MM Cohn facts for kids
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| Defunct subsidiary of The Dunlap Company | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Fate | Liquidation |
| Founded | 1874| |
| Defunct | September 16, 2007 |
| Headquarters | Little Rock, Arkansas |
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Key people
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Mark Matthias Cohn, founder Dan Phillips, chairman (1981-1989) Joyace Hart, manager (Little Rock) |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. |
The M.M. Cohn Company, often called MM Cohn, was a popular department store chain. It was located in Arkansas, with its main office in Little Rock. MM Cohn sold many different items, like clothes, shoes, jewelry, and things for your home.
The company started on its own and ran independently for many years. Later, in 1989, another company called The Dunlap Company bought it. Dunlaps kept the stores open until they finally closed. All the remaining MM Cohn stores shut down on September 16, 2007, as part of a big closing sale for Dunlaps and its other stores.
The Story of MM Cohn
The store was named after its founder, Mark Matthias Cohn. He started the company in 1874 in a town called Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The very first Cohn store in Little Rock was on Main Street.
In 1898, the store moved to a bigger spot on Main Street. It became one of the largest stores there. The number of people working at the store grew from five to 24. In 1940, the downtown store moved again to an even larger building. This building still has the company's name on its front today.
Family Leadership and Growth
Also in 1898, Mark Cohn's son, Albert Daniel Cohn, joined the company. Albert had worked as an engineer before. In 1912, he took over as president of the company.
Mark Cohn's grandson, Dan Phillips, also started working in the business when he was very young. He learned about almost every job in the store. Phillips was very important in helping MM Cohn become a well-known store chain. He helped it compete with other stores like Dillard's. He joined the store full-time in 1951. He became president in 1969 and chairman in 1981.
Peak and Closure
At its busiest time, The M.M. Cohn Co. had 12 stores open. By the time it was sold, there were 11 stores. This was because the downtown Little Rock store had already closed. Since 1989, the stores were part of The Dunlap Company. Dunlaps is a company based in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 2007, news came out that the MM Cohn stores would close. More than 40 stores owned by Dunlap in eight states were set to close by the end of that year. Dunlaps was having money problems and could not get new loans. Because of this, the MM Cohn stores had to close their doors for good.
