Bealls (Florida)

Beall's Inc. was a United States retail corporation headquartered in Bradenton, Florida and Houston, Texas. Bealls consists of three chains, Bealls Stores, Bealls Outlet Stores, and Bunulu. Bealls Inc. serves as the parent corporation, although the two overlap in some markets. Where there is overlap, Bealls Outlet operates as Burkes Outlet. The CEO of Bealls Inc. is Steve Knopik. Bealls Stores, Inc. and Bealls Outlet Stores, Inc. are headed by Presidents Dan Love and Dave Alves, respectively. They are still owned by the founding family, all are headquartered in Bradenton. Only the Florida division remains.
== Florida History ==
In 1915, 22-year-old Robert M. Beall Sr. opened a dry goods store in Bradenton, Florida. Investing his entire savings in merchandise, he used empty wooden packing crates as his first display tables. Because the store sold nothing for more than one dollar he called his store The Dollar Limit. Following World War I inflation, in 1920 Beall renamed his store The Five Dollar Limit. Business prospered during the Florida land boom of the 1920s; in a few years Beall purchased a vacant lot facing the courthouse and erected a new modern department store, which opened for Christmas, 1924. The Florida boom ended in a few years, only to be followed by the stock market crash. Hard hit and unable to pay his debts, Robert Beall lost his business to the bank. He stayed on as manager through the depression. By 1944 he had saved enough to repurchase it.
== Texas History ==
The first Beall store was opened in Henderson, Texas in 1923 by brothers Archie and Robbie (and later, Willie). The Bealls opened a second store in Nacogdoches in 1926 and a third in Mt. Pleasant in 1927.
By 1930, there were seven stores in the chain. The Beall brothers won bids for the business of J.L. Douglas, a Jacksonville merchant. This move would establish Jacksonville as a permanent home office for the growing chain (as well as its eighth store). The Beall brothers decided to file for incorporation of the chain during this time.
In 1935, the home office moved to the Mayfield Building in downtown Jacksonville. The Jacksonville store location would move in 1936 from the old Douglas building to the corner of Main and Commerce streets, where it would remain for nearly 50 years. By 1940, Bealls had 15 stores in the chain.[3]
Despite World War II, store count by 1950 had grown to 19. Continued growth of the chain led to 38 locations by 1957. Bealls shifted their home office and warehousing to a new location on East Rusk Street in Jacksonville, east of downtown. In the 1960s, a chain-wide modernization of store interiors and operations was underway and more name-brand items could be found in stores.
In 1972, Bealls had grown to 60 stores in Texas and found its way beyond the borders of its home state for the first time, with a location opened in Oklahoma. Bealls had reached most parts of Texas, except for the far west and the Panhandle. Meanwhile, three of Robbie Beall's sons were now in high-level positions with the company; Royce and Ray were now vice-presidents and R.G. was serving as president of Bealls.
The 1980s brought more changes on the homefront. Buying operations were moved away from Jacksonville to the Las Colinas area of Irving, Texas in 1983. This move ensured close proximity to many manufacturer's representatives of the apparel industry; most had local offices and showrooms in the Dallas Market Center area. By 1984, Bealls moved its long-time downtown Jacksonville store operation to a new location on South Jackson Street. A new warehouse and distribution center took shape on the north side of Jacksonville, replacing the warehouse that occupied the rear of the headquarters building. The new operation was opened in 1986.
In 1988, Royce and Ray Beall announced plans to sell Beall's due to the vote of shares by shareholders to sell the company, this effort was led in part by other family members of Jacksonville. The 13% voted against the sale. During the mid- to late 1980's the company was hit particular hard when the oil revenues in the state of Texas plummeted that resulted in a downturn for the state. This forced the company to quit paying dividends thus in turn stockholders became aggressive to sell the company at bargain prices. Operations of Beall's was combined with those of Houston-based Palais Royal (also bought out by Bain, etc. at the same time) and formed a new company, Specialty Retailers, Inc. The combined company would be based in Houston. There were 152 Bealls stores in the chain by this time: Texas had 128, Oklahoma had 11, New Mexico had 10, and there were 3 stores in Alabama. This was a shock to Jacksonville, whose residents and those in the business community considered Bealls to be a good neighbor and corporate citizen. Jacksonville was spared a complete loss, as the new distribution center would stay open, and the credit department of the combined company would be located at the previous Bealls office east of downtown. Also remaining would be the former flagship store of the company, where it still remains, on South Jackson.
