Service Merchandise

Infobox Company
company_name = Service Merchandise
company_
company_type = defunct private catalog merchant and showroom
foundation = 1934 (revived as an Internet site in 2004)
location = Original company in Brentwood, Tennessee; current company in Boca Raton, Florida
industry = Retail
products = home furnishings, consumer electronics, jewelry, watches, toys
homepage = http://www.servicemerchandise.com

Service Merchandise is a defunct chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed from 1934 to 2002. The company's former chairman, Raymond Zimmerman, resurrected Service Merchandise as an Internet-only retailer in 2004 after buying the name and logo at auction, and later forwarded the website to another online store in 2007.

History

Beginnings

Service Merchandise was founded by Harry and Mary Zimmerman as a "five and dime" in 1934. The first catalog showroom opened in 1960 on Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

During the 1970s, Service Merchandise was the nation's top catalog-showroom retailer. At its peak, the company achieved more than $4 billion in annual sales. As the company expanded, it began to open showrooms nationwide, mostly in the vicinity of major shopping malls, which were coming into vogue in the mid-1970s. In the early 1980s, the Service Merchandise headquarters were moved from Nashville to nearby Brentwood, Tennessee, becoming one of the first businesses to plant itself in the area that is now known as Cool Springs. On May 9th 1985 the H.J. Wilson Co was acquired by Service Merchandise for approximately $200M. Raymond Zimmerman was attracted to Wilson's stores to gain a firmer foothold in the sunbelt states. Several of these Wilson's locations included an off-priced apparel department of about 15,000 sq feet. Service Merchandise also had wholly-owned subsidiaries featuring retail stores such as Zim's Jewelers, HomeOwners Warehouse (later called Mr. HOW Warehouse), The Lingerie Store, and a children's clothing superstore.

Downfall

The company survived into the 1980s but gradually lost business to giant discounters such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Until its closure, however, Service Merchandise continued to be the largest watch retailer in the United States. Service Merchandise was also late to embrace the Internet in the mid-1990s as a method of doing business, on both the internal and retail levels.

The company responded to its plight with a series of restructuring plans that included the discontinuation of unprofitable product lines such as electronics, toys and sporting goods, and focusing on fine jewelry, gifts, and home decor products. Many showrooms closed, and many that remained open were downsized significantly. The company succeeded in dividing many of its company-owned buildings into two or three parcels and then renting the newly-created space to other national chain retailers.

Bankruptcy and liquidation

While in the process of changing its retail format, a group of creditors forced an involuntary petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on March 15, 1999, seeking court supervision of the company's restructuring. The company later filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition to improve its relations with its vendors and creditors, and to stabilize its business.

Raymond Zimmerman, son of the company founders, resigned as chairman of the board in November 2000. The company had attempted to pull itself out of bankruptcy once again in the summer of 2001, but the economic downturn following the September 11, 2001 attacks proved to be a hurdle the company could not clear [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-04-2002/0001641992&EDATE=] .With only 200 catalog showrooms left, stock valued at less than one cent per share, and no profitability in sight, Service Merchandise ceased operations and shuttered all of its stores by early 2002, owing over US$500 million to creditors.

Return of the name

Service Merchandise resurfaced on the World Wide Web in 2004, selling a similar line of merchandise. Raymond Zimmerman bought the former company's name and logo at auction, and he continues to be the owner of the newly formed company, which is still in operation.

howroom ordering process

Service Merchandise was well-known for its unusual ordering process which emphasized the catalog, even within the showrooms. It is not unique; stores using this process are known as catalog showrooms. Other also-defunct chains that used this model were Brendle's and Best Products.

