Breuner Home Furnishings

Infobox Company
company_name = Breuners Home Furnishings
Breuners.com
company_
Photo-mural of downtown Oakland's Breuner Building under construction
company_type = American private company
|foundation = 1856 in Sacramento, California, United States of America
founder = John Breuner
location =
area_served = Internet
key_people = Bill Breuner, Beth Breuner Gerbitus
industry = Retail (Specialty)
products = furniture
|revenue =
num_employees =
homepage = [http://www.breuners.com/company_history.html www.breuners.com]

Breuner Home Furnishings or Breuner's is an online furniture company that was a chain of brick and mortar furniture stores in the United States for 148 years before declaring bankrupcy in 2004. [http://www.breuners.com/company_history.html Company History] , Breuners.com, access date September 10, 2008]

Introduction

Founded in California during the California Gold Rush in the mid 19th century, its stores served California and Nevada before expanding to the east coast in the late 20th century. [http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2005/sepoct/classnotes/obituaries.html Obituaries] , Stanford Alumni Magazine, September/October 2005, access date August 10, 2008] In 2004 the company declared bankruptcy, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E2D8173AF936A25754C0A9629C8B63&scp=1&sq=Breuners%20Home%20Furnishings&st=cse Company News; Breuners Home Furnishings files for bankruptcy] , "New York Times", July 15, 2004, access date September 8, 2008] closed all its retail stores, and now operates solely through the Internet. [http://www.breuners.com/company_history.html Breuner's Company History] , access date September 8, 2008]

History

The store was founded in 1856 by William Robert "Bill" Breuner's great-grandfather John Breuner (1828-1890) to cater to prospectors during the California Gold Rush. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20080224/ai_n24349222/pg_1 Genealogical Society marks 110 years of researching family] , by Anallee Allen, "Oakland Tribune", February 28, 2008, access date August 15, 2008] . The first store opened in Sacramento, California with subsequent branches in Oakland, San Francisco and later throughout California and Nevada. The company went public in 1968 under Bill Breuner. Breuner sold the company in the 1970s [http://www.sacbee.com/obituaries/story/1135682.html Obituary: Beth Breuner Grebitus was civic pillar in Sacramento] , by Robert D Dávila, "Sacramento Bee", August 6, 2008, access date August 12, 2008] and it was acquired by Marshall Fields in 1983. At its height Breuner's operated 40 retail outlets. The stores were large bigboxes around convert|140000|sqft|m2. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20070124/ai_n17151224 Former Breuner's to receive a makeover] , by Christine Morente, "Oakland Tribune", January 24, 2007, access date August 15, 2008] By the 1990s the company was based in San Diego and in 1995 expanded into the New York and New Jersey markets by acquiring Huffman Koos' 13 stores for 36.9 million dollars. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7D71139F933A1575AC0A963958260 COMPANY NEWS; BREUNER'S HOME FURNISHINGS TO ACQUIRE HUFFMAN KOOS] , "New York Times", September 20, 1995, access date August 15, 2008] Breuner's also owned Good's Furniture stores. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E2D8173AF936A25754C0A9629C8B63&scp=1&sq=Breuners%20Home%20Furnishings&st=cse COMPANY NEWS; BREUNERS HOME FURNISHINGS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY] , New York Times, July 15 2004, access date September 10, 2008]

Legacy

Breuner Marsh, a wetlands area, and Breuner Field, a model airplane field within it, in addition to the Breuner Building in downtown Oakland, are all named after the family.

ee also

*Levitz Furniture, a company with a similar history
*Montgomery Ward, a now online only, defunct department store chain

References

External links

* [http://www.breuners.com/company_history.html Breuner's official website]