The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-22
RACKETEERS STEALING VAL LIABLE DOGS
W. GRANT STORE
 l65 BANK STREET
All Trace of Fire Removed
 and Place Stocked With All New Goods
WILL REOPEN THURSDAY

he-OpenS aIter COiHPiStS AOhv'~ tion.
 After being closed for three days during which time all the evidences | of the fire of a few weeks have been eliminated, the W. T. Grant Company store at 165 Bank street will be re-opened Thursday. In the Bank street section of the store, where thegreatest fire damage took place, a new floor has been laid, new fixtures installed, the window front reconditioned and every thing put into first class condition. In the remainder of the store all of the fixtures have been redressed, and the entire store repaintd. In addition to the necessary work re- sulting from the fire. the Grant Company has taken the opportunity to relay the entire store reclassifying the departments and setting up the standard of displays which have been created in the most recently opened stores of the chain. It IS practically new store which She w. T. Grant Company presents to | Waterbury. t In the few weeks following the fire the Grant organization held not only a fire sale but used the store as an outlet for clearance merchandise from other stores or the chain. This merchandise was entirely sold before the relaying Of the store started, and 1t will be a 100 per cent new stock which will be offered Thursday. Not a piece of the original merchandise re- mains.
 During the fire sale it was nec- essary to close off the Bank street entrance and depend upon the South Main street entrance only. According to Manager D. J. Scan- nell, 80,000 people entered and left the store through this entrance an evidence not only of popularity of the Grant store, but of the business value of the South Main street To- cation. The Bank street entrance will be ready for the re-opening.
 When the store closed last Sat urday, the W. T. Grant Company transferred thirty three assistant managers from other Grant stores here to assist with the details of getting the store ready for the opening. A large additional sales force was hired, and these people under the supervision of the train ed men from the other stores have set a record for relaying a store. What little clearance merchandise was left was removed and turned over to the underwriters, new mer- chandise was unpacked, sorted ana marked, counters re-arranged, new layouts installed and everything pos sible done to bring the Waterbury |. al, I aS.d q q newest Grant stores.
 The Waterbury store is one or the oldest of the Grant stores, be- ing the second store opened by MT Grant in the early days of the company. Starting in Lynn, Mass, with limited capital MT Grant set | out to have a single store in which he could practice his theories of economical service. So successful was his first store that he was pre- | vailed to open a second store. and | Waterbury was selected. This store too proved successful, and started the expansion which has carried the w. T. Grant Company to over 400 stores to-day and an annua sales figure in excess of $75,0O0'- 900.
 The store was enlarged and re. modelled in the fall of 1928. and brought up to the standards of the Grant Company at that time.
 The Waterbury store has served as training school for three of the executives of the w. T. Grant Con- pany. Among it's earlier managers were F. H. Edgecombe who is now director of sales and advertising for the company; c. A. Bonibard, now district manager for all New Eng land stores; and c. W. Dole who retired recently after becoming di- rector of special departments.
 The growth of the Grant Com- pany has brought increased bus mess to many Waterbury firms who supply merchandise to the Grant stores. The continued expansion of the Grant stores during the pres ent condition of business has open- ed up many new outlets for Water bury made products. Announced expansion, plans for this year which include stores in Los An. geles and Oakland California mak- ing the chain actually nationwide mean additional demand upon these Waterbury firms for merchandise and will be a distinct contribution to Waterbury business improve l ment.