For non-jewelry orders, customers would enter the showroom and be given a tablet which included an order form to record the catalog numbers of desired items. Items were displayed in working order in the showroom, allowing customers to test products as they shopped. Current Service Merchandise catalogs were placed in strategic locations throughout the store to allow customers to shop for items that were not on display. When ready to place their orders, customers would take the tablet to a clerk who would act as a cashier and submit the order to the store's stockroom (this process was altered in the late 1980s to allow customers to place their own orders with a self-service computer terminal named "Silent Sam", which later was renamed "Service Express"). The customer would then move to the "Merchandise Pickup Area", where the order would emerge from the stockroom on a conveyor belt.

In addition to jewelry and catalog showroom display items, Service Merchandise also had several self-service items, which were located on shelves, and taken to the checkout to be paid for as in a traditional retail store. These items included many of those in the toy department as well as smaller, low priced items (such as batteries, film, and video cassettes).

The jewelry department, which was featured prominently in the center of every showroom, operated on a first-come, first-served system, in which each customer would be individually served by a jewelry clerk.

Also in the mid-1980s, Service Merchandise experimented with the installation of Drive-Thru windows at two showrooms (near Chicago and Nashville), allowing customers with phone-in orders to pick up their orders without leaving their automobiles. The concept was not expanded beyond its test stores, but remained in place at those locations. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_v23/ai_3517661 Service Mdse. quickly expands, renames home center chain - Mr. How Warehouse | Discount Store News | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ]

In the mid 1990s, the tablets were replaced with barcoded pull tags placed on/near each item in the showroom. These were taken to the cashier instead of the tablet in order to purchase the item, which would still be retrieved from the stockroom. By the late-1990s, many of the showrooms had been converted to allow a more traditional approach to shopping in addition to the catalog ordering process. By 2000, all of the remaining showrooms had been downsized and the catalog-style shopping approach was officially abandoned.

One of the major complaints by customers, which was never addressed by management, was the necessity of providing a telephone number in order to make a purchase. While the store had a valid reason - it used the number as an identifier to collect customer's mailing addresses for catalog shipments - most customers preferred anonymity when making simple purchases for self-service items, such as batteries, small toys, coolers, and other items that could be purchased off the shelf. In customers' opinions, this unwanted collection of their personal information negated any cost savings that Service Merchandise provided, and possibly drove customers to more traditional retailers. It was not uncommon for the cashiers to enter bogus telephone numbers and mailing addresses during busy retail shopping seasons, simply to speed up the ordering process and move the lines along. This created a situation where the company was spending money to unnecessarily attempt to ship catalogs to addresses that didn't exist.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Service Merchandise was known as one of the largest corporate donors to the Muscular Dystrophy Association during its time as an established company. Chairman/CEO Raymond Zimmerman would appear multiple times on the yearly Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon to present donations on behalf of the company and its customers. Around each showroom were several collection boxes for MDA, and each store also sold MDA fundraising shamrocks at St. Patrick's Day. Even during its bankruptcy and liquidation, Service Merchandise continued to be a large supporter of MDA.

Former locations

The following is a list of the former Service Merchandise locations in the United States.hidden begin
title = Former Service Merchandise locations
titlestyle = background:#CCCCFF; text-align:left;
bodystyle = text-align:left;

Alabama
*Birmingham:*500 Riverchase Village:*Eastwood Mall - originally Pizitz; torn down
*Huntsville, 930A Old Monrovia Rd. - now H. H. Gregg
*Mobile, 300 Azalea Rd. - now Dollar General and Furniture to Go
*Montgomery, 181 Eastern Blvd. - now Fred's Store
*Tuscaloosa, 1621 E. Skyland Blvd. - vacant

Arkansas
*Fayetteville
*Little Rock, 11400 W. Markham St. - now Michaels and Bassett Furniture Direct
*North Little Rock - now Linens 'n Things

Arizona
*Glendale, Glendale Town Center - now subdivided into smaller shops
*Mesa:*1360 W. Southern Ave. - now International Reupholstery Corp. (IRCA):*6233 E. Southern Blvd. - now Ashley Furniture
*Scottsdale, Scottsdale Pavilions

