Bradlees

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Bradlees

Type	Discount store
Founded	1958
Headquarters	New London, Connecticut
Industry	Retail
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares.
Website	Bradlees.com

Bradlees was a chain of discount department stores which operated primarily in the Northeastern United States. The chain went bankrupt in 2000.

[edit] History

The first store was opened in New London, Connecticut in 1958. The company was acquired by grocery chain Stop & Shop in 1961, which owned the chain until 1992. It fell into Chapter 11 bankruptcy a few years later.

Bradlees had successfully exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 only to go bankrupt again and close its doors in 2000. At the time of its liquidation, there were 105 Bradlees stores in seven states. Many of its former store locations were purchased by Wal-Mart, although other locations became The Home Depot, Kohl's department stores or Stop & Shop supermarkets. One location in Broomall, Pennsylvania became a Giant Food, which, like Stop & Shop, is owned by Ahold.

"Savings on the Good Stuff" was Bradlees's slogan created shortly before the chain's final bankruptcy.

Bradlees was also the site of many former Two Guys department store locations. Two Guys was the Wal-Mart Supercenter of its day which reigned popular throughout New York and New Jersey in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the New York/New Jersey area, nearly all shopping centers that had Bradlees stores also would have a Stop & Shop in the same plaza, but this was abandoned when Stop & Shop decided to pull out of the New York/New Jersey market in the '80s (and wouldn't return until the chain took over all the remaining Edwards stores in 2000-2001).

During the 1970s and early '80s (and again in the late 1990s), Bradlees was known for its TV and print ads featuring the character "Mrs. B." (played by actress Cynthia Harris), depicted as the chain's buyer, who constantly searched for bargains to pass onto her customers.