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W.T. Grant Co. Department Store At 607 Main St.


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W. T. Grant

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This article is about W. T. Grant stores, for the namesake founder, see William Thomas Grant

W. T. Grant was the name of a chain of United States-based mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant. The stores were generally of the dime store format located in downtowns.

In 1906 the first "W. T. Grant Co. 25 Cent Store" opened in Lynn, Massachusetts. Modest profit, coupled with a fast turnover of inventory, caused the stores to grow to almost $100 million a year in sales by 1936, the same year that William Thomas Grant started the W. T. Grant Foundation. By the time Mr. Grant died in 1972, at age 96, his nationwide empire of W. T. Grant Stores had grown to almost 1,200.

Grant's stores were slower than the Kresge stores to adapt to the growth of the suburb and the change in shopping habits that this entailed. The attempt to correct this was belated; by the late 1960s there were some "Grant City" stores, but unlike Kresge's Kmart they were not of uniform sizes or layouts, meaning that a shopper in one did not immediately feel "at home" in another. The chain's demise in 1975 was in part due to a failure to adapt to changing times but was probably considerably accelerated by management's refusal until it was too late to eliminate the shareholder dividend; even after the company began to lose money, funds were borrowed to pay the quarterly dividend until this became impossible. A last-gasp tactic to stay in business involved requiring each Grant's clerk and cashier unfailingly to offer a Grant's credit card application to customers in order to boost sales in the stores.

Grant's store-branded electronic and other goods were "Bradford" after the county where William Thomas Grant was born in Pennsylvania.

Yes, that last-gasp tactic sounds familiar. Sam Walton didn't like credit. He always tried to discourage people from buying things on credit. Now since he's dead, Wal-Mart has their own credit card. I got one easily back in 2004. Now it's a negative item on my credit record. I should have followed Sam's advice and not have applied for a credit card from his store.

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zayre-bangor.jpg

Grants in the foreground

Zayre

One of the first-generation Zayre stores was this one in a Bangor, Maine shopping plaza, seen close-up underneath. Next to it is a shot of a similar store missing its "E", courtesy of Shaun Qualdieri (thanks). Pictured at bottom is a later-built Zayre in Dubuque, Iowa.

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W. T. Grant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about W. T. Grant stores, for the namesake founder, see William Thomas Grant

W. T. Grant was the name of a chain of United States-based mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant. The stores were generally of the dime store format located in downtowns.

In 1906 the first "W. T. Grant Co. 25 Cent Store" opened in Lynn, Massachusetts. Modest profit, coupled with a fast turnover of inventory, caused the stores to grow to almost $100 million a year in sales by 1936, the same year that William Thomas Grant started the W. T. Grant Foundation. By the time Mr. Grant died in 1972, at age 96, his nationwide empire of W. T. Grant Stores had grown to almost 1,200.

Grant's stores were slower than the Kresge stores to adapt to the growth of the suburb and the change in shopping habits that this entailed. The attempt to correct this was belated; by the late 1960s there were some "Grant City" stores, but unlike Kresge's Kmart they were not of uniform sizes or layouts, meaning that a shopper in one did not immediately feel "at home" in another. The chain's demise in 1975 was in part due to a failure to adapt to changing times but was probably considerably accelerated by management's refusal until it was too late to eliminate the shareholder dividend; even after the company began to lose money, funds were borrowed to pay the quarterly dividend until this became impossible. A last-gasp tactic to stay in business involved requiring each Grant's clerk and cashier unfailingly to offer a Grant's credit card application to customers in order to boost sales in the stores.

Grant's store-branded electronic and other goods were "Bradford" after the county where William Thomas Grant was born in Pennsylvania.

Now you just made me remember some other five-and-dime stores: Ben Franklin, TG&Y, Perry's. Do any of you remember some or all three of those, too?

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Now you just made me remember some other five-and-dime stores: Ben Franklin, TG&Y, Perry's. Do any of you remember some or all three of those, too?

Sure do, and I see that someone mentioned Kresge's I recall them back in the 60's too.

I know many people do miss the days of soda fountains and such but with today's crowd of younger people that dont care it would be impossible to have it as it was. Can't you just see everyone at the counter on a cell phone, ipod, or playing video games and tele-messaging? or blasting away with loud vulger prison music.