California
*Fullerton, Orangethorpe Ave. & Harbor Blvd.
*La Habra, Imperial Hwy. & Beach Blvd. - now LA Fitness
*La Mirada, La Mirada Blvd. & Rosecrans Ave. - closed and demolished before company folded
*Milpitas, 63 Ranch Dr - now Best Buy
*Newark, 39055 Cedar Blvd - now subdivided into smaller shops
*San Jose, 5353 Almaden Expressway
*San Leandro, 561 Floresta Blvd. - now DD's Discounts, part of Ross Stores Inc.
*South San Francisco, 180 El Camino Real - now Bally Total Fitness
*Vallejo, Plaza Dr. - now a Century Theaters cineplex
*Los Angeles, La Tijera Blvd. (near LAX)

Connecticut
*Danbury, 67 Newton Rd. - now Four Seasons Interiors
*Derby, 600 New Haven Ave. - now Big Lots
*Manchester, 1520 Pleasant Valley Rd. - now PetSmart
*Newington, 3563 Berlin Turnpike - now Stickley Furniture
*Orange, 96 Boston Post Rd. - now Big Lots and Staples
*Waterbury, 861 Wolcott St. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics

Delaware
*Dover, 1380 N. DuPont Hwy. - now Furniture & More and PetSmart
*Wilmington, 1400 Rocky Run Pkwy. - now Raymour & Flanigan Furniture

Florida
*Altamonte Springs, 150 S. State Route 434
*Boca Raton, 8210 Glades Rd. - now Off Broadway Shoes
*Boynton Beach, 1775 N. Congress Ave. - now Best Buy
*Bradenton, 825 W. Cortez Rd. - now Bed Bath & Beyond
*Brandon, 161 Brandon Town Center Drive - now American Signature Furniture
*Casselberry:*1455 Semoran Rd.:*5655 S. US Route 17/92
*Clearwater, 2343 Curlew Rd. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics
*Coral Springs, 560 Riverside Dr. Vacant
*Daytona Beach, 260 Jimmy Ann Ave.
*Fort Myers, 4429 S. Cleveland Ave. - now Big Lots
*Gainesville, across from the Oaks Mall, behind the Red Lobster, and backing I-75. The store was not visible from University Avenue due to the restaurant, a gas station, and signage. However, the back of the building was visible from the Interstate, and an illuminated sign marked the entrance to the frontage driveway to access the store.
*Hollywood, 3601 Oakwood Blvd. - now HomeGoods
*Jacksonville:*9400 Atlantic Blvd. - now Marshalls:*9041 Southside Blvd., Suite 140 - now Michaels
*Kissimmee, Osceola Square Mall - was a concept store called Service Select
*Lakeland, 4015 N. US Highway 98
*Largo, Largo Mall - now PetSmart
*Leesburg, 5415 S. Hwy. 441
*Miami:*14870 N. Kendall Dr.:*7775 40th St. SW
*Naples, 5052 N. Airport Rd, Carillon Plaza Shopping Center - now Circuit City
*North Miami Beach, The Mall at 163rd Street - originally Pantry Pride Supermarket; torn down for mall redevelopment
*Ocala, Shady Oaks Mall - now Bealls
*Orange Park, 6001-29 Argyle Forest - now Michaels
*Orlando:*7175 W. Colonial Dr.:*730 Sand Lake Rd.:*2999 E. Colonial Dr. - now AC Moore Arts & Crafts
*Pembroke Pines, 11251 Pines Blvd. - now HomeGoods
*Pensacola, 7303 Plantation Rd. - now American Water Works
*Pompano Beach, 1401 S. Federal Hwy. - now Marshalls
*Port Charlotte, 2000 Tamiami Trail- Now Office Depot and Haverty's Furniture
*Port Richey, 10340 US Highway 19
*St. Petersburg, 2500 66th St. N. - now Jo-Ann Fabrics
*Sanford, 111 Towne Center Blvd.
*Sarasota, 3750 Bee Ridge Rd. - now HomeGoods
*Spring Hill, 2418 Commercial Way - now Party Daze
*Stuart, 3257 Federal Hwy. NW
*Sunrise, Sawgrass Mills - now American Signature Furniture
*Tallahassee, Tallahassee Mall - originally Woolco, laterZayre, then Ames, then Service Merchandise; now Goody's Family Clothing, Ross Dress For Less and Shoe Carnival
*Tampa:*4340 Hillsborough Ave.:*1251 E. Fowler Ave.
*Vero Beach, Indian River Commons
*West Melbourne, 1557 W. New Haven Ave.
*West Palm Beach, 1951 N. Military Tr.

