| Type | Department store |
|---|---|
| Fate | Locations rebranded to Kaufmann's |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. |
| Website | None |
The May Company Ohio, was a regional department store based in Cleveland, Ohio. The chain is no longer in business.
History
In 1899, David May, the founder of May Department Stores, acquired E. R. Hull & Dutton Co. of Cleveland on Ontario Street, renaming it May Company, Cleveland.[1] In 1914 May added an additional landmark building on Euclid Avenue, fronting on the southeast corner of Public Square.
In 1939 May Co. acquired majority control of another Cleveland store, William Taylor Son & Co., which maintained a separate identity until 1961.[2] Expansion to the suburbs began in the 1950s, with Sheffield Shopping Center, Lorain in 1953, Cedar-Center Plaza at Cedar and Warrensville Roads in University Heights in late 1956 (known locally as "May's on the Heights"), and in 1961 a branch was opened at Southgate Shopping Center in Maple Heights (the Southgate store having been originally opened in 1958 by William Taylor Son & Co.). Several mall stores followed in the 1960s and 1970s, including Westfield Great Northern in North Olmsted, Randall Park Mall in North Randall and Euclid Square Mall in Euclid.
The company also constructed a nine-story warehouse (six stories tall, with three sub basements) attached to the south side of the Cedar Center Store, designed to handle furniture distribution for Cleveland's eastside. The red brick facility, designed to look like an integrated part of the colossal four story store was used for a short time, but remained empty from 1960 until the University Heights store was demolished in the 1980s.
The May Company specialized in mid to higher end fashion merchandise and home furnishings, however target price points placed May Company merchandise at, or below its two major competitors in the Cleveland market Higbees and Halle's.
In addition to its merchandise, the company participated in a premium driven green-stamp program (Eagle Stamps) operated by the Cook United Company[1] of Maple Heights, Ohio in conjunction with local Cleveland area groceries.[3] Consumers would earn Eagle Stamps on grocery purchases, or through purchases at The May Company. Completed stamp booklets could be redeemed at May Company for $3 credits toward merchandise purchases at May Company stores.
In 1989 May Company, Cleveland and O'Neil's, based in Akron were merged to form May Company Ohio,[4] as the May Department Stores began consolidating its regional department store divisions. On January 31, 1993 May Co. was merged into Kaufmann's of PIttsburgh PA,[1] and its Downtown Cleveland store was closed. Many of its former locations became Macy's in 2006.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c "May Company". http://dshistory.com/chains/may_company/. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. http://ech.cwru.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=WTSC. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "The Great Eagle Stamp Expedition". http://clevelandseniors.com/people/eagles.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "May Department Stores to merge O'Neil's into May Co. Cleveland.". HighBeam™ Research, Inc. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-6930616.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
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