Wieboldt's

Infobox_Company
company_name = Wieboldt's | company_
company_type = Department store
foundation = 1883 Chicago, Illinois
location = Chicago, Illinois
industry = Retail
products = Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, home electronics, small appliances and housewares
homepage = None

Wieboldt Stores, Inc., also known as Wieboldt's, did business as a Chicago general retailer between 1883 and 1986. It was founded in 1883 by storekeeper William A. Wieboldt. The flagship location was located on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.

In 1961 Wieboldt's enlarged itself by acquiring the failed "Mandel Brothers" store on State St. Prior to that time there were four Chicago neighborhood stores; Grand and Ashland, Milwaukee and Paulina, Lincoln and Belmont, and Ashland and Monroe. [ Christmas on State St. ISBN 0-7385-1972-3 Original four locations and merger with Mandel Bros. Store ] By the 1970s Wieboldt's operated over 10 stores in the Chicago area.

Promotions

Wieboldt's was known for giving S&H Green Stamps with purchases and had redemption centers located in their stores. The State St. location included a large redemption center. Customers would choose items based on the number of stamps turned in for redemption. In the 1940s and 1950's they sponsored a radio program featuring "Cinnamon Bear". Later they had a television program called "The Cinnamon Bear". The shows were stories of how Cinnamon Bear takes his young friends on a trip to "maybe land" in search of the silver star. A stuffed teddy bear version could be purchased from the stores for $2.98 in the 1950s. Santa would give out free Cinnamon Bear buttons to children visiting Santa. The program was first produced by Glen Heisch and Elizabeth Heisch in 1937 in Hollywood and syndicated around the country. [ Christmas on State St. ISBN 0-7385-1972-3 - WENR, WGN Cinnamon Bear Program, teddy bears, and advertising. ]

Wieboldt's was known for their good values, unpretentious merchandise, and multilingual sales staff, the stores were especially popular among ethnic, working-class shoppers who could not afford or did not like to shop at the big downtown department stores. Wieboldt's former slogan was "Where You Buy With Confidence!"."

They celebrated 100-years in business in April 1983. An advertisement in the Chicago Sun-Times stated "Building for a New Tomorrow". "An important part of Chicago's past, we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm. The dream of yesterday is the promise of tomorrow. Chicago, Wieboldt's. Tomorrow begins today." [ Chicago Sun-Times, March 13, 1983.]

During the 1980s the chain had trouble staying profitable, eventually leading the company into bankruptcy in 1987. The chain never recovered and all the stores closed.

Former locations

The following is a list of all known former Wieboldt's locations in Illinois.
* Bloomingdale, Illinois - Stratford Square Mall - opened 1982, became JCPenney 1987
*Carpentersville - Meadowdale Shopping Center - closed 1987, demolished 1991
*Chicago:*Ford City Mall - opened 1965, became Carson Pirie Scott 1987:*Lincoln Village Shopping Center - closed 1987, now Office Depot:*Midwest Store - opened 1925, closed 1987, now Paramount Lofts:*State Street - opened 1961 in former Mandel Bros., closed 1987
* Evanston - opened late 1940s
*Joliet - Jefferson Square Mall - opened 1975, closed 1987, became Menard's 1992, demolished 2005 for new Menard's
*Lombard, Illinois - Yorktown Center - opened 1968, closed 1987, became Von Maur 1994
*Matteson - Lincoln Mall - opened 1973, closed 1987, became Sears 1995
*Mount Prospect - Randhurst - opened 1962, became Bergner's 1987, Carson Pirie Scott 1990
*Norridge - Harlem Irving Plaza - opened 1956, became Carson Pirie Scott 1987
*Orland Park - Orland Park Place - opened 1981, closed 1987, now Stein Mart & Bed Bath & Beyond
*River Forest - closed 1987, demolished for new shopping center
*Waukegan - Lakehurst Mall - opened 1971, closed 1986, became Montgomery Ward and Dunham's 1987, demolished 2004
*Chicago - 63rd & Halsted Shopping Plaza - opened and closed dates are unknown, structure demoslihed

References

External links

* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2903.html Encyclopedia of Chicago article]
* [http://chicago.urban-history.org/sites/d_stores/wiebol_1.htm Jazz Age Chicago - W.A. Wieboldt Co.]
* [http://www.lakehurstmall.net/wieboldts.html Photos of a Wieboldt's store at Lakehurst Mall]