Georgia
*Alpharetta, 7491 N. Point Pkwy.
*Atlanta:*4805 Old National Hwy.:*Hammond Square Shopping Center - now Whole Foods Market
*Augusta, 3435 Wrightsboro Rd.
*Columbus, 3201 Macon Rd.
*Douglasville, 9425 Georgia Hwy. 5
*Duluth, 2075 Market St. - originally Segall & Sons
*Kennesaw, 800 Ernest Barrett Pkwy.
*Macon, 1689 Eisenhower Pkwy.
*Morrow, 1400 Morrow Industrial Park
*Savannah, 5 Abercorn Plaza Rd. - now HomeGoods
*Smyrna, 2750 Cobb Pkwy. - originally Segall & Sons; then an Ellman's: demolished for a Lexus dealership
*Tucker, 1990 W. Exchange Pl.

Illinois
*Arlington Heights, Town & Country Center - now Ashley Furniture
*Berwyn, 7111 W. Cermak Rd.
*Bloomingdale, 340 W. Army Trail Rd. - now Circuit City
*Burbank, 7600 S. LaCrosse Ave.
*Crystal Lake, 5561 Northwest Hwy. Now a Big Lots
*Chicago(Avenue O), 118th & Ewing Ave.
*Deerfield, Deerbrook Mall - originally Montgomery Ward; torn down for The Great Indoors which is now vacant
*Downers Grove:*1320 W. 75th St.:*Finley Square Mall - now Wickes Furniture
*Elgin, 410 Airport Rd.
*Homewood, Washington Square Mall - torn down
*Joliet, Hillcrest Shopping Center - originally Boston Store; later Highland Electronics, now smaller stores
*Lansing, 16795 S. Torrence Ave. Store #265, opened in October 1986.
*Matteson, 4055 W. 211th St.
*Naperville, 526 S. Route 59
*Niles, 8303 W. Golf Rd. - now Archivers
*Norridge, 4105 N. Harlem Ave.
*Oak Lawn, 8812 S. Cicero Ave.
*Orland Park, 15770 LaGrange Rd. Store #287, opened in 1986.
*Schaumburg, 1440 Golf Rd.
*Skokie, Carpenter @ Touhy - now Ulta Cosmetics and PetSmart
*Waukegan, 300 Lakehurst Rd. - now Sundance Saloon

Indiana
*Bloomington, College Mall anchor tenant (until ca. 1995), then a location across Third Street from the Mall
*Castleton, 8410 Castleton Corner Dr.
*Clarksville, 750 E. Lewis & Clark
*Elkhart, Pierre Moran Mall - originally Grant City, then Carson Pirie Scott, then Service Merchandise; later Target, now demolished
*Evansville, 300 N. Green River Rd. - now David's Bridal
*Fort Wayne:*5501 Coldwater Rd.:*Southtown Mall - closed 1997, torn down
*Greenwood, 1251 W. US-31 - now Dick's Sporting Goods
*Indianapolis, Indiana: Castleton Corners shopping center:*5100 W. 38th St.:*7803 E. Washington St.: Across from Glendale center
*Kokomo, Markland Plaza
*Lafayette, Tippecanoe Plaza
*Griffith, 202 W. Ridge Rd.
*Merrillville:*Century Consumer Mall - originally half of Goldblatt's; entire former Goldblatt's space now occupied by Burlington Coat Factory:*2114 E. 80th Ave.
*Mishawaka, 6502 Grape Rd.
*South Bend, University Center
*Terre Haute - now PetSmart and Goody's Family Clothing

