJ Wright and Mills Stores
• 13.New Bedford:55,000 sq.ft.Fieldstone Marketplace,(Opened 1989)Now Cinema
• 14.Salisbury:Crossroads Plaza,Main st(formerly Mars Department store)(Opened 1989)(Closed 1992)Now U-haul
• 15.Swansea:K-mart Plaza,GAR HWy(Opeend 1984)(Closed 1992)Now building 19
• 16.Taunton:60,000 sq.ft.Taunton Mall,(Formerly Bradlees)(Opened August 1993)(Closed Spring 1995)Now another use
• 17.Weymouth:harborlight mall,(Formerly K-mart)(Opened 1985)(Closed 1991)Now demolished
• 18.Worcester:80,000 sq.ft.Grafton st.Now Stop and Shop

NH

• 1.GOffstown:60,000 sq.ft.Goffstown Plaza,MAst Rd(Rt.114)(Opened 1973)(Closed Summer 1995)now divided into Auto Parts, Big Lots and Family Dollar
• 2.Nashua:SOuthgate Plaza,Daniel Webster Hwy(Opened 1970)(Closed Spring 1995)Now a relocated and renovated Market Basket

RI

• 1.Johnston:63,000 sq.ft.(formerly supermarket)(Opened 1985)(Closed Spring 1996)
• 2.PAwtucket:53,658 sq.ft.(formey supermarket)(Opened 1985)Now supermarket chain

VT

• 1.Barre:53,000 sq.ft.(Opened 1985)(Closed January 1, 1985)

[edit] Bankruptcy

The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in December 1990, emerged from the chapter 11 case in October 1992 and re-filed for protection under chapter 11 in May 1995.

[edit] References

• Retailers from Woolworth to Wal-Mart