COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 5261

Retail Nurseries & Lawn & Garden Supply Stores

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

10companies1885–1997founding years10still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBachman's Inc.
1885
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedKingfisher plc
1909
FoundedGeneral Host Corporation
1911
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedJ Sainsbury plc
1922
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedLowe's Companies, Inc.
1952
FoundedFrank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedHechinger Company
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedGIB Group
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedOrchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation
1986
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.
FoundedTruServ Corporation
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

Bachman's Inc. →
Active · founded 1885
Bachman's Inc., family owned and operated for over a century, provides homes and businesses with a variety of…
Kingfisher plc →
Active · founded 1909 · United Kingdom
Based in London, Kingfisher plc is a major European retailing and property group.
General Host Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
General Host Corporation owns and operates Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc., a chain of specialty retail stores that sell…
J Sainsbury plc →
Active · founded 1922 · United Kingdom
Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and other grocery outlets clustered tightly in the south of England form the nucleus of…
Lowe's Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Lowe's Companies, Inc., is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the United States (trailing Home Depot…
Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc.
Hechinger Company →
Active · founded 1959
One of the leading retailers in the do-it-yourself industry, Hechinger Company is also one of the industry pioneers.
GIB Group →
Active · founded 1974 · Belgium
GIB Group, Belgium's top retailer, is active in four sectors: supermarkets and hypermarkets; do-it-yourself (DIY) home…
Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
A leading home improvement retailer in California, Orchard Supply Stores Corporation operates a chain of hardware…
TruServ Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
TruServ Corporation is the largest 100 percent member-owned cooperative in the $145 billion do-it-yourself industry,…
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