Britt's Department Store was an American department store chain that existed between 1962 and 1982. It was an upscale version and division of the JJ Newberry 5 and 10 chain. Britts originated in the Pacific Northwest during the early years of the 20th century. It was acquired by the JJ Newberry chain in December 1928, with all Britts stores being rebranded as JJ Newberry locations.
The Britts name was revived by Newberry's in the early 1960s, with the first store in the new division opening November 8 1962 at Fort Lauderdale's Coral Ridge Plaza shopping mall. Other Florida stores were located at Winter Haven Mall (Winter Haven) [1972], Lakes Mall (Lauderdale Lakes) [1973], Cross County Plaza (Palm Beach County) [1973] and Boca Raton Mall (Boca Raton) [1974]. Stores were also built in locales such as Houston, Texas, Birmingham, Alabama, Greater Los Angeles, Central Kentucky and Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
During the civil rights Birmingham campaign, civil rights activists organized sit-ins at the segregated lunch counters in Britt's Department Stores, which led to the arrest of 20 protesters.[1]