The Denver Dry Goods Company
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The Denver Dry Goods Company was established in Denver, Colorado in 1889 as The Colorado Dry Goods Company. Later on it was known as "The Denver". For a while it was claimed to be the largest department store west of Chicago. A description on one postcard from 1916 read: "The Largest Store in the Central West, 400 Feet long-Seven Acres Floor Area, 1,200 Employees, A $1,500,000 Stock, 15th to 16th on California Street Denver Colorado".
The Denver Dry Goods Company was part of Associated Dry Goods (ADG), and in the 1970s and early 1980s it was considered one of ADG's most profitable operating units, just behind Lord and Taylor. ADG invested in expanding The Denver, both with suburban stores in the greater Denver market and stores in far-flung locales such as Billings, Montana. Also under ADG the downtown Denver store was renovated. Many Colorado residents fondly recall the stores' motto, "Where Colorado Shops With Confidence"
The store was acquired by May Company as part of Associated Dry Goods Corp. in 1986 (which had acquired it in 1966), 9 of the 12 locations were shutdown and sold-off and the remaining 3 units were converted to May-Daniels & Fisher stores in 1987. The original downtown store was built in 1889 and was expanded in 1898 and 1906. It was converted to apartments in 1994.
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[edit] Former locations
[edit] Colorado
- Aurora: Aurora Mall (now Town Center at Aurora) - closed 1987, became Foley's Home Store, currently vacant
- Boulder: Crossroads Mall (now Twenty Ninth Streeet) - closed and became Sears 1987, Sears closed 2003, torn down
- Centennial: Southglenn Mall (now Streets at Southglenn) - closed and became J. C. Penney 1987, later J. C. Penney Home Store, closed 2002, torn down
- Colorado Springs: The Citadel - closed and became Mervyns 1987, closed 2006, Burlington Coat Factory 2007
- Denver
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- Cherry Creek Shopping Center - opened 1953, converted to May-Daniels & Fisher 1987; May-Daniels & Fisher relocated 1990, former Denver Dry Goods now Bed Bath & Beyond
- Downtown - opened 1889, closed 1987, converted to apartments
- Lakeside Mall (now Lakeside Center) - closed 1987, now offices
- Northglenn Mall (now Marketplace at Northglenn) - closed 1987, converted to May-Daniels & Fisher, closed 1988, demolished 1998
- Southwest Plaza - opened 1982, closed and became J. C. Penney 1987
- Englewood: Cinderella City Mall - closed and became May-Daniels & Fisher 1987; May-Daniels & Fisher moved 1987, former store became Montgomery Ward, closed 1997, torn down
- Fort Collins: Foothills Mall - closed 1987, Mervyns 1988, closed 2006, vacant
- Pueblo: Pueblo Mall - closed 1987, Mervyn's 1988, closed 2006, vacant
[edit] Montana
- Billings: Rimrock Mall - closed 1981, J. C. Penney 1982, Dillard's 2001
[edit] Sources
- Ballenger & Richards Denver City Directory 1888-1910
- Annual Reports of the Associated Dry Goods Corporation (ADG), 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984.
