Kaufmann's

[Caldor1999]

also again im postingt hsi because by the end of 2006 Kaufmann's will be gone with there stores become Macys or Bloomingdales from teh looks of it its teh same as filenes only with a diffrent name

[storehistoryguy]

Heres one.

http://images.ibsys.com/2002/0503/1433839.jpg

[storehistoryguy]

State College, PA.


http://www.lsfiore.com/commercial.htm

[jmn3]

Kaufmann's was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the late 1800's.  The store was family owned and operated until 1946 when Edgar Kaufmann sold the store to the May Department Stores Company.  Edgar Kaufmann is also known for the famous house he had designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, called Fallingwater.

May has owned the chain ever since and the chain has been named the survivor of many corporate buyouts and mergers performed by May over the years.  In addition to the Pittsburgh area stores, Kaufmann's also has stores throughout western PA, Ohio, and Upstate NY.  

I can give a little info about the Kaufmann's in my area: the Kaufmann's chain entered New York State in 1990 when May merged operations of the Sibley's chain into Kaufmann's.  

Sibley's (formerly the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co.) was based in Rochester, NY for over a hundred years.  They were formerly a division of the Associated Dry Goods Co., which was purchased by May Co. in the late 1980's.  Sibley's had stores in the Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo areas of NY.  In Buffalo, these stores originated as Wm. Hengerer Co., another Associated division.  Hengerer's and Sibley's merged operations in 1981 and all the stores were then Sibley's.  Sibley's operated downtown locations in all three cities - these were all closed on May's watch.  

Kaufmann's operated as it's own division of May until 2002 when May merged it's operations with that of Filene's in Boston.  The stores continue under the Kaufmann's banner but all decision making comes from Boston.  In less than a month, all of the Kaufmann's stores will become part of one of the Macy's divisions.  I believe most of the NY stores (Buf, Roc, Syr) will be part of Macy's East - operated out of the main store in New York City's Herald Square.  Some southern-tier NY stores, as well as PA and OH stores will be part of Macy's Central - which I believe operates out of Cincinatti or Columbus.  There may be one or two Kaufmann's stores which will be operated by Macy's South in Atlanta.  

By this fall, the Kaufmann's name will disappear forever and will be replaced in most locations by Macy's.  In some markets where duplications occur, the Kaufmann's store will close with the staff being offered positions at the existing Macy's store.  I know that in Pittsburgh, three stores are affected.  Only the Ross Park Mall Kaufmann's will remain open as Macy's, while the smaller Macy's store at that mall will close.  There have been absolutely no indications from Federated that any of these stores will become Bloomingdale's.  In fact, an interview I saw with Federated officials basically stated that Bloomie's is pretty exclusive and that while the Macy's brand is going all over - Bloomingdale's will be very selective on where they operate.  Of course, Mr. Lundgren & co. may think otherwise if one of the former May stores might end up in the hands of a Nordstrom or Dillard's or Neiman Marcus.  

That's all I have on Kaufmann's - if you have a chance, go check out the BIG store in Downtown Pittsburgh.  It's a great old time downtown department store.  You can spend a day in there climbing the escalators up to the 12th floor (see if you can get up high enough to find the VERY OLD wooden escalator on 11).  It's a great old store that most likely will fall victim to the May/Federated merger.

[storehistoryguy]

Former Kaufmann's in Euclid, Ohio.


http://www.ffgeeks.net/malls/Euclid/euclid.htm

[dayville81]

I went to the Pittsburgh Kaufman's several years ago and rode the wooden esculator. I heard they closed the esculator off just recently. Also heard part of Kaufman's space is used by small stores and that Federated tried to get into Pittsburgh by buying Lazarus which they renamed Lazarus Macys. Unfortunately it didnt do well because Lazarus had problems making money in this location before they closed the store and Macy's wound up doing the same thing. I hope Federated has better luck with Kaufmanns.

[jmn3]

Federated has a bad track record in Pittsburgh - especially Downtown.  They bought out the Joseph Horne Company in 1994 and promptly changed the stores to Lazarus and closed the original downtown Horne's store.  Federated with help from a mayor looking to bring major retail back to downtown Pittsburgh got a ton of incentives and tax breaks to open a brand new building on Fifth Avenue.  This location they argued was closer to the retail center of downtown (just down the street from Kaufmann's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and for a short time during the early 2000's, Lord & Taylor) than the former Horne's building.  They opened this new four level store in 1998 with poor results.  The store was basically a taller version of any suburban Lazarus store - there was nothing to distinguish the downtown store from Ross Park or South Hills (something that the expanded departments, restaurants, book stores, etc. that the current Kaufmann's store does have which set it apart from it's suburban counterparts).  The Lazarus store was closed down almost two years ago just about the time Federated branded the store Lazarus-Macy's.  

Now Federated has their chance at operating a third downtown store in Pittsburgh.  It will be interesting to see how long the store lasts.  From what I've seen reported over the years, that Kaufmann's store still generates some great revenues.  I would tend to think that if they plan to make a go downtown, they will first consolidate 10 floors of merchandise downward somewhat.  There's a lot of space empty in that building since May merged Kaufmann's HQ with Filene's in Boston.  It woudl be a shame to see the store close - but it may be a reality in the near future.

[amesman]

Kaufmanns at Sangertown Square Mall in Utica, New York.

[d_fife]

here is info on kaufmann's

from http://www.m-d-s-i.com/common/2003arp/2004_fb_fk.pdf.

[jmn3]

Can't get that link to work d_file...

[d_fife]

here is the kauffmann's in greece ny as of june 1, 2006 and it is in greece ridge center mall and it has the labelscar and the temporarily lettering for GUESS TO BECOME IN PLACE. MAcy's logo is below the lettering. and kauffmann's is becoming macy's.

[d_fife]

kauffmann's in new hartford / utica ny in old hess' department store

[d_fife]

here is the kaufmann's in clay ny in the great northern mall

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
here is the kaufmann's in clay ny in the great northern mall

in clay ny

[d_fife]

the kauffmann's in syracuse ny in the mall and the mens store and the mens store closed.

[d_fife]

in syracuse ny

[d_fife]

in syraucse ny

[d_fife]

in elmira (horseheads) ny

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
in elmira (horseheads) ny

elmira one

[d_fife]

the one in binghamton (johnson city) ny

[d_fife]

in binghamton

[d_fife]

dewitt ny one

[d_fife]

dewitt ny

[d_fife]

kauffmann's in williamsport / pennsdale / muncy pa

[d_fife]

the williamsport / pennsdale / muncy pa one

[d_fife]

kaufmann's and kaufmann's men store in wilkes barre pa

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
kaufmann's and kaufmann's men store in wilkes barre pa

wilkes barre pa one

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by d_fife
kaufmann's and kaufmann's men store in wilkes barre pa

wilkes barre pa one

wilkes barre pa

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by d_fife
kaufmann's and kaufmann's men store in wilkes barre pa

wilkes barre pa one

wilkes barre pa

wilkes barre

[d_fife]

the one in scranton / dickson city pa