Iowa
*West Des Moines, Valley West Drive

Kansas
*Hutchinson, Hutchinson Mall - later Stage, now ESSDACK Learning Center
*Overland Park, 9000 Metcalf Ave.
*Wichita:*Towne East Square - later Stein Mart, now Steve & Barry's:*Towne West Square - now Dick's Sporting Goods

Kentucky
*Florence, 7715 Mall Rd.
*Lexington, 1555 New Circle Rd.
*Louisville:*5025 Shelbyville Rd.:*4601 Outer Loop Rd.
*Owensboro, 4810 Frederica St. - vacant
*Paducah, near Kentucky Oaks Mall

Louisiana
*Alexandria outparcel of Alexandria Mall - now Circuit City
*Baton Rouge:*Cortana Mall - originally Wilson's; now Steve & Barry's University Sportswear:*College Drive - Now the current location of a Wal-Mart SuperCenter and other retailers
*Bossier City, Pierre Bossier Mall - vacant
*Harvey, 1500 Westbank Expy.
*Houma, 1636 Martin Luther King Blvd. - now Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond
*Lafayette:*4570 Johnston St. - originally Wilson's; now Courtesy GMC/Pontiac/Buick (local car dealership):*Northgate Mall - originally Wilson's; now offices
*Lake Charles, 3219 Hwy 14. - now Conn's
*Metairie, 6851 Veterans Blvd. - now Babies "R" Us and PetSmart
*Monroe, 2010 Louisville Ave.
*Shreveport, 1750 E. 70th St.
*Slidell, 119 N. Shore Blvd.

Maine
*Auburn Auburn Plaza 730 Center St. - now Bed, Bath, and Beyond
*Augusta, 114 Western Ave.
*Bangor, 45 Bangor Mall Blvd. - Demolished, now Best Buy
*Brunswick:*Cook's Corner Mall - closed 1993, now TJ Maxx:*Merrymeeting Plaza - now Shaw's
*South Portland, 198 Maine Mall Rd. - now Dollar Tree and other stores

Maryland
*Baltimore, 5210 Campbell Blvd.
*Columbia 9041 Snowden River Pkwy.
*Waldorf, St. Charles Plaza

Massachusetts
*Auburn, 366 Southbridge St.
*Burlington, 34 Cambridge St.
*Holyoke, Holyoke Mall at Ingleside - later AC Moore Arts & Crafts, now The Sports Authority
*Lanesborough, Berkshire Mall - now Best Buy and Linens 'n Things
*Leominster, The Mall at Whitney Field - originally Sage-Allen; now Circuit City and Old Navy
*Natick, Cloverleaf Mall - now Golfers Warehouse
*Saugus, Square One Mall - now Best Buy and Gold's Gym
*Somerville, Twin City Plaza - later MARS The Musician's Planet, now Marshall's
*Stoughton, 1334 Park St.
*Swansea, 58 Swansea Mall Dr. - now Dollar Tree and Price-Rite
*Tewksbury, 10 Main St.

