O'Neil's was a regional department store chain based in Akron, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1877, the store grew to several locations throughout northeastern Ohio. Owned by May Department Stores, in 1989 it was merged with May's Ohio division, May Company Ohio, which was subsequently merged into its Pittsburgh division, Kaufmann's, in 1993. May Department Stores was purchased by and merged into Macy's in 2006.
O'Neil's began in 1877, when Irishmen Michael O'Neil and Isaac Dyas opened a dry goods store at 114 E. Market Street. Upon the death of Dyas in 1892, the store became M. O'Neil Co. Acquired by May Department Stores for $1 million in 1912, it opened a new store in downtown Akron in 1927 that remained through the late 1980s.[1] It eventually came to operate stores throughout the Akron and Canton area. In 1989 its main store was closed, and its remaining locations merged with May Company Ohio. With the merge, the O'Neil's name was retired.
The O'Neil's department store featured large display windows along the front and sides of the massive store where seasonal displays were set up for viewing by the public. During the holiday season, large elaborate animated displays of elves in Santa's workshop, nutcrackers, teddy bears, trains and various toys played under Christmas trees. These displays were the main feature of downtown Akron during the holiday season along with the displays in the windows of O'Neil's rival store, Polsky's located directly across the street.