Frigidaire made their refrigerators & freezers before Admiral did, just for Admiral and Tappan to become 'THE Ward's brand'...
-- Dave
-- Dave
Montgomery Ward Catalog
- Thread starter maytagmike
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Montgomery Ward was frozen after WW2...the old man who was in charge thought that we were facing a depression so in the ten years after the war they shrunk their store base slightly. Meanwhile, Sears was growing in suburbia and Penney was growing it's dry goods business. From 1955 to about 1958 they decided to finally grow and started clustering their markets (which resulted in spotty coverage...present in Chicago and Kansas City but nothing in St. Louis. In the 1958-1965 timeframe they accelerated into suburban malls, but were shunted to the secondary /lower class malls because Sears and the local department stores locked up the Class 1 malls.
Matt and Jamie, you both nailed it.
Around here, it was closer to 1970 when Wards began building brand new stores in second-rate malls. Can you say, "Scotch Boutique?" The stores looked cheap and uninspired inside and out from day one -- a perfect match for the mainly unappealing appliances Matt described above. Sears was ahead of Wards by a good 15 years or more with big, architecturally appealing stores, no small number of which were free-standing. Why anchor a mall when your store housed everything under the sun?
It was only during later expansion periods that Sears opted for real estate in new or existing malls -- the big regional types, not the low rent borderline strip malls that Wards chose.
You be the judge.* Where would you rather shop?
Here?
Or here?
*Sorry, AZ residents not eligible to participate.
Around here, it was closer to 1970 when Wards began building brand new stores in second-rate malls. Can you say, "Scotch Boutique?" The stores looked cheap and uninspired inside and out from day one -- a perfect match for the mainly unappealing appliances Matt described above. Sears was ahead of Wards by a good 15 years or more with big, architecturally appealing stores, no small number of which were free-standing. Why anchor a mall when your store housed everything under the sun?
It was only during later expansion periods that Sears opted for real estate in new or existing malls -- the big regional types, not the low rent borderline strip malls that Wards chose.
You be the judge.* Where would you rather shop?
Here?
Or here?
*Sorry, AZ residents not eligible to participate.
Literally the only class A mall anywhere I can think of where Wards went in was in Overland Park, Kansas (Oak Park Mall) ...nearly everywhere else it was secondary malls at best. I worked for the company that handled Montgomery Ward's credit services from 1989-1992 (General Electric Capital)...they may have had some class A malls in California, but mostly the cra**y malls. They were very early adopters of the ancillary services (credit insurance, service contracts,...) plus 18% interest...there wasn't much money being made at the retail side of things.
mrb627
Well-known member
Down In The South Of FLA...
Montgomery Wards was branded Jefferson Wards or simply Jeffersons. Not sure what the relationship was between the 2(3). Anybody know?
Malcolm
Montgomery Wards was branded Jefferson Wards or simply Jeffersons. Not sure what the relationship was between the 2(3). Anybody know?
Malcolm
Montgomery Ward in the 70s bought Jefferson stores in Florida...moved into eastern Florida with this acquisition...believe they moved into the Tampa Bay area well before that.
Wards Stores
This is the kind of Ward's store I remember seeing in small towns in the Upper South and Midwest in the 70s/80s. Also, there is a site called Pleasant Family Shopping that has the history Ward's for anyone interested.
pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com
This is the kind of Ward's store I remember seeing in small towns in the Upper South and Midwest in the 70s/80s. Also, there is a site called Pleasant Family Shopping that has the history Ward's for anyone interested.
Pleasant Family Shopping
A nostalgic look back at chain stores and other everyday places from the past
vacerator
Well-known member
Everything
is different from those days.
There are but a few independent department stores left. Most are conglomerated under Macy's. They even changed the Federated parent holding co. to Macy's.
The Broadway stores in southern California built a large store in the Century City shopping center. This was the old twentieth Century Fox studio back lot.
The city of Los Angles paid Fox big money for the property and made it the best modern urban renewal project in the country.
Today, Westfield of Australia operates the mall, and the former Broadway store is Macy's.
is different from those days.