Michigan
*Ann Arbor, Arborland Consumer Mall - mall torn down
*Dearborn, 5701 Mercury Dr. - now Value City Furniture
*Flint, 5038 Miller Rd. - now Gander Mountain
*Lansing, 5801 W. Saginaw Hwy. - later Farmer Jack, now Hobby Lobby
*Livonia, Wonderland Mall - originally Foland's. Was to become Burlington Coat Factory after Service Merchandise closed; store torn down 2006
*Novi, 43635 West Oaks Dr. - now HomeGoods
*Okemos, Meridian Mall - originally half of Woolco; torn down for Jacobson's 2001, Jacobson's replaced by Younkers 2003
*Roseville, Roseville Towne Centre - now Marshalls Megastore
*Southfield, 29720 Southfield - now Burlington Coat Factory
*Southgate, Southgate Shopping Center - originally Federal Department Store; building torn down in 2005.
*Sterling Heights, 44725 Schoenherr - now partially Big Lots
*Troy, 600 John R. Road - now DSW Shoe Warehouse
*Waterford, Summit Place Mall - vacant
*Westland, 7365 Nankin Blvd. - vacant

Minnesota
*Edina, Mall of America - now Barnes & Noble

Mississippi
*Gautier, Singing River Mall - later Northrop Grumman offices, now vacant
*Gulfport, 15138 Crossroads Pkwy.
*Hattiesburg, next to Turtle Creek Mall
*Jackson, 6388 Ridgewood Ct.
*Meridian, 2300 N Frontage Rd. - Now Hudson's Treasure Hunt

Missouri
*Crestwood, 9809 Watson Rd.
*Florissant, 13963 New Halls Ferry Rd.
*St. Peters, 5881 Suemandy Dr.
*Springfield, 1533 E. Battlefield St. - now Mardel Christian & Education

Nebraska
*Omaha, 12955 W. Center Rd. - now The Sports Authority

Nevada
*Las Vegas, 4701 Faircenter Pkwy.

New Hampshire
*Dover, 875 Central Ave.
*Manchester, 70 March Ave. - now T.J. Maxx
*Nashua, 268 Daniel Webster Hwy.
*Plaistow, 58 Plaistow Rd. - now Wal-Mart
*Salem, 271 S. Broadway - now Bed, Bath & Beyond and other stores

New Jersey
*Hazlet, 3120 State Hwy. 35 - vacant
*Paramus, 651 S. Rte. 17 - now HomeGoods and Modell's Sporting Goods
*Wayne, West Belt Plaza - now HomeGoods and PetSmart
*West New York, 6201 Bergenline Ave. - demolished
*Woodbridge, Route 1 across from the Woodbridge Center New Mexico
*Albuquerque, Wyoming Mall - mall torn down for Wal-Mart Supercenter
*Las Cruces, Mesilla Valley Mall - now Dillard's Home Store

New York
*Colonie, near Colonie Center. It is now now a Music Store and a Floor Covering Store on Wolf Road
*Cedarhurst, Bay Harbour Mall - now Bed Bath & Beyond; entire mall complex was originally E.J. Korvette
*Cicero, Marketplace Mall - mall torn down
*East Meadow, Clearmeadow Mall - now part of Wal-Mart. Entire mall complex was originally Great Eastern Mills store, and later Woolco
*Fishkill, Dutchess Mall - originally Luckey Platt; later a flea market, now vacant
*Hartsdale, 299 N. Central Park Ave.
*Huntington Station, Huntington Shopping Center, Route 110 (350 Walt Whitman Road) - Now Buy Buy Baby
*Kingston, Kings Mall - originally Kings Department Store; now Marshalls
*Lake Grove, 2045 Smith Haven Plaza - now Bed Bath & Beyond
*Massapequa, Phillips Shopping Center - now Burlington Coat Factory
*Middletown, 88-25 Dunning Rd.
*New Hartford Tehan's Plaza, 4065 Commercial Drive - now Old Navy
*Patchogue, Gateway Plaza, 499 W. Sunrise Hwy. - now Best Buy
*Plattsburgh, Champlain Centre North - now Gander Mountain
*Poughkeepsie, South Hills Mall - vacant, to be torn down
*Saratoga Springs, Pyramid Mall at Saratoga - mall torn down
*Woodhaven, 102-34 Atlantic Ave.
*Yorktown Heights, Jefferson Valley Mall - now partially H&M

