Stix, Baer, Fuller

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Stix, Baer and Fuller (sometimes called "Stix" or SBF or the Grand Leader) was a department store in downtown St. Louis, Missouri that opened in 1892. The main store was located on the north side of Washington Avenue between Sixth and Seventh street. The store was a public company with its stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company was a longtime member of the American Merchandising Companies ("AMC"), a trade association of important, locally owned department stores across the United States. For many years the Company was known as the leading high end fashion store in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, although a much smaller competitor, Scruggs, Vandervort and Barney, also vied for that position.

Stix's largest shareholders were Arthur B. Baer, Sidney Baer and Leo J. Fuller. These men were also the senior officers of the Company. However, they hired a series of more experienced retailers to run the business as General Managers. Those with the longest tenure were Morris Jelenko and Frank Wolff. The last General Manager and President was J. Arthur Baer, son of Arthur B. Baer.

In 1966 the company was purchased by Associated Dry Goods (ADG) and eventually expanded into the Kansas City market.

Unable to compete against Famous-Barr, ADG sold the 13-store division in 1984 to Dillard's, which also rebranded the stores to the Dillard's name. The flagship store in downtown St. Louis was briefly closed and reopened in 1985 as part of the St. Louis Centre Mall, but would be shuttered in September 2001, admist the mall's failure.

[edit] Former Stix, Baer & Fuller locations

[edit] Illinois

• Fairview Heights - St. Clair Square (became Dillard's 1984)

[edit] Kansas

• Overland Park - Oak Park Center (became Dillard's 1984)

[edit] Missouri

• Chesterfield - Chesterfield Mall (became Dillard's 1984)
• Florissant - Jamestown Mall (became Dillard's 1984, then closed 2006)
• Independence - Independence Center (became Dillard's 1984)
• Jennings - River Roads Mall (became Dillard's 1984, then closed 1984)
• Kansas City - Ward Parkway Center (became Dillard's 1984)
• St. Ann, Missouri - Northwest Plaza (became Dillard's 1984)
• St. Louis
  • Crestwood Plaza (became Dillard's 1984)
  • Downtown (briefly closed, reopened 1985 as Dillard's with opening of St. Louis Centre, closed 2001)
  • South County Center (became Dillard's 1984)
  • Westroads Shopping Center (now St. Louis Galleria) (became Dillard's 1984, rebuilt)

[edit] External links

• Stix, Baer and Fuller Collection (1908-1978) at The Mercantile Library - University of Missouri-St. Louis
• *Stix, Baer and Fuller Photographs in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

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