I will try to scour up a copy of the korvettes history. A transmutation of the lung block, redeemed as a bold social experiment tinged with ambitions as immodest as a revolution and as commonplace as sandwiches ordinary though it may be but still the most. The broadway mall is located only a few miles from roosevelt field mall, the largest mall in all of new york state and one of the largest on the entire eastern seaboard. Korvettes went bust in 1980but this reaganera sign was never taken down, even. According to korvettes founder, eugene ferkauf, who died on june 5, 2012, the name e. The korvette was named after the canadian wwii warship a corvette. The department store museum is an online homage to americas great, latelamented department stores. Korvette was coined as a combination of the initials of its founders eugene and joe and a respelling of the naval term corvette, a nimble sailing warship and later world war ii subdestroyer.
One of the partners was an avid music fan and thats. Korvette department stores, commonly referred to as korvettes, were the brainchild. By that time, the company had 45 department stores and 60 supermarkets. Korvettes was not a persons name, but rather, stood for eight jewish korean war veterans. Korvette stands for eight jewish korean war veterans. Mcgee, 96, of camp hill, passed away on thursday january 25, 2018 at manorcare health services in carlisle. For a while the blues project, with their progressive blending of blues, rock, pop, and jazz, looked like they might be the next big thing, but it never panned out. Korvette the dawn of discounti pleasant family shopping. Korvette s store in morton grove, il had a great record department with knowledgable salespeople.
Korvette chain of discount department stores, whose 1950s strategy of low prices, quick turnover and. History deserves to be remembered recommended for you. Korvettes department store new york city in the wit of an eye. Mexican singeractress thalia and marc anthony, from spanish harlem, are featured in ads on the mccrorey. Remembering korvettes eugene ferkauf last year saw the passing of one of the most influential figures in retailing history, one who deserves more recognition than he receives today, im afraid. Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american chain of discount department stores, founded in 1948 in new york city, by world war ii veteran eugene ferkauf and his friend, joe zwillenberg, e. A penchant for trains, he worked in accounting for the new york central railroad, penn central rr, conrail, and metro north rr from 19431986. Named in a 1962 time magazine story as one of the six greatest retailers in american history, ferkauf challenged the fair trade laws and. Eventually, in the late 1980s and 1990s, discount department stores like mays along with ohrbachs, ej korvettes, alexanders and tss started closing. Korvettes store in morton grove, il had a great record department with knowledgable salespeople. It was one of the first department stores to challenge the suggested retail price provisions of antidiscounting statutes. Korvettes was among the first big anchor stores for the new king of prussia plaza shopping mall. All things must pass, the mustsee documentary on the rise and fall of the tower records chain, comes to dvd september th through mvd.
Korvette initially a retailer of leather goods was founded in 1948, two years before the korean war began, by a jewish world war ii veteran named eugene ferkauf. Looks like from the info below that the 1d has a 7. Consumer grouch is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to. Sep 22, 20 when this theater was built it was an expansion of the e. In 1979, korvettes was purchased by the french corporation agachewillot group. Ej korvette, childhood memories of shopping at the one on white plains rd in the bronx, ny. For many a long island 70s kid, korvettes was the goto place when you had a few bucks. This brevity does not do justice to the tremendous, arguably unparalleled influence the company and its visionary founder, eugene ferkauf, wielded during its halcyon years. Other talk defunct retail stores you miss seeing the thread in the tech forum about technologiesweb sites people miss i started thinking of all of the old retails stores in my area that have come and gone out of business. The food and drug administration expects to publish its muchanticipated regulations for ecigarettes in june, as the products are surging in. Korvette cities measured a whopping 200,000plus square feet and consisted of a promotional department store with an adjoining korvette supermarket, furniturecarpet center, and tire store. Korvette did much to define the idea of a discount department store. Korvette chain of promotional department stores, passed away on june 5, 2012 in new york city at the.