There are but a few independent department stores left. Most are conglomerated under Macy's. They even changed the Federated parent holding co. to Macy's.
The Broadway stores in southern California built a large store in the Century City shopping center. This was the old twentieth Century Fox studio back lot.
The city of Los Angles paid Fox big money for the property and made it the best modern urban renewal project in the country.
Today, Westfield of Australia operates the mall, and the former Broadway store is Macy's.
We had two Montgomery Ward stores near us when I was growing up. The first was in Dearborn - the store was built in the 30's and had a Georgian style to it. We shopped there from time to time, but most of our shopping was done at either J.L. Hudson's or Crowley's - two local department stores. The old Dearborn Wards was open until they went out of business, and then the city didn't want to redevelop the building siting lead paint, lots of asbestos and other contaminants so they tore it down.
In 1959 they opened a bigger brand-new Wards at the Wonderland shopping mall, which we went to very often as it was fairly close by. I member my dad buying a Wards lawnmower (I don't know what company made them - but it was a gas powered rotary blade and he had it for years) and I purchased a Wards branded color TV in the early 80's - I think it was a rebranded GE.
Here's the Dearborn store and the Wonderland store:
In 1959 they opened a bigger brand-new Wards at the Wonderland shopping mall, which we went to very often as it was fairly close by. I member my dad buying a Wards lawnmower (I don't know what company made them - but it was a gas powered rotary blade and he had it for years) and I purchased a Wards branded color TV in the early 80's - I think it was a rebranded GE.
Here's the Dearborn store and the Wonderland store:
(threadjacking in progress)
Sears was way ahead in their store design, once they started building stores, and location scouting. They were one of the first do automobile centered stores with large parking lots, even in the teens and certainly by the 20's, in outer areas of cities and by the 30's and 40's were very creative with store design - one of their Washington DC stores and an LA store come to mind (there is an excellent article in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians on just this subject). By the late 50's they started locating in malls because the stand alone stores didn't attract as much business as well as it being easier to have someone else do the initial development - it was hypothesized that this period is when their retail reach started to wane along with their design innovation which had been in both interior and exterior design, site and space planning as well as merchandising within the stores.
Sears was way ahead in their store design, once they started building stores, and location scouting. They were one of the first do automobile centered stores with large parking lots, even in the teens and certainly by the 20's, in outer areas of cities and by the 30's and 40's were very creative with store design - one of their Washington DC stores and an LA store come to mind (there is an excellent article in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians on just this subject). By the late 50's they started locating in malls because the stand alone stores didn't attract as much business as well as it being easier to have someone else do the initial development - it was hypothesized that this period is when their retail reach started to wane along with their design innovation which had been in both interior and exterior design, site and space planning as well as merchandising within the stores.
My grandmother was a Hudson's shopper. She'd save up for a new dress, buy something top of the line, bring it home and dress number six went bye bye (to charity usually). She was draconian in keeping her wardrobe size constant. She had NO casual clothes other than a housedress or two for around the house.
Montgomery Ward in Wheaton Plaza, Wheaton Md
In the early 70's after I graduated from high school, I used to go to this wards store and check out the new model washing machines. It was one of the anchor stores for the mall. They always had the Signature machines right next to the Maytags. My cousin bought a top of the line almond Maytag pair from Montgomery Ward.
In the early 70's after I graduated from high school, I used to go to this wards store and check out the new model washing machines. It was one of the anchor stores for the mall. They always had the Signature machines right next to the Maytags. My cousin bought a top of the line almond Maytag pair from Montgomery Ward.
Style and substance
Here in Tucson, our Wards opened with the El Con mall, before they leveled the adjacent El Conquistador resort. It looked a lot like the Wonderland store in Kevin's post, but in its later years, was a beige stuccoed monolith, with the lousy 70s logo to the end. It was forgettable--I can't find any photos after it was turned bland.
Compare its opening day photo (nifty) with the Park Mall Sears that opened around the same time (wow!). The Park Mall Sears is still there, as is much of the flagstone, but it was turned 80s-bland at some point as well.
