COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 5621

Women's Clothing Stores

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

68companies1670–1987founding years66still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedHudson's Bay Company
1670
FoundedThe North West Company, Inc.
1783
FoundedSpiegel, Inc.
1893
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedAbercrombie & Fitch Co.
1904
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedUnited Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc.
1922
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedLoehmann's Inc.
1930
FoundedGantos, Inc.
1932
FoundedBhs plc
1933
FoundedMovie Star Inc.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedCato Corporation
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedHarold's Stores, Inc.
1948
FoundedPaul Harris Stores, Inc.
1952
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedSt. John Knits, Inc.
1963
FoundedCharming Shoppes, Inc.
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedThe Clothestime, Inc.
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedMothers Work, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedOne Price Clothing Stores, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedCatherines Stores Corporation
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Hudson's Bay Company →
Active · founded 1670 · Canada
Canada's number one department store retailer, Hudson's Bay Company, is also Canada's oldest corporation.
Hudson's Bay Company →
Active · founded 1670 · Canada
Canada's number one department store retailer, Hudson's Bay Company, is also Canada's oldest corporation.
The North West Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1783 · Canada
The North West Company, Inc., is the leading seller of food and other general merchandise in small towns across the…
The North West Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1783 · Canada
The North West Company, Inc., is the leading seller of food and other general merchandise in small towns across the…
Maruzen Co., Limited →
Active · founded 1869 · Japan
With a ranking among AsiaWeek magazine's top 1000 companies of 1996, Maruzen Co., Limited is one of Japan's largest and…
Maruzen Co., Limited →
Active · founded 1869 · Japan
With a ranking among AsiaWeek magazine's top 1000 companies of 1996, Maruzen Co., Limited is one of Japan's largest and…
Spiegel, Inc. →
Active · founded 1893
Spiegel, Inc.
Spiegel, Inc. →
Active · founded 1893
Spiegel, Inc.
Marks and Spencer p.l.c. →
Active · founded 1894 · United Kingdom
Marks and Spencer p.l.c.
Marks and Spencer p.l.c. →
Active · founded 1894 · United Kingdom
Marks and Spencer p.l.c.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. →
Active · founded 1904
During the first half of the 20th century Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. →
Active · founded 1904
During the first half of the 20th century Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Coles Myer Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1921 · Australia
Coles Myer Ltd.
Coles Myer Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1921 · Australia
Coles Myer Ltd.
United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
At one time United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc.
United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
At one time United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc.
Edison Brothers Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1929
Edison Brothers Stores, Inc., is a leading retailer, specializing in apparel, footwear, and entertainment.
Edison Brothers Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1929
Edison Brothers Stores, Inc., is a leading retailer, specializing in apparel, footwear, and entertainment.
Loehmann's Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
Loehmann's Inc.
Loehmann's Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
Loehmann's Inc.
Deb Shops, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Deb Shops, Inc.
Deb Shops, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Deb Shops, Inc.
Gantos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Gantos, Inc.
Gantos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Gantos, Inc.
Petrie Stores Corporation →
Active · founded 1932
Petrie Stores Corporation, a major retailer of women's apparel, operates stores under a variety of names, including…
Petrie Stores Corporation →
Active · founded 1932
Petrie Stores Corporation, a major retailer of women's apparel, operates stores under a variety of names, including…
Bhs plc →
Active · founded 1933 · England
Known for more than 50 years as British Home Stores, Bhs plc ranks among the United Kingdom's largest department store…
Bhs plc →
Active · founded 1933 · England
Known for more than 50 years as British Home Stores, Bhs plc ranks among the United Kingdom's largest department store…
Donnkenny, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Donnkenny, Inc., a holding company, designs, manufactures, imports, and markets a broad line of moderately priced…
Donnkenny, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Donnkenny, Inc., a holding company, designs, manufactures, imports, and markets a broad line of moderately priced…
Movie Star Inc. →
Active · founded 1935
The company incorporated in 1935 as Industrial Undergarment Corp.
Movie Star Inc. →
Active · founded 1935
The company incorporated in 1935 as Industrial Undergarment Corp.
Jay Jacobs, Inc. →
Active · founded 1941
Jay Jacobs, Inc.
Jay Jacobs, Inc. →
Active · founded 1941
Jay Jacobs, Inc.
Cato Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
The Cato Corporation owns a chain of approximately 678 women's apparel stores in 22 U.S.
Cato Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
The Cato Corporation owns a chain of approximately 678 women's apparel stores in 22 U.S.
Harold's Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Harold's Stores, Inc.
Harold's Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Harold's Stores, Inc.
The Buckle, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Based in the north-central United States, The Buckle, Inc.
The Buckle, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Based in the north-central United States, The Buckle, Inc.
Paul Harris Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Paul Harris Stores, Inc.
Paul Harris Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Paul Harris Stores, Inc.
The Dress Barn, Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
The Dress Barn, Inc.
The Dress Barn, Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
The Dress Barn, Inc.
St. John Knits, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
A swiftly rising competitor in the apparel industry, St.
St. John Knits, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
A swiftly rising competitor in the apparel industry, St.
The Limited, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
The Limited, Inc.
The Limited, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
The Limited, Inc.
Charming Shoppes, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Charming Shoppes, Inc., is a leading retailer, specializing in women's apparel.
Charming Shoppes, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Charming Shoppes, Inc., is a leading retailer, specializing in women's apparel.
Crystal Brands, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Crystal Brands, Inc., manufactures and merchandises sportswear, costume jewelry, and accessories under some of the…
Crystal Brands, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Crystal Brands, Inc., manufactures and merchandises sportswear, costume jewelry, and accessories under some of the…
The Clothestime, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
The Clothestime, Inc.
The Clothestime, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
The Clothestime, Inc.
Bernard Chaus, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Bernard Chaus, Inc.
Bernard Chaus, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Bernard Chaus, Inc.
Mothers Work, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Mothers Work, Inc.
Mothers Work, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Mothers Work, Inc.
Designer Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1984
Designer Holdings Ltd.
Designer Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1984
Designer Holdings Ltd.
One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Headquartered in South Carolina, One Price Clothing Stores, Inc., is a retailer of women's and children's clothing and…
One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Headquartered in South Carolina, One Price Clothing Stores, Inc., is a retailer of women's and children's clothing and…
Storehouse PLC →
Active · founded 1986 · United Kingdom
With its British Home Stores (Bhs) and Mothercare chains, Storehouse PLC ranks among the United Kingdom's top ten…
Storehouse PLC →
Active · founded 1986 · United Kingdom
With its British Home Stores (Bhs) and Mothercare chains, Storehouse PLC ranks among the United Kingdom's top ten…
Catherines Stores Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
Catherines Stores Corporation is a leading specialty retailer of women's large-size clothing and accessories.
Catherines Stores Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
Catherines Stores Corporation is a leading specialty retailer of women's large-size clothing and accessories.
The Gitano Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
The Gitano Group, Inc., is one of the United States' largest apparel merchandisers.
The Gitano Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
The Gitano Group, Inc., is one of the United States' largest apparel merchandisers.
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