Goldsmith's facts for kids
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| Department store | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Fate | Merged with Macy's |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. |
Goldsmith's was a popular department store that started in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded in 1870 by two German immigrant brothers, Jacob and Isaac Goldsmith. The store grew into a chain with many locations, mostly around the Memphis area.
In 2005, the Goldsmith's name was changed to Macy's. All Goldsmith's stores became part of Macy's, which is a very large department store company today.
Contents
The Story of Goldsmith's
How It All Began
In 1870, the Goldsmith brothers started their business with just $500. They opened a dry goods store at 163 Beale Street in Memphis. Dry goods stores sold things like fabrics, clothing, and other household items.
In 1895, the store moved to a bigger building at 125 Main Street. This was its main location for most of the 1900s. In 1952, the downtown store was updated. It even expanded into the old Gayoso Hotel building next door. This downtown store closed its doors in 1993.
Growing with the City
Goldsmith's started building stores in the suburbs in the 1960s. The first suburban store was the Oak Court store. It opened in 1961 and had three floors. This store grew even bigger over the years. It became one of the largest Macy's stores in the country.
More Goldsmith's stores opened in different malls. In 1966, a store opened at Southland Mall. In 1971, another store opened at the new Raleigh Springs Mall. By 1978, Goldsmith's had a huge amount of retail space in the city.
Expanding Beyond Memphis
In 1981, Goldsmith's opened its fifth store at the Hickory Ridge Mall in southeast Memphis. The first Goldsmith's store built outside of Memphis was in Jackson, Tennessee. This store was about 85 miles away from the main city.
The very last Goldsmith's store to be built was at Wolfchase Galleria. It opened its doors in 1997.
Becoming Part of Macy's
Goldsmith's was bought by a company called Federated Department Stores in 1959. Later, in 1988, it became part of a larger division that included other famous stores like Rich's and Lazarus. By 2003, all these stores started adding the Macy's name.
In 2005, the Goldsmith's name was fully changed to Macy's. At that time, five Goldsmith's stores were still open. Macy's also has a volunteer program called Partners in Time. It was started at Goldsmith's (and Rich's) in 1989. This program helps the stores give back to their communities.
Famous Slogans
Goldsmith's had some well-known slogans. One popular phrase was "Memphis' Greatest Store." You could see these words on the outside of the Oak Court Mall store before it became Macy's. Other slogans included "All about the South," "A Mid-South tradition since 1870," and "Time After Time."
Goldsmith's Logos
The famous swirly, cursive logo for Goldsmith's was created in October 1946. It was designed by Margaret Grace, who worked in Goldsmith's advertising department.
In the mid-1990s, a new logo was introduced. It had a simpler, modern look and a new slogan, "Time After Time." The old cursive logo was never removed from the older stores. However, the new Wolfchase store first opened with the modern logo. People missed the classic look! So, after a few weeks, the modern logo was taken down and the classic cursive logo was put back up. This classic logo stayed on all stores until they became Macy's. Even though the modern logo wasn't on the buildings, it was used a lot in TV and radio ads. For a short time in 2005, ads even showed a mix of "Goldsmith's-Macy's" logos.
What Happened to the Stores?
Some Goldsmith's locations closed before they became Macy's. The downtown store and the Raleigh Springs store were among them. The old downtown location is now home to the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art. The Raleigh Springs store was torn down in 2003 along with the rest of the mall.
Out of the five stores that were still open when the name changed to Macy's, two more closed later: Hickory Ridge and Southland.
Hickory Ridge Store
The Hickory Ridge Macy's store closed in 2008. A tornado hit the mall directly during a big storm. Macy's decided not to fix the damage and closed the store for good. The building was briefly an Incredible Pizza Cafe, but that also closed. The building has been empty since 2012.
Southland Mall Store
The Macy's store at Southland Mall closed in 2015. This was part of Macy's plan to reorganize some of its locations.
Jackson, TN Store
The store in Jackson, Tennessee, closed in 2021.
Remaining Stores
As of 2021, only two of the original Goldsmith's locations are still open and operating as Macy's: the Oak Court store and the Wolfchase Galleria store.