Or, compare it to the chic Penneys (still at El Con; the Wards store was razed for an equally uninteresting Target, and the interior mall was removed, so that's now an exterior-facing entrance--with the yawner Helvetica signage now, alas).
Here in Tucson, our Wards opened with the El Con mall, before they leveled the adjacent El Conquistador resort. It looked a lot like the Wonderland store in Kevin's post, but in its later years, was a beige stuccoed monolith, with the lousy 70s logo to the end. It was forgettable--I can't find any photos after it was turned bland.
Compare its opening day photo (nifty) with the Park Mall Sears that opened around the same time (wow!). The Park Mall Sears is still there, as is much of the flagstone, but it was turned 80s-bland at some point as well.
Or, compare it to the chic Penneys (still at El Con; the Wards store was razed for an equally uninteresting Target, and the interior mall was removed, so that's now an exterior-facing entrance--with the yawner Helvetica signage now, alas).
And now
Here's what they became--for shame. (The MW store is an approximation, but it's close; the Sears and Penneys stores are, sadly, actual.)
Here's what they became--for shame. (The MW store is an approximation, but it's close; the Sears and Penneys stores are, sadly, actual.)
vacerator
Well-known member
Oh, the Dearborn
Wards on Michigan and Schafer of course! There was also another on the east side at Gratiot and Seven Mile.
The Southgate shopping center had a Wards, and a Federal's.
Lincoln Park had Hudsons and Penneys on Fort street until Southland mall opened. The Sears on Southfield in Lincoln park is still open.
Universal mall at 12 mile and Dequindre had a Wards and a Crowleys.
Wonderland mall is long gone. Northland closed last year. Eastland is next. It was not enclosed when built, like Wonderland.
The Livonia mall, Oakland and Macomb mall were alike companion designed malls
operated then by the Schostak brothers developers. Two are left.
The miles I traveled in the D working for Borman food/ Farmer Jack.
Wards on Michigan and Schafer of course! There was also another on the east side at Gratiot and Seven Mile.
The Southgate shopping center had a Wards, and a Federal's.
Lincoln Park had Hudsons and Penneys on Fort street until Southland mall opened. The Sears on Southfield in Lincoln park is still open.
Universal mall at 12 mile and Dequindre had a Wards and a Crowleys.
Wonderland mall is long gone. Northland closed last year. Eastland is next. It was not enclosed when built, like Wonderland.
The Livonia mall, Oakland and Macomb mall were alike companion designed malls
operated then by the Schostak brothers developers. Two are left.
The miles I traveled in the D working for Borman food/ Farmer Jack.
A few quick snaps from the Fall & Winter 1940-41 MW Catalog -
http://from the MW Catalog on the Coffee Table F&W 1940-41
http://from the MW Catalog on the Coffee Table F&W 1940-41
Greg,
Those are fun scans! GASOLINE RANGE?! I have never heard of such a thing! UL Approved at that. Wonder how safe they really were? Or how in the world they even worked?
I loved the Signature Model washers / dryers. As a kid, I thought they were beautifully styled and unique. Also loved the wonderful sounds when running.
I often thought Wards and Western Auto were in competition with each other. The customers that shopped at Western Auto and Wards left Sears and Penny's to the "High Class" folks.
Those are fun scans! GASOLINE RANGE?! I have never heard of such a thing! UL Approved at that. Wonder how safe they really were? Or how in the world they even worked?
I loved the Signature Model washers / dryers. As a kid, I thought they were beautifully styled and unique. Also loved the wonderful sounds when running.
I often thought Wards and Western Auto were in competition with each other. The customers that shopped at Western Auto and Wards left Sears and Penny's to the "High Class" folks.
Greg!
Wow -- that looks like a re-badged KA mixer! If Wards had maintained relationships with high quality manufacturers like that, I'd probably have a different opinion of them. Instead, I've been scarred for life.
Wow -- that looks like a re-badged KA mixer! If Wards had maintained relationships with high quality manufacturers like that, I'd probably have a different opinion of them. Instead, I've been scarred for life.
