J. W. Robinson's facts for kids

J. W. Robinson's flagship store on Seventh Street, Los Angeles at launch in 1915

J. W. Robinson Co., often called Robinson's, was a well-known chain of department stores. These stores were located in Southern California and Arizona. The company's main office was in Los Angeles, California.

The Story of Robinson's Stores

How It All Started: 1883

Joseph Winchester Robinson was a merchant from Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1882, he moved to Riverside, California to grow oranges. However, he noticed that the local stores didn't offer good quality products or service.

So, Robinson decided to go back into retail. He used his connections on the East Coast to bring better goods to California.

In 1883, Robinson opened his first store. It was called the Boston Dry Goods Store. It was about 1,440 square feet (134 square meters) in size. The store was located in the Allen Block in downtown Los Angeles. Robinson promised "fine stocks and refined 'Boston' service."

In 1891, J. W. Robinson passed away at age 45. His son, Henry Winchester Robinson, came from Boston to take over the business. To honor his father, he renamed the store the "J. W. Robinson Company."

Moving to Spring Street: 1886–1895

Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) home from 1886 to 1895 at Jones Block, 171–173 N. Spring Street

Another view of the Spring Street store, around 1887

In 1887, J.W. Robinson Co.'s Boston Dry Goods Store moved to a new, larger location. This store was about 3,000 square feet (279 square meters). It was in the Jones Block at 171–173 Spring Street. This move was seen as daring because it was far from the main business area at the time.

When Robinson's moved again in 1895, Nathaniel Blackstone took over the old space. He was J.W. Robinson's brother-in-law. Blackstone opened his own store, Blackstone's Dry Goods, which also became a well-known department store.

Mr. C. W. R. Ford, who had his own wholesale store, married Robinson's widow. He then became the president of the Robinson's company.

New Store on Broadway: 1895

Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) New Store, 1895, 239 S. Broadway, Los Angeles

Between 1880 and 1890, Los Angeles grew very quickly. Its population doubled from about 50,000 to over 100,000 people. Because of this growth, J. W. Robinson Co. needed more space.

In January 1895, the company, then known as "The Boston Store," announced a new building. A four-story "Boston Dry Goods Store Building" was being built at 239 S. Broadway. This new store was across from the City Hall of that time. It was designed by famous architects Theodore Eisen and Sumner Hunt.

The new store opened on October 1, 1895. It was promoted as a sign that Los Angeles was becoming a major city. People no longer needed to travel to San Francisco to find a wide selection of good merchandise.

The building had a "Grecian" (Greek Revival) style. It was made of light cream brick and terra cotta. It featured large windows and detailed decorations. Inside, it had passenger and freight elevators. The first floor and basement were for shopping, while upper floors held offices and work areas. The second floor had departments for fabrics, a writing desk for customers, and ladies' restrooms.

In 1908, the store added a five-story extension at the back, facing Hill Street.

The Flagship Store on Seventh Street: 1915

J. W. Robinson's Flagship store from 1915 to 1993 (façade from 1934), at 600 W. 7th St.

As Los Angeles continued to grow, so did Robinson's business. In 1914, the company announced plans for a huge new flagship store. This store would cost $1,000,000 and have seven stories. It would cover an entire block on West Seventh Street. The architects were Frederick Noonan and William Richards.

The new store opened on September 7, 1915. It had over 400,000 square feet (37,161 square meters) of floor space. In 1923, the building was expanded even more, reaching 623,700 square feet (57,944 square meters). In 1934, the building was updated with a "restrained Modernistic" look.

Robinson's became the largest store in a new upscale shopping area on Seventh Street. Other stores like Ville de Paris and Coulter's also opened nearby. The Robinson's store closed in 1993. Today, the building at 600 W. Seventh St. is used for offices and retail.

The store had many different departments:

• First (ground) floor: Ribbons, umbrellas, jewelry, stationery, men's and boys' clothing, and a "bargain square."
• Second floor: Linens, fabrics, ladies' restrooms, and beauty parlors.
• Third floor: Ladies' and misses' clothing, baby shop, children's dresses, hats, sweaters, and corsets.
• Fourth floor: Rugs, draperies, pictures, and toys.
• Fifth floor: Offices, an auditorium, and workrooms.
• Sixth floor: A hospital room and storage.
• Seventh/top floor: Employee cafeteria, outdoor "courts," and lounges.

Growth and Changes: 1950s-1980s

In 1955, a company called Associated Dry Goods (ADG) bought Robinson's. At that time, Robinson's sales were about $32.5 million each year.

Unlike some other department stores, Robinson's didn't open many branch stores in the 1930s and 1940s. They only had a small shop in Palm Springs.

Robinson's in Palm Springs, opened 1958

In 1952, Robinson's opened its second store in Beverly Hills. This store was on Wilshire Boulevard. A small, winter-only store followed in Palm Springs. Then, a store opened in Pasadena. This Pasadena store was the last stand-alone store before shopping malls became popular.

The first stores connected to shopping malls opened in Panorama City (late 1950s), Anaheim Plaza, Santa Barbara (1960s), and Glendale. By the time Robinson's merged into Robinsons-May, there were almost 30 stores across Southern California.

Becoming Part of May Department Stores

Associated Dry Goods (ADG) bought Robinson's in 1957. Later, in 1986, May Department Stores bought ADG, which included Robinson's.

In 1989, May Department Stores closed its Goldwaters division in Arizona. Those stores were then rebranded as Robinson's stores.

The End of Robinson's: 1992-2006

In 1992, May Department Stores combined Robinson's with another chain, May Company California. They created a new brand called Robinsons-May. The former Robinson's stores became mid-range department stores. Some people felt they lost their unique identity.

In 2005, Federated Department Stores (which owned Macy's) bought May Department Stores. Robinsons-May was then closed down in 2005–2006. The old Robinson's stores were either closed, sold, or turned into Macy's or Bloomingdale's stores.

Robinson's Store Locations

Here is a list of some Robinson's stores in California and Arizona when they merged in the early 1990s:

Robinson's Beyond California

Robinson's in Japan

Before May Department Stores bought Robinson's, the company worked with Ito-Yokado to create Robinson's Japan. They opened one store in Kasukabe, Saitama. In 2009, this Japanese Robinson's was bought by Seven & I Holdings Co..

Robinson's of Florida

In 1972, Associated Dry Goods (ADG) used the Robinson's name to open a separate group of stores in Florida. These stores, called Robinson's of Florida, were located on Florida's Gulf Coast and in Orlando. ADG wanted to create upscale stores similar to J. W. Robinson's in the growing Florida Gulf Coast area.

This new division grew to 10 locations. May Department Stores sold this division in 1987 to Maison Blanche. Later, some of these Florida Robinson's stores were sold to Dillard's or became Gayfers stores.