What year did e j korvettes store close in port chester n. Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american chain of discount. More than they bargained for the rise and fall of korvettes. Korvette department store, complete with airconditioning and escalator service. Discount store korvettes lives on in the subway ephemeral. Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american chain of discount department stores.
Henry was predeceased by his parents, henry lamont wheeler and anne c. One of the first to develop an electronics department, and its record dept yes they sold vinyl was the largest in the the usa. This brevity does not do justice to the tremendous, arguably unparalleled influence the company and its visionary founder, eugene ferkauf, wielded during its halcyon years the midfifties through the early nineteensixties. It consisted of an acme supermarket and a 172,000 square feet, twostory e. Henry wheeler obituary elizabeth, nj the starledger. Korvette was an american chain of discount department stores, founded in 1948 in new york city. An absolutely great department store of the past fantastic toy. If you have a nostalgic look to your home decor, these vintage components may fit in well with your home theater system. Apr 09, 20 remembering korvettes eugene ferkauf last year saw the passing of one of the most influential figures in retailing history, one who deserves more recognition than he receives today, im afraid. There is a great book on the rise and fall of the chain. I think it is great that the locations of stores sections exists.
They were also pioneers in importing european records and carrying btlgs. Gerard was a graduate of boston college and served in the us army during wwii and korea. Im going to move out of sequence for a moment to speak about e. The site was just north of baileys crossroads in northern virginia, on the site of the old piper cub airport. So in exploring the history of kv we go back into what had been the ordinary and find it layered in a crisscross of historical significance. Korvette chain of discount department stores, whose 1950s strategy of low prices, quick turnover and high volume helped shape todays retail landscape, died on tuesday at his home in manhattan. My family used to love korvettes, and we shopped at the scarsdale location near the yonkers border on central ave throughout the 60s and 70s. He spent 50 years in retail sales, first with ej korvette and then with sipersteins paint co.
More than they bargained for the rise and fall of korvettes book. Carle place korvettes location and roosevelt field again for the epilogue to my book. Korvettes was a membership store and it was quite easy to become a member. Mar 16, 2015 im going to move out of sequence for a moment to speak about e. Mccrorys fought the fiveanddime wars against frank woolworth, ej korvette and kresge now kmart all through the 20th century, and youd think they would have had a hub location. Korvette department stores 196070s orange common stock. Henry was a member of the elks lodge 1583 in union, n. Join facebook to connect with ej korvette and others you may know. Boris pasternak doctor zhivago 1958 book signed autograph. They are in nearest mint condition and have been in storage for the past 35.
Boris pasternakdoctor zhivago1958pantheon5 12 x 8558 paeshardcover book with jacketsigned by author. Jun 23, 2007 the malls website offers a bit of its history. Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american chain of. Well written history of the beginnings and end of this large east coast retailer. Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american.
I think it is a classic example of the wisdom of crowds, and seems the kind of knowledge that, unless you found the companys bankruptcy archives, no other source on the planet would ever have taken the time to document even to a 80% accuracy level. Born on december 15, 1921 in mcdonald, pa, she was the daughter of the late john and katherine sakera petak, and she was the widow of joseph a. Gerard bernard obituary south hadley, ma the republican. Jul 02, 2009 so in exploring the history of kv we go back into what had been the ordinary and find it layered in a crisscross of historical significance. Broadway commons, better known by its former name broadway mall, is a large shopping mall located in hicksville, new york, united states. Im really glad this article put that theory to rest. Our firstever bowery boys book, adventures in old new york is now out in bookstores.
The first section of the king of prussia plaza opened september 18, 1962. Korvettes guess where in the greater parkvilleoverlea area this photo was taken. Defunct discount and department stores lincolnwood and. Herbert ricklin obituary newark, nj the starledger. This is a good book about the history behind a shortlived department store that served two generations. Perhaps most notably, korvettes prided itself in offering an extensive collection of records and tapes that rivaled the selection of places like sam goody, but at a fraction of the cost.
