Buffums, originally written as Buffums' with an apostrophe, was a chain of upscale department stores, headquartered in Long Beach, California. The Buffums chain began in 1904, when two brothers from Illinois, Charles and Edwin Buffum, together with other partners, bought the Schilling Bros., the largest dry goods store in Long Beach, and renamed it The Mercantile Co. The store grew to a large downtown department store, and starting in the 1950s, grew slowly over the years to be a small regional chain of 16 speciality department stores across Southern California at the time of its closure in 1990.[1][2][3]
Over the years, the stores gained a reputation as the "Grand Dame" of department stores in the area. The stores' interiors were known for large chandeliers and other upscale touches. The chain marketed itself as "Buffums Specialty Store," in an attempt to differentiate itself from other local chains, including The Broadway and Bullock's, and the national stores such as May Co. and Robinson's. Its most famous advertising line, "I've been to Buffums," was used in newspaper and television advertisements during the 1970s and '80s. It was also known for its "Bag-A-Bargain" promotion that placed actual shopping bags (printed with a discount offer) in local newspapers.
Like other local department stores of the era, Buffums was challenged by old-fashioned business models, changing consumer tastes, and the arrival of Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom. The chain was bought in the 1970s by the Australian-based David Jones, which looked to sell the struggling chain in the 1980s. By the time of the sale it had become part of Adelaide Steamship Company, an Australian conglomerate, who never found a buyer. In a last-ditch effort to modernize, Buffums installed new IBM point-of-sale registers in all stores in 1990 (to complement their data center's newly purchased IBM AS/400, IBM's then-new midrange computer), only to enter liquidation following the 1990 Christmas shopping season.
Stores
Flagship
Buffums' Downtown flagship grew as follows:[4]
The predecessor of Buffums, '''Wm. Schilling & Sons''' dry goods store opened in 1892 at the corner of 2nd and Pine in Long Beach. By 1902 they were located at the Stafford Block, 127–129 Pine Avenue, and described as a "commodious", 6250 sqft "department store", "embracing a complete line of dress goods ladies and gents furnishings, clothing, shoes, hats and caps, blankets, comforts, etc".. That same year the father William retired and the firm became Schilling Bros.[5]
In 1904, a partnership bought the Schilling Bros. business for $65,000 (~$ in ); the partners were Charles and Edwin Buffum arrived from Illinois, and local businessmen S. Townsend, W. L. Porterneld and C. J. Walter. The company started operating as The Mercantile Co. The 127–129 Pine Avenue Schilling Bros. store, several doors south of Broadway, would eventually become the men's shoe store of the future Buffums flagship store.[4] The next year, the Mercantile Co. announced the purchase of a lot on the southwest corner of Pine and Broadway, 74.5 ft. by 150 ft. (11175 sqft with the intention of building a five-story building on it. However, the building would only be three stories and was completed in 1912.
Relaunch
A California investor group filed Buffums' Stores, LLC. with the California Secretary of State in January 2015.[40] According to the buffumstores Facebook site, they re-launched in a small specialty format in October 2015, located in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach.[41] This reappearance of the Buffums name in retail was short-lived, however, as the former principals of Buffums Stores, Inc. moved their operations to Naples, FL, opening their store there under the name The, and shuttering the Belmont Shore 2nd street Buffums storefront in March 2016.[42]
See also
- Dorothy Buffum Chandler
References
- Stuart Silverstein. Buffums to Close in May, Ending 87-Year History : Retail: The department store chain lost $4.2 million its last fiscal year. The jobs of 1,400 employees will be eliminated. Los Angeles Times, March 14, 1991, retrieved 9 July 2012^
- Stuart Silverstein. Buffums' Closings 'Like Losing an Old Friend' The Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1991, retrieved 9 July 2012^
- Long Beach Lost: The Buffums' department store in Downtown • Long Beach Post