North Carolina
*Cary, 427 Crossroads Blvd.
*Charlotte, 5809 Independence Blvd.
*Durham, Regency Plaza - opened 1991 in former Rose's, closed 1999, later Value City Furniture, now Aaron's
*Fayetteville, 2817 Fort Bragg Rd.
*Gastonia, 1495 E. Franklin Ave.
*Greensboro, 1307 Bridford
*Pineville, 10600 Centrum Pkwy.
*Raleigh, US-1 @ Millbrook (Capital Crossing)

Ohio
*Cincinnati:*9450 Colerain Ave.:*5100 Glencrossing Way:*650 Eastgate Dr. South, Suite C:*Cassinelli Square - now Haverty's Furniture
*Columbus:*Northland Plaza:*Service Merchandise Plaza
*Fairlawn
*Lima, Lima Center
*Mansfield
*Sandusky, 5500 Milan Rd.
*Springdale, 11444 Princeton Pike
*Toledo:*Monroe Street, Store 283 - Now Value City Furniture:*Spring Meadows Shopping Center, Store 281 - Now Big Lots

Oklahoma
*Enid, Oakwood Mall - now Steve & Barry's
*Midwest City, Heritage Park Mall - originally Wilson's; now A & Z Outlet
*Norman, Sooner Mall - now Stein Mart
*Oklahoma City:*7301 S. Pennsylvania Ave.:*5537 Northwest Expressway
*Tulsa:*Eastland Mall - vacant:*near Woodland Hills Mall
*Warr Acres, 5537 Northwest Expy.

Pennsylvania
*Allentown, 1885 Catasauqua Rd.
*Bridgeville
*Dickson City, Business US Route 6 - demolished for Sheetz gas station
*Greensburg, US-30
*Harrisburg, 5086 Jonestown Rd.
*Lancaster, 1515 Lititz Pike
*Monroeville, Miracle Mile Shopping Center, became Media Play, now vacant
*Philadelphia, Liberty Plaza at Franklin Mills - Originally Carrefour, which was divided into Wal-mart and SuperFresh and Service Merchandise, S.M. is now Raymour & Flanigan
*Pittsburgh, Ross Park Mall - became Media Play 1999, now vacant; will become Old Navy, Forever 21 and DSW Shoe Warehouse
*Pittsburgh, Waterworks Mall - became Petco and Bed, Bath, and Beyond
*Reading, 845 Woodland Rd - now The Restaurant Store
*West Mifflin, Next To the old Chuck-E-Cheese
*Wilkes-Barre, 520 Kidder St. - now Salvation Army Thrift Store

South Carolina
*Charleston, 334 East Bay Street - store consolidated into Charles Towne Square & Rivers Avenue locations - demolished and replaced with smaller shops.
*Charleston, Charles Towne Square - originally Edwards, then Wilson's Catalog Showroom; mall torn down
*Columbia, 3 Diamond Lane
*Greenville, 101 Verdae Blvd.
*North Charleston, 7400 Rivers Avenue - now AC Moore and Dollar Tree
*North Charleston, 5935 Rivers Avenue (relocated to 7400 Rivers Avenue) - now The Muhler Company

Tennessee
*Antioch, 5301 Hickory Hollow Pkwy. - now Bed Bath & Beyond and Office Depot
*Chattanooga, 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd.
*Franklin, 1735 Galleria Blvd. (flagship store) - now Wild Oats Markets
*Jackson, 50 Old Hickory Blvd.
*Johnson City, 3211 Peoples St., Suite 7
*Kingsport
*Knoxville:*9333 Kingston Pike:*East Towne Mall (now Knoxville Center) - now Rush Fitness
*Memphis:*584 S. Mendenhall Rd. (near Poplar), building demolished 2002, now site of Malco Paradiso.:*6120 Winchester Rd., now New Direction Christian Church:*7930 Giacosa Place:*3600 Austin Peay Pkwy., demolished 2001:*Mall of Memphis - originally Wilson's; mall closed 2003, demolished 2005.
*Nashville
**Downtown (original store) - later NASCAR Cafe, now a nightclub
**Green Hills - now Wild Oats Markets
**Harding Mall - originally G.C. Murphy, then moved to Nolensville Road location. Parcel later became Marshalls; mall torn down in 2006 for Wal-Mart Supercenter
**Nolensville Road - now international supermarket
**Rivergate (Goodlettsville/Madison)
***Two Mile Parkway - relocated in 1980s to Gallatin Pike, now Tennessee Speed Sport
***2130 N. Gallatin Pike - now DSW Shoe Warehouse and American Signature Furniture