The construction of the skyline towers began in the early 1970s. Nov 01, 2007 in the history of american retailing, the e. Meanwhile, the 34th location was soon encased with a brutal brutalist redesign and ej korvette moved in. These loudspeakers can be small enough to fit on a bookshelf or large enough to sit on the ground, looking similar to furniture. Korvette wyandotte and greater downriver localwiki. Or at least, thats the way lore would have this story play out. She told me as others did back in those days that the eight letters of korvette were taken from one letter of each of the founding eight partners names. All things must pass the tower records story coming to. These two names were very familiar to me back in the 1950s when i made my daily commute to 1812 north olden avenue in ewing to what would ultimately be a dead end job at the old trenton bearings company where i worked for over 40 years and didnt even get a thank you timex watch. Korvette would liquidate its assets in the fall of 1980 due to past business practices failing, while also not concentrating on the areas of sale which they were strongest appliances, while also trying to compete with other retailers in areas it did not have the expertise in. I even have a book entitled the rise and fall of e. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. It had a more proper name, the washingtonvirginia airport. For many a long island 70s kid, korvettes was the goto place when you had a few bucks to spend on a new album or a couple of 45s.
What year did e j korvettes store close in port chester n y. Discount store korvettes lives on in the subway ephemeral new york. Korvette was coined as a combination of the initials of its founders eugene and joe and a respelling of the naval term corvette, which was the name of a canadian marine subdestroyer during world war ii. There is an extraordinary amount of information about many of these stores logos, floor directories, ads, etc.
Vintage speakers can go well with a variety of home audio systems. As a result, it has an interesting feel and has an unusual store roster. This is a lot of 8 vintage department store charge cards. Korvette chain of discount department stores, whose 1950s strategy of low prices, quick turnover and high volume helped shape todays retail landscape. Korvette chain take its name from a shortening of eight jewish.
A timetraveling journey into a past that lives simultaneously besides the. Stations from employee timetables are in capitals lvrr locations from traffic track diagrams are in italic capitals a freight agent, n no agent, mfa metropolitan. Korvette isnt short for eight jewish korean war veterans. But the history of retail is littered with departmentstore chains that sunk long before that.
Department stores that dont exist anymore business insider. It was a monday afternoon, i am sure i played hooky from college, and i got there early and got in line with all my bette midler memorabilia which she gladly signed in those days, stars did that. Aug 08, 2016 15 responses to discount store korvettes lives on in the subway laura says. Buy boris pasternak autograph envelope signed 11959. Remembering korvettes eugene ferkauf pleasant family shopping. Ej korvettes arrived at what was to become capitol plaza, after phil leavitt bought the tract from. Founded in 1948 in new york city, it was the first store to challenge the suggested retail pricing commonly in practice. These magnificent escalators and stairs are being removed. Working at ej korvettes lasted for years into the days where i also had a full. It is notable as one of the first department stores to challenge the suggested retail price provisions of antidiscounting statutes.
Korvette, also known as korvettes, was an american chain of discount department stores, founded in 1948 in new york city. I remember buying lots of odeon german imports of beatles albums there in the late 60s and early 70s. These have a great vintage look, they are not perfect but nice heavyduty cases, tweed fabric fronts. Aug 03, 20 perhaps most notably, korvettes prided itself in offering an extensive collection of records and tapes that rivaled the selection of places like sam goody, but at a fraction of the cost. I know i remember going to a fair in that area in the early 1970s. Sure, a classy store is nice, but eugene ferkauf invented the discount experience. A popular, and false, story behind the names origin that e. Great story of retail giant ej korvettes the precursor to k mart and wal mart. By so doing, korvettes displaced the earlier five and dime stores and preceded discount stores and warehouse clubs. According to korvette s founder, eugene ferkauf, the name e. New york division branch lines lehigh valley railroad. In the early 60s across from korvettes was the blue moon diner and they built a hot dog eatery like mcdonalds next to it called franksville, that became special pizza city which is still there. Theres a book published in 1981 titled more than they bargained for.
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