== Florida Bealls Stores ==
After the war, Robert was joined by his son E.R. as junior partner. They christened the business Bealls Department Store. Air conditioning and an influx of new residents in the 1950s began to transform the face of Florida. In 1956, the second Bealls Department store was opened in Bradenton's Westgate Shopping Center and a third store followed in 1961 at the Venice Shopping Center in Venice, Florida. E.R. developed the new chain while his father ran the original downtown store until just prior to his death in 1979.
During the 1960s and 1970s Florida experienced amazing growth and Bealls stores grew with it. In 1980, Robert M. Beall II became president of the corporation—the third generation. E.R. became Chairman of the Board. By 1981 the chain had 23 stores. A year later, seven new stores enabled the chain to double its selling space. Bealls continued to grow into new communities and adopt new technologies, introducing in-store kiosks and launching http://www.beallsflorida.com in 1998. Striving to deliver the right merchandise for Florida customers, Bealls opened its own design studio in 2004. Lines exclusive to Bealls include Reel Legends, Coral Bay, and Leoma Lovegrove.
== Bealls Outlet ==
E.R. Beall having observed the growth of outlet stores in North Carolina, Bealls ventured into the off-price channel in 1987. After a few hits and misses, Bealls Outlet caught on rapidly. A new buying organization was created, constantly shopping the markets for great finds. In 1992, Bealls opened its first out-of-Florida Outlet in Arizona, and soon expanded to Georgia. Today Bealls Outlet numbers more than 420 stores in 16 states across the Sunbelt under the names of Bealls Outlet and Burkes Outlet. The Burkes Outlet name is used in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Online outlet shopping began with the debut of http://www.Burkesoutlet.com in 2014. Bealls and Burkes Outlet stores follow a deep discount every day low price policy with an emphasis on branded merchandise.
== Bunulu ==
E.R. Beall having observed the growth of outlet stores in North Carolina, Bealls ventured into the off-price channel in 1987. After a few hits and misses, Bealls Outlet caught on rapidly. A new buying organization was created, constantly shopping the markets for great finds. In 1992, Bealls opened its first out-of-Florida Outlet in Arizona, and soon expanded to Georgia. Today Bealls Outlet numbers more than 420 stores in 16 states across the Sunbelt under the names of Bealls Outlet and Burkes Outlet. The Burkes Outlet name is used in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Online outlet shopping began with the debut of http://www.Burkesoutlet.com in 2014. Bealls and Burkes Outlet stores follow a deep discount every day low price policy with an emphasis on branded merchandise.
== Home Centric ==
The Home Centric brand of stores began as a store within a store test concept in select Burkes Outlet and Bealls Outlet stores. The first stand-alone Home Centric store opened in May 2018 in Cary, NC focusing on discount home furnishings and home decor. Home Centric is dedicated to bringing its customers "inspired living for less" maintaining the focus on discounted pricing established by the Burkes Outlet and Bealls Outlet brands.
== Community ==
Following the sale of the old downtown store, the proceeds were used to establish a charitable foundation named for the founder. Since then the foundation has provided scholarships to over 600 employees and their dependents. Bealls is a longtime contributor to the United Way and to agencies that help young people and education. In celebration of its centennial year, company outreach assisted Habitat for Humanity and the American Cancer Society; Bealls also sponsors Take Stock in Children, helping to mentor at-risk children throughout Florida.
==See also==
*Beall's (Stage Stores) - same-name store
*Uptons - former competitor
*Sears - national competitor
*JCPenney - national competitor
*Kohl's - national competitor
Category:Retailers by type
Category:Retailers
Category:Discount stores
Category:Department stores
Category:Mall Retailers