Von Maur
An American family-owned department-store chain offering apparel, footwear, accessories, home merchandise, and related services.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Von Maur is a privately held American department-store retailer headquartered in Davenport, Iowa. The company traces its origins to 1872, when German immigrant J. H. C. Petersen and his sons opened a small downtown Davenport store. Through a series of ownership changes, mergers, relocations, acquisitions, and mall developments, the business evolved from a local general-merchandise shop into a regional department-store chain operating primarily in the Midwestern and selected Southern, Northeastern, and Southwestern markets. The retailer sells clothing, shoes, accessories, beauty products, home furnishings, gifts, and other lifestyle merchandise. Its stores generally occupy large anchor spaces in enclosed malls, lifestyle centers, and mixed-use retail developments. Von Maur has also used replacement and redevelopment opportunities created by the closures of other department-store operators, including Jacobson's, Wieboldt's, Carson Pirie Scott, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Bon-Ton, Sears, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Belk locations. This approach has allowed the company to enter new metropolitan areas without relying exclusively on ground-up developments. Von Maur's market position combines elements of an upscale department store and a broadly accessible regional retailer. The chain emphasizes customer service, a comparatively traditional store environment, branded national merchandise, and services such as complimentary gift wrapping and free shipping. Its customer proposition is designed to appeal to middle-class and upper-middle-class shoppers seeking a more service-oriented alternative to mass merchants, off-price chains, and digitally focused retailers. The company's corporate identity has changed over time. The original Petersen business was combined with Harned & Von Maur in 1928 and operated under the name Petersen Harned Von Maur, often shortened to Petersen's. The business adopted the shorter Von Maur name in 1989, reflecting the von Maur family's continuing control. The company has remained family-owned and has maintained distribution, credit, and administrative operations in Davenport. Its subsidiary Dry Goods USA operates a separate chain of smaller-format fashion stores under the Dry Goods name. Von Maur expanded beyond the Quad Cities area during the 1970s and 1980s, entered the Chicago market in the 1990s, and broadened its footprint across states including Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Georgia, New York, Alabama, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The chain has also announced expansion into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In addition to opening full-line stores, the wider business has developed Dry Goods USA as a growth vehicle aimed at fashion-oriented shopping-center locations. The retailer became internationally known through news coverage of the 2007 mass shooting at its Westroads Mall store in Omaha, Nebraska. The incident was a criminal attack at a company location rather than a corporate scandal, but it became a significant event in the brand's public history. Von Maur remains an active, privately owned American department-store company whose identity is closely associated with family ownership, regional expansion, customer service, and large-format mall retailing.
History
Von Maur's history begins in 1872, when J. H. C. Petersen and his three sons established a small store in downtown Davenport, Iowa. The business expanded into the Redstone Building at Second and Main Streets and became one of the city's principal department stores. Separately, C. J. von Maur, an Austrian immigrant, had established the Boston Store in Davenport in 1887. That business was later known as Harned & Von Maur. In 1916, William D. Petersen sold the family store to a partnership involving R. H. Harned, C. J. von Maur, and Cable von Maur. The Petersen and Harned & Von Maur operations continued separately for a period, despite their shared ownership. On May 7, 1928, the two businesses merged in the Redstone Building and adopted the name Petersen Harned Von Maur. The name was frequently shortened in everyday use to Petersen's. After R. H. Harned died in 1937, the von Maur family obtained full ownership. The company began its modern geographic expansion in the 1970s. In its centennial year, 1972, it opened a branch at Duck Creek Plaza in Bettendorf, Iowa, followed by a SouthPark Mall location in Moline, Illinois, in 1974. A 1976 opening at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines became the company's first location beyond the Quad Cities. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Von Maur concentrated on mall-based growth across Iowa and Illinois and acquired two former Killian's stores in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City in 1981. The downtown Davenport flagship closed in 1986 as the business shifted toward suburban shopping centers. The company shortened its name to Von Maur in 1989. The following year it moved its headquarters and executive offices from the Redstone Building to a large facility on Brady Street in Davenport. The site supported distribution and other functions, including a company-operated trucking fleet, credit operations, a credit union, and a print shop. The retailer also acquired former Carson Pirie Scott locations in Illinois in 1989. Von Maur entered the Chicago market in 1994 with a large store at Yorktown Center in Lombard. During the late 1990s and early 2000s it expanded into Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Nebraska while closing some smaller or less strategic Iowa locations. In 2004 it entered Michigan by taking over two former Jacobson's stores. It opened in Columbus, Ohio, in 2005, although subsequent store closures temporarily reduced the chain's total location count. Expansion continued in the late 2000s and 2010s. The company opened stores in Dayton, Ohio; Overland Park, Kansas; Lake St. Louis, Missouri; and the Atlanta area. It entered New York State in 2013, Alabama in 2013, and Oklahoma in 2014. Additional locations followed in Georgia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa. Several of these stores occupied former department-store spaces, reflecting Von Maur's ability to use vacancies created by industry consolidation. The company has also developed Dry Goods USA, a subsidiary that grew from the original dry-goods business and operates smaller fashion-oriented stores. By 2024, Dry Goods USA was reported to have 82 locations in 22 states, with another Delaware location planned. Von Maur has announced further full-line expansion, including a Pennsylvania store and a New Jersey store planned for 2027. The business remains privately held and family-controlled, with Charles R. von Maur and Richard B. von Maur serving as co-chairmen and James D. von Maur as president according to the cited reference material.
