page_title: Geiger's
section_title: Early history
hierarchical_section_title: Geiger's / Early history
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the first Geiger's at W. 75 and Lorain Cleveland
context_page_description: Geiger's is a multi-unit retailer in Northeast Ohio. Founded in 1932 by W. Charles "Charley" Geiger Sr., the company markets men's and women's clothing and activewear, shoes, ski and snowboard equipment and accessories, sporting goods and tailored men's clothing at its main store and headquarters in Lakewood, Ohio, and stores in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
  Charley Sr. ran the business until his death in 1949, when his widow Ottillia and sons, W. Charles "Charley" Jr. and twins Donald E. and Douglas A. took over. Charley Jr. remained active until his death in 1992, when current CEO W. Charles "Chas" Geiger was named to the top job.
  The company's client base includes all of Northeast Ohio, Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. Throughout the years Geiger's has operated satellite locations including Geiger's at Peek'n Peak Resort; Geiger's at Boston Mills Ski Area; Geiger's Courtside at River Oaks Racquet Club; the Jack ‘n Jill Shops; and Gordo's Board & Skate, one of the country's first specialty "snowboard only" retail stores in Lakewood. Geiger's also has an active online business.
context_section_description: Geiger's history began nearly a century ago. W. Charles "Charley" Geiger Sr.'s brother Howard Geiger founded a men's clothing business in Cleveland in 1918 with a store near West 75th and Detroit Avenue in what is now the city's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. Charley joined brother Howard in 1919. Howard expanded his business, first to eight stores then, in 1928, to a total of 13 stores, most of which were closed during the Great Depression in 1929–1930.
  In 1932 Charley Geiger Sr., in the midst of the Great Depression, started his own men's clothing establishment, which he named "Charley Geiger's Haberdashery" in a storefront at the corner of Warren Rd. and Detroit Avenue in downtown Lakewood, OH. In 1936, he moved three storefronts east to 14710 Detroit Avenue where Geiger's main store and headquarters stand today. Geiger's, according to the Lakewood Post, was "…a new store, new fixtures, complete stocks of nationally advertised merchandise, and a continuation of the policies that have drastically increased his (Geiger's) business."
caption: Photo of the first Geiger's at W. 75 and Lorain Cleveland
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