List of defunct department stores of the United States

This is a list of defunct department stores of the United States, from small-town one-unit stores to mega-chains, which have disappeared over the past 100 years. Many closed, while others were sold or merged with other department stores.

Department stores

Discount stores These stores closed due to changes in shopping places and patterns, and/or large debt from mergers and acquisitions.

National and regional 99¢ Only Stores Acorn Stores (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Ames Department Stores Inc. (based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut) Arlan's Department Store (Mid-Atlantic and Midwest) Ayr-Way (Midwest/Great Lakes States–Based out of Indianapolis) Was discount chain of L.S. Ayres & Co. that eventually became Target Stores. L.S. Ayres (Indianapolis-Midwest/ Great Lakes states) Was eventually sold to May Department Stores and finally became Macy's. Bargain Hunt (La Vergne, Tennessee) On January 31, 2025, Bargain Hunt's parent company, Essex Technology Group, warned that they were preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as the following week. On February 1, 2025, after it was reported that the company shut its only distribution center, Bargain Hunt announced that they would be closing all 91 stores, with liquidation sales beginning shortly after. Bargain Hunt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 3, 2025, listing assets between $50 million to $100 million and liabilities between $100 million to $500 million. Up to 300+ employees lost their jobs after Bargain Hunt closed. The stores closed in March 2025. Bob's Stores, 24 stores, (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island) The Bon-Ton and its subsidiaries: Bergner's, Boston Store (Wisconsin), Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers. Bradlees (based in Boston, Massachusetts) (New England, Mid-Atlantic) Britt's Department Store (national) Edgar Department Stores, Later changed to Almy’s then bought by Bradlees. E. J. Korvette (East Coast and Midwest) last stores were closed in 1980 after filing for bankruptcy Alternate Link via ProQuest. Fisher's Big Wheel (Northeast & Midwest) Discount Department Stores based out of metro Pittsburgh, PA. Fortunoff (New York & New Jersey) Department store Fred's (Southeast) Gamble-Skogmo G. E. M. Membership Department Stores (national/Ontario, Canada; also known as G.E.X. and G.E.S.) Gibson's Discount Center, based in Texas but had spread to many other states at its peak W. T. Grant Goody's (store) Hills Department Stores Was bought out by Ames Department Stores. Howard Brothers Discount Stores Jack's (operated by Penn-Daniels and based in Quincy, Illinois with locations in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri) Jamesway (Mid-Atlantic) S.H. Kress & Co., Puerto Rico subsidiary Tiendas Kress survived parent company until its remaining locations closed in 2022. Leggett (Mid-Atlantic), acquired by Belk in 1997 Lord & Taylor, the oldest department store chain in the United States, founded in 1826 in New York City, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 2, 2020. On August 27, 2020, the company stated it would be liquidating all 38 locations by December 1, 2020. McCrory Stores (national) Mervyn's (primarily western U.S. but also in a few midwestern and southern U.S. states) Montgomery Ward (national – Chicago) Neisner's Odd Job Stores, Inc. (located in the northeast and midwestern U.S.), acquired by Amazing Savings in 2003 and went bankrupt in 2005 Peebles- its parent company Stage Stores would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and close all of its other stores including Gordmans, Palais Royal, Bealls (Texas), and Goody's. P.N. Hirsch, acquired by International Shoe Company (later renamed Interco) in 1964; Alternate Link later sold to Dollar General in 1983 and rebranded Schultz's Family Stores, began as Schultz Bros. Co., headquartered in Lake Zurich, Illinois, 77 total stores in 1974 in the Upper Midwest, bankrupt and acquired by Prange Way in 1989 Shoppers Fair Steve & Barry's Syms Topps stores were closed when parent company, Interstate Stores filed for bankruptcy in 1974 Link via ProQuest. Tuesday Morning (Nationwide) TurnStyle Two Guys (Mid-Atlantic) Value City Venture Stores (Midwest) Based out of St Louis, MO metro area. Woolco, founded by the F.W. Woolworth Company as a full-line discount department store F. W. Woolworth Company Zayre (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Chicago, Florida, Georgia)

Alabama Gayfer's (Mobile) Loveman's (Birmingham) Mazer's (Birmingham) Opened in 1932, closed in 2011. Parisian (Birmingham), sold to Belk 2006, renamed September 2007. Five stores sold to The Bon-Ton, converted to the Carson Pirie Scott name. Pizitz (Birmingham), 13-store Alabama chain, sold to McRae's 1987, renamed later that year Rogers (Florence) Became a division of Dunlap's that closed in 2007 after sale of store chain by Rogers family.

Alaska Northern Commercial (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai)

Arizona Babbit's (Flagstaff) Broadway Southwest (Mesa) Diamond's (Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Denver and Las Vegas), was part of Dayton Hudson Goldwater's (Phoenix) Goldwyn's (Tucson) Levy's (Tucson) Myerson's White House (Tucson) Sacanni's (Tucson) Yellow Front Stores