- 2025
New Jersey expansion announced
[1]Von Maur announced plans for a Freehold Raceway Mall store targeted for fall 2027.
- 2022
South Hills Village expansion announced
[1]The company announced a planned store at South Hills Village near Pittsburgh, its first Pennsylvania location.
- 2017
Wisconsin entry
[1]Von Maur opened its first Wisconsin store at The Corners in Brookfield.
- 2014
Oklahoma entry
[1]A store opened at Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City.
- 2013
New York and Alabama expansion
[1]The chain opened its first New York location near Rochester and its first Alabama location in Hoover.
- 2007
Westroads Mall mass shooting
[1]A mass shooting occurred at the company's Omaha, Nebraska, store, killing eight people and injuring six.
- 2004
Michigan entry
[1]Von Maur entered Michigan by taking over former Jacobson's stores in Ann Arbor and Livonia.
- 1994
Chicago market entry
[1]The company opened a large store at Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois.
- 1989
Company adopts the Von Maur name
[1]Petersen Harned Von Maur shortened its public name to Von Maur.
- 1981
Killian's locations acquired
[1]Von Maur acquired two former Killian's department stores in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa.
Products and positioning
Family-owned, service-oriented regional department store with an upscale presentation and broad middle-market accessibility.
Apparel
Women's apparel
Women's apparel is a central department-store category, spanning contemporary and traditional clothing for work, casual wear, social occasions, and seasonal use. The assortment is supported by complementary accessories and footwear.
Apparel
Men's apparel
The men's assortment includes clothing and wardrobe basics intended to serve business, casual, and occasion-based needs. It forms part of the chain's broad full-line department-store proposition.
Fashion
Footwear and accessories
Von Maur stores sell shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories for women, men, and children. These categories provide outfit-completion merchandise and broaden the retailer's fashion offering beyond clothing.
Home
Home merchandise
Home goods and décor extend the chain beyond apparel into household and lifestyle purchasing. The category is offered alongside gifts and seasonal merchandise in the full-line stores.
Fashion retail subsidiary · 1872
Dry Goods USA
Dry Goods USA is Von Maur's smaller-format fashion retail subsidiary. It developed from the company's historical dry-goods business and operates stores focused on apparel, accessories, and related fashion merchandise in shopping-center locations.
Brand decisions
2018
Jordan Creek Town Center expansionStrategyBackground
Von Maur planned to strengthen its presence in the Des Moines-area market while replacing its earlier Valley West location.
Action taken
The company announced a new store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.
Aftermath
The store opened in 2022 and replaced the Valley West location.
2004
Acquisition of former Jacobson's locationsM&ABackground
Jacobson's had ceased operating the Michigan department-store locations later used by Von Maur.
Action taken
Von Maur took over stores at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor and Laurel Park Place in Livonia.
Aftermath
The move gave Von Maur an entry into Michigan and added established mall sites to its network.
1994
Entry into the Chicago metropolitan marketStrategyBackground
Von Maur had historically concentrated its stores in Iowa, Illinois, and nearby Midwestern markets.
Action taken
The company opened a large flagship-format store at Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois.
Aftermath
The Chicago-area opening established a platform for wider metropolitan and multi-state expansion.
1989
Adoption of the Von Maur nameStrategyBackground
The business had operated under the longer Petersen Harned Von Maur name since the 1928 merger.
Action taken
The company shortened its operating name to Von Maur to emphasize the von Maur family's management and ownership.
Aftermath
The shorter name became the primary identity for the department-store chain.
Recent events
- 2025
Von Maur announces New Jersey expansion[1]
Other
The company announced plans for a store at Freehold Raceway Mall, using a former Nordstrom space and targeting an opening in fall 2027.
- 2022
Von Maur opens first Pennsylvania store[1]
Other
The company announced plans for a location at South Hills Village in suburban Pittsburgh, marking its planned entry into Pennsylvania.
- 2007
Von Maur Westroads Mall store attacked in mass shooting[1]
Other
A gunman entered Von Maur's Westroads Mall store in Omaha, Nebraska, killed eight people, injured six others, and then died by suicide. The event became a major tragedy associated with the retailer.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/von-maur · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled