Boy this is the most understated thing Ive read here on Wikipedia  While the current details about ZCMI are pretty good and the list of stores when the chain wwas closed down is pretty accurate it is hardly an exaustive list of stores that have been in existance  Virtually every Mormon community had a version of ZCMI at one time or another and some decidedly nonMormon communities as well  The most remarkable being a ZCMI set up in Rapid City South Dakota  In addition a huge part of the history of ZCMI is tied directly with the history of Utah including the petition for Utah statehood and the fight between the Mormons and the Gentiles during the territorial days of Utah  Part of this history should include how members of the LDS Church would face excommunication if they shopped anywhere except at ZCMI  I am not kidding here  Several LDS Church members were removed from the church rolls because of this seemingly irrational justification based on modern sentiments  Keep in mind that there was a coordinated economic plan to try and push the nonMormons out of Mormon influenced areas and this is really in keeping with other business traditions of th Century America as well including Standard Oil and others that would be illegal with current fair trade laws  Saying that the LDS Church was a significant influences is hardly doing justice here  The LDS Church owned the store lock stock and barrel  And the decision to sell ZCMI to May department stores was mainly a way for the LDS Church to get out of that sort of business  What is surprising is that is was a subsiderary of the LDS Church for so long making it into the st Century  The LDS Church has divested itself from other businesses it started back elsewhen like a Sugar Company and a chain of Hospitals and in that context ZCMI is just one of several aspects of life in Utah