Arkansas MM Cohn (Little Rock), 2007

California The Akron (Los Angeles), a Southern California–based "eclectic" department store chain that had specialized in carrying imported goods and unusual items such as parking meters and live Mexican monkeys, and which had stores as far north as San Francisco and far south as San Diego before it was forced to close its stores in 1985 Blackstone's Department Store Blum's (San Jose), originally M. Blum & Co., established 1907; store appears to have closed shortly after death of owner and founder in 1940 Link via ProQuest. The Bon Marché (Los Angeles) (Le Sage Brothers Co.), 430–434 Broadway, Los Angeles, opened in 1907, closed within a year Boston Stores (California), HQ in Inglewood and later Carson; liquidated 1989 The Broadway (Los Angeles), converted to Macy's Brock's (Bakersfield), started in 1924 and sold to Gottschalks in 1987 Breuner's Buffums Bullock's (Los Angeles), converted to Macy's Bullocks Wilshire (Los Angeles) today it is Southwestern University School of Law. Butler Brothers (California) Carithers's (Petaluma), closed in 1986 H.C. Capwell Co. (Oakland), merged with Emporium in 1929 to form the Emporium Capwell Co. holding company, Emporium-Capwell was acquired by Broadway-Hale Stores in 1970, Broadway-Hale Stores later became Carter Hawley Hale Stores and then Broadway Stores, Inc.; during this time, Capwell kept its name until 1979 . Link via ProQuest. . . City of Paris Dry Goods Co. (San Francisco), became City of Paris by Liberty House. Demolished except the rotunda, now part of Neiman Marcus. City of Paris (Los Angeles), no relation to the San Francisco store or to Ville de Paris (Los Angeles), 1850s–1897 Coulter's Crowley's (Vallejo) Daly's (Eureka), closed in 1995, with four Northern California stores, after operating for exactly 100 years Desmond's, founded 1862, became a large Southland-wide chain, closed 1970s Disco Department Stores (San Rafael), chain of discount stores located in Northern California and Northern Nevada, first store was opened in San Rafael in 1956 as Marin Associated Consumers by co-founder William L. Simmons, stores were later renamed MAC Disco Mart and then MAC Disco Discount Department Stores, (Page 13) Alternate Link (Page 13) via NewspaperArchive.com. chain sold to Daylin in 1966 and renamed Disco Discount Department Stores, first store outside of Northern California opened in Reno in 1968, stores were closed by 1975 due to financial problems with parent company B. H. Dyas Eastern-Columbia Department Store, Eastern Outfitters, Columbia Outfitters, San Francisco/Los Angeles through the 1950s Fedco, a membership retailer, not subject to "Fair Trade pricing" FedMart, a membership retailer, not subject to "Fair Trade pricing" Fedway (Los Angeles) – first store in this division opened (in Texas) in 1952 by Federated Department Stores; Westwood store (first in California) opened in 1953; all stores closed and sold off in 1968.. Fifth Street Store: Walker's (Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego), main store in downtown Los Angeles was also known as the Fifth Street Store since it was located at the corner of Fifth and Broadway, main store was founded in 1905 as Steele, Faris, Walker Co., later became Muse, Faris, Walker Co., and then finally Walker Inc. in 1924; opened first branch store in Long Beach in the late 1920s; opened a branch store in San Diego in 1935; San Diego store separated in the early 1950s; opened second Long Beach store in 1954; closed Los Angeles store; sold Long Beach stores in 1960 and store renamed . . . . Frink's (Pasadena), founded by Jose and Lola Frink in the early twentieth century, but closed by mid-century"Former Frink Property Acquired by Data Express, Inc.". Pasadena Business, April 1960, p. 29. Gemco Globe Department Store, South Broadway between 51st–52nd, South Los Angeles (1920s–1930s) Gottschalks, bankrupt March 31, 2009, which closed all of the stores. A few former Gottschalks stores were replaced as Macy's and Forever 21 in the Pacific region. There were plans to reopen stores in Auburn, Clovis and Oakhurst in spring 2011, but the deal ultimately fell through. GET (Government Employees Together) at Lakeshore Plaza, on Sloat Boulevard, in San Francisco, a discount chain, a membership retailer, not subject to "Fair Trade pricing", and open only to employees of local, state, and federal government agencies. Lakeshore Plaza had a Lucky store and in the late 1960s, Government Employees Together became part of Lucky store's Gemco. Grodin's (San Francisco Bay Area), a 36-unit chain of men's and women's specialty stores, closed in January 1987. Haggarty's, Los Angeles–based chain of junior department stores for apparel, 1906–1970 Hale's (Hale Brothers) (Sacramento San Francisco), merged with Broadway in 1970 to form the Broadway-Hale holding company while keeping its name on its stores; . ]. merged into The Emporium under Carter, Hawley & Hale. A. Hamburger & Sons (Los Angeles), founded in 1881, purchased by May Co. 1923 and renamed May Company California . . . Harris Department Store, based in San Bernardino, absorbed by Gottschalks Harris & Frank Hart's Department Store (San Jose) Henshey's (Santa Monica), finally closed in 1992 after being in business since 1925 Hilson's (Martinez), three locations closed 2001 Hink's (Berkeley), also known as J.F. Hink & Son, closed in 1985Arcadia Publishing Hinshaw's (Arcadia and Whittier), both stores were closed in 1992 Kahn's (Oakland), founded by Israel Kahn in 1879, acquired by newly formed B. F. Schlesinger & Sons in 1925, . Alternate Link via ProQuest. B.F. Schlesinger & Sons was renamed Western Department Stores in 1941, Kahn was rebranded Rhodes in 1960 S. Lazard & Co. Levee's (Vallejo), closed in the early 1980s Liberty House (became Macy's) H. Liebes (San Francisco), liquidated when its parent company, Beck Industries, filed for bankruptcy in 1970 . I. Magnin (San Francisco), converted to Macy's Joseph Magnin Co., closed 1984 Marston's San Diego, 3 branches, purchased by The Broadway in the 1960s Mattei Bros. (Petaluma) – closed in 1995 May Company (Los Angeles), merged with Robinsons and became Robinsons-May, then Macy's Mervyn's of California, operated stores in western US. Went bankrupt December 2008 Milliron's, see Fifth Street Store, above Nahas, 1953–early 1980s junior department stores with clothing and home goods, mostly in Los Angeles County. Purchased and absorbed independent department stores Rathbun's North Hollywood, Trenwiths Santa Barbara and Butler Bros. Van Nuys.