Rude, rude, rude. but it has become acceptable in today's society. Not to mention the thugs that would give the attendants a hard time? Too much political correctness crud.

Best we remember how nice it was. :wacko:

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Sure do, and I see that someone mentioned Kresge's I recall them back in the 60's too.

I know many people do miss the days of soda fountains and such but with today's crowd of younger people that dont care it would be impossible to have it as it was. Can't you just see everyone at the counter on a cell phone, ipod, or playing video games and tele-messaging? or blasting away with loud vulger prison music.

Rude, rude, rude. but it has become acceptable in today's society. Not to mention the thugs that would give the attendants a hard time? Too much political correctness crud.

Best we remember how nice it was. :wacko:

Yes, I see your point. Some things are best as fond memories. They say that you can't go back and live in the past. But I like to sit and talk about yesteryear. A set of jacks, the ball, rubber band, and board paddle, and other things you'd get in the five-and-dime stores. Yes, sitting at the soda fountain and hearing someone's cell phone ring would be quite disturbing.

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Now you just made me remember some other five-and-dime stores: Ben Franklin, TG&Y, Perry's. Do any of you remember some or all three of those, too?

there was a TG&Y on the corner of Main and Praire. If i remember that was the last occupant before it was resurrected as a club. currently Suede. The old fallout signs were at each corner.

Yes, I see your point. Some things are best as fond memories. They say that you can't go back and live in the past. But I like to sit and talk about yesteryear. A set of jacks, the ball, rubber band, and board paddle, and other things you'd get in the five-and-dime stores. Yes, sitting at the soda fountain and hearing someone's cell phone ring would be quite disturbing.

i believe Kresge was a forerunner to Kmart

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there was a TG&Y on the corner of Main and Praire. If i remember that was the last occupant before it was resurrected as a club. currently Suede. The old fallout signs were at each corner.

i believe Kresge was a forerunner to Kmart

Yes, it was. Woolworth was a forerunner to Woolco. There used to be one here in Beaumont and one in Port Arthur, but the board of directors closed them down back in 1982. I don't know if Houston ever had any Woolco's or not.

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  • 1 month later...
Unbelievable photo's!

Thank you so much for sharing. I am so glad my mom took us there around Christmas to have our photo taken with Santa. Over our heads is a glittery sign that read "Merry Christmas" and 1965 in small letters underneath. I still recall being nervous and a little scared of course but clearly recall focusing on my mom in front of the crowd waving & saying "smile" There were also many excitied children and their mom's who most had those tall beehive & bouffant hairdoes. Many of the men wore suits & hat's It was sooooo cooool! Very mod 60's for sure.

I found a website called "DeadMalls.Com." It tell all about closed-down malls and retails stores that no longer exist. Either it or one of its links shows Grants. It also tells about San Jacinto Mall and the other malls in the Houston area that are either closed or are about to be.

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I found a website called "DeadMalls.Com." It tell all about closed-down malls and retails stores that no longer exist. Either it or one of its links shows Grants. It also tells about San Jacinto Mall and the other malls in the Houston area that are either closed or are about to be.

Thanks so much.

Penney's nearby also had a great toy dept. I recall getting lost in the mob while playing on the escalators and thought it was the end of the world! Felt like I was in Times Square! :blink:

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Thanks so much.

Penney's nearby also had a great toy dept. I recall getting lost in the mob while playing on the escalators and thought it was the end of the world! Felt like I was in Times Square! :blink:

People on this forum taught me what an "anchor" store is. I've noticed in most malls, J.C. Penney is an anchor store. I didn't major in any field of business, but I don't see how small specialty stores in malls stay afloat. I don't see many people go into them and buy anything.

Over here we have Parkdale Mall in Beaumont and Central Mall in Port Arthur. Most of the malls in Houston put them to shame. Their "anchor" stores are J.C. Penney, Sears, & Macy's. I would think that the malls in Houston would have more. Am I right or wrong?

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I found a website called "DeadMalls.Com." It tell all about closed-down malls and retails stores that no longer exist. Either it or one of its links shows Grants. It also tells about San Jacinto Mall and the other malls in the Houston area that are either closed or are about to be.

