COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 452111

Department Stores (Except Discount Department Stores;

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

28companies1872–2002founding years28still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedVon Maur Inc.FoundedVon Maur Inc.
1872
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedRinascente S.p.A.
1917
FoundedDavid Jones Ltd.
1920
FoundedOdakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.FoundedOdakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
1923
FoundedEdgars Consolidated Stores Ltd.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedS.A.C.I. Falabella
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedDunnes Stores Ltd.
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedGroupe Bourbon S.A.FoundedGroupe Bourbon S.A.FoundedPPB Group Berhad
1948
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedShopKo Stores Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAEON Co., Ltd.FoundedAEON Co., Ltd.
1969
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
FoundedEmpresas Almacenes Paris S.A.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedHarvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyAmazon is founded; e-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.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
FoundedC.I. Traders Limited
2002
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
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

Von Maur Inc. →
Active · founded 1872
Based in Davenport, Iowa, family-owned Von Maur Inc.
Von Maur Inc. →
Active · founded 1872
Based in Davenport, Iowa, family-owned Von Maur Inc.
Rinascente S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1917 · Italy
Rinascente S.p.A.
Rinascente S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1917 · Italy
Rinascente S.p.A.
David Jones Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Into the mid-1990s, David Jones continued to shift its offerings in order to attract a broader clientele.
David Jones Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Into the mid-1990s, David Jones continued to shift its offerings in order to attract a broader clientele.
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1923 · Japan
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1923 · Japan
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Edgars Consolidated Stores Ltd. →
Active · founded 1929 · South Africa
Edgars Consolidated Stores Ltd.
Edgars Consolidated Stores Ltd. →
Active · founded 1929 · South Africa
Edgars Consolidated Stores Ltd.
S.A.C.I. Falabella →
Active · founded 1937 · Chile
S.A.C.I.
S.A.C.I. Falabella →
Active · founded 1937 · Chile
S.A.C.I.
Dunnes Stores Ltd. →
Active · founded 1944 · Ireland
Family-owned Dunnes Stores Ltd.
Dunnes Stores Ltd. →
Active · founded 1944 · Ireland
Family-owned Dunnes Stores Ltd.
Groupe Bourbon S.A. →
Active · founded 1948 · France
Former sugar cane producer Groupe Bourbon S.A.
Groupe Bourbon S.A. →
Active · founded 1948 · France
Former sugar cane producer Groupe Bourbon S.A.
PPB Group Berhad →
Active · founded 1948 · Malaysia
One of Malaysia's largest companies, and one of the largest conglomerates in the ASEAN market region, PPB Group Berhad…
PPB Group Berhad →
Active · founded 1948 · Malaysia
One of Malaysia's largest companies, and one of the largest conglomerates in the ASEAN market region, PPB Group Berhad…
ShopKo Stores Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Shopko Stores Inc.
ShopKo Stores Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Shopko Stores Inc.
AEON Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1969 · Japan
Formerly known as JUSCO AEON Co., Ltd.
AEON Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1969 · Japan
Formerly known as JUSCO AEON Co., Ltd.
Empresas Almacenes Paris S.A. →
Active · founded 1973 · Chile
Empresas Almacenes Paris S.A.
Empresas Almacenes Paris S.A. →
Active · founded 1973 · Chile
Empresas Almacenes Paris S.A.
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1982 · Australia
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1982 · Australia
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
C.I. Traders Limited →
Active · founded 2002 · United Kingdom
1980s:Le Riche debuts the Stampers convenience store format.
C.I. Traders Limited →
Active · founded 2002 · United Kingdom
1980s:Le Riche debuts the Stampers convenience store format.
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