Texas
*Abilene, Mall of Abilene - now Dillard's Home Store
*Amarillo, Western Plaza Shopping Center - originally Woolco, then Wilson's; later a nightclub, torn down 2007
*Arlington:*1530 W. I-20:*Forum 303 Mall - originally Wilson's; torn down 2007
*Austin:*6500 Airport Blvd. - now offices:*Westgate Mall - originally Woolco, then Wilson's; torn down for Central Market
*Baytown, San Jacinto Mall - vacant
*Beaumont, 4450 Dowlen Rd. - originally H. J. Wilson's, it was converted to an SMC store in 1985. The building is divided in half and now houses Marshall's on one side and a locally-owned furniture store on the other.
*College Station, Post Oak Mall - originally Wilson's; now Dillard's Men's & Home
*Dallas:*11250 N. Central Expressway:*White Rock Marketplace
*Denton, Golden Triangle Mall (Now DSW Shoe Warehouse)
*El Paso, Bassett Center
*Fort Worth, 5000 S. Hulen St.
*Harlingen, 702 S. Dixieland Rd., Suite A
*Houston:*2665 Hwy 6 South:*17727 Tom Ball Pkwy.:*12009 Northwest Freeway:*1410 Lake Woodlands Dr.:*1211 W. Bay Area Blvd.:*Meyerland Plaza - originally Wilson's; torn down:*Gulfgate Mall - torn down:*10225 Katy Freeway
*Lake Jackson, Brazos Mall - now Steve & Barry's University Sportswear
*Laredo, 5720 San Bernando Ave.
*Lewisville, 2422 S. Stemmons Freeway - now Conn's and flooring store
*Longview, Longview Mall - now Dillard's Home Store
*Lubbock, Loop 289, across Slide Road from the South Plains Mall
*McAllen:*La Plaza Mall - later Foley's Home Store, became Macy's Home Store 2006:*600 E. US-83
*Mesquite, 2021 Town East Blvd.
*North Richland Hills, 7563 Grapevine Hwy.
*Plano, 801 W. 15th St., Suite B
*Richardson, 1300 E. Beltline
*San Angelo, Sunset Mall - now Dillard's Women's Store
*San Antonio, 6161 NW Loop 410
*Sugar Land, 15235 Southwest Freeway
*Temple, Temple Mall - later Stein Mart, now Steve & Barry's
*Tyler, 4820 S. Broadway Blvd.
*Webster, 1211 W. Bay Area Blvd.

Vermont
*Burlington, 555 Shelburne Rd. - now Ashley Furniture

Virginia
*Chantilly, 13856 Metrotech Dr. - demolished for Lowe's
*Chesapeake, 4300 Portsmouth Blvd.
*Fredericksburg, 3545 Plankk Rd.
*Glen Allen, 9860 W. Broad St.
*Midlothian, 1300 Huguenot Rd. - now DSW Shoe Warehouse

References

ee also

* Best Products
* Brendle's - a regional competitor in the southeastern United States
* Consumers Distributing - a similar (and also failed) retailer in Canada.
* Witmark - a regional competitor in Michigan

External links

* [http://www.servicemerchandise.com/ Service Merchandise website]