2r6mur9.jpg

Heres Gulfgate before it was enclosed. Notice the Grants and the Newberry.

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  • 5 weeks later...

EastEnd'r,

Would you know if there was there a Grants in the original Meyerland Plaza? Seems like I used to buy live baby turtles there. (Don't ask why I had to buy them over and over again. ...but NO, they were not target practice!)

2r6mur9.jpg

Heres Gulfgate before it was enclosed. Notice the Grants and the Newberry.

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Unbelievable photo's!

Thank you so much for sharing. I am so glad my mom took us there around Christmas to have our photo taken with Santa. Over our heads is a glittery sign that read "Merry Christmas" and 1965 in small letters underneath. I still recall being nervous and a little scared of course but clearly recall focusing on my mom in front of the crowd waving & saying "smile" There were also many excitied children and their mom's who most had those tall beehive & bouffant hairdoes. Many of the men wore suits & hat's It was sooooo cooool! Very mod 60's for sure.

I like the old soda fountain bar photo. Amazing stuff like this is not used anymore. Looks like a fun place to eat and hang out.

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I like the old soda fountain bar photo. Amazing stuff like this is not used anymore. Looks like a fun place to eat and hang out.

I agree. Some things that no longer exist, I can understand why, such as the VCR being a reason for drive-in theatres closing down. But I don't understand why drug stores stopped having soda fountains. Here in Beaumont, the Walgreens in Parkdale Mall used to have one, but not anymore. Even the Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor closed down. Would any of you know the reason(s) why?

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I like the old soda fountain bar photo. Amazing stuff like this is not used anymore. Looks like a fun place to eat and hang out.

Hamburger and fries were the best ever! These were those nice zigzag shaped fries and they served your soft drinks in actual glass containers. DTown sure seemed like you were smack in the middle of Times Square. :P

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Hamburger and fries were the best ever! These were those nice zigzag shaped fries and they served your soft drinks in actual glass containers. DTown sure seemed like you were snack in the middle of Times Square. :P

I think those are called "krinkle/crinkle cut" fries. I've seen them in the frozen food section in grocery stores. I was told that you simply pop them into a regular oven and VOILA! You're back at the soda fountain.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I remember going downtown with my mother in the late 60"s and shopping at Grants, Kress, and the little shops along main near the Rice Hotel. My favorite part was being able to buy gum and candy from the little machines which lined Main st.

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I remember going downtown with my mother in the late 60"s and shopping at Grants, Kress, and the little shops along main near the Rice Hotel. My favorite part was being able to buy gum and candy from the little machines which lined Main st.

My god! How did you remember the gumball machines!

You are right they were several on both sides of the street.

Funny everytime this Grant's Store topic resurfaces I can still hear the crowds of people and the elevator music and the best part, the TOY DEPT!

Just last night I dream't I found the toy dept at a big dept store and the first thing I found was a big box of Lego Building Blocks. I was so excited I grabbed the box but I was an adult not a 6 year old kid. Maybe it was a sign? :lol:

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My god! How did you remember the gumball machines!

You are right they were several on both sides of the street.

Funny everytime this Grant's Store topic resurfaces I can still hear the crowds of people and the elevator music and the best part, the TOY DEPT!

Just last night I dream't I found the toy dept at a big dept store and the first thing I found was a big box of Lego Building Blocks. I was so excited I grabbed the box but I was an adult not a 6 year old kid. Maybe it was a sign? :lol:

Today you'd have to chain down those gum machines.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 5 years later...

W. T. Grant's and Kress' both were on Main Street in Houston.  Mom and I would take the Shopper's Special bus (5 cents) from our home near N. Main and Quitman to downtown to shop and she took me to both many times.

 

The Majestic Theater in Houston was on one of the east/west streets, not Main.

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  • 3 years later...

Growing up in West U in the 60's & 70's, my family shopped at the Grants at what was then Montclair Shopping Center, now Weslayan Plaza. It was on the north end, about where the Famous Footwear or Petco is now. There's a Family Thrift Center at 920 N Durham that must have been a Grants, the pushbars on some of the front doors have the Grants name on them.

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