Harts Stores

:"For the Canadian retail chain, see Hart Stores."

Infobox_Company
company_name = Harts Stores, Inc.
company_type = Discount stores
company_
foundation = 1954 Columbus, Ohio
location = Columbus, Ohio
industry = Retail
products = Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares.
parent = Big Bear Stores Inc.
homepage = None.

Harts Stores was a regional general merchandise chain in the midwestern United States, headquartered for many years in Columbus, Ohio.

History

In 1954, Big Bear Stores Co. purchased Harts Stores, a department store that was operating at the time in the basements of two Big Bears. Harts experienced rapid growth, as Big Bear often opened grocery stores along with a Harts Department Store in an adjacent space.

At its high point, there were 29 Harts Stores, but towards the end of 1990 the company decided to favor the Big Bear Plus store format over the Harts general merchandise format and started to slowly shutter or convert all remaining Harts locations. In 1991, ten side-by-side Big Bear and Harts locations were converted to the Big Bear Plus format. By 1996, all Harts stores were closed or converted to Big Bear Plus Stores.

Former locations

Kentucky

*Ashland - #934 (opened 1982, closed Jan. 1990, now Kroger)

Ohio

*Bridgeport - #90 (opened October 1963 as combination Big Bear/Hart's. Converted to a Big Bear Plus in 1993, torn down 2004 for a high school)
*Celina (closed 1991-92)
*Chillicothe (now the Chillicothe/Ross County Service Center)
*Columbus - Dublin-Granville Rd. (closed 1996, converted to Big Bear in 1998, Big Bear closed 2004)
*Delaware - US Rt. 23 North Currently a Big Lots.
*Fairfield - #967 (closed 1991)
*Greenville - Hart's only, no Big Bear in the city; closed in 1996, currently a Tractor Supply Store)
*Grove City - #116 Stringtown Rd.
*Lancaster (combination Big Bear/Hart's, later merged into Big Bear Plus store. Big Bear Plus closed in 2000s)
*Lima(Opened 1988, Closed 1996. Now Ray's Supermarket, which relocated from a smaller location in an adjacent strip next door)
*Marietta (now part of Tractor Supply Company)
*New Philadelphia (vacant, formerly a light manufacturing company)
*Newark - North 21st Street
*Reynoldsburg - No. 256 6300 E. Livingston Ave. Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 - (opened 1976?, closed 2004, 101067 sq ft) Big Bear Plus
*South Zanesvillestore #105, (this store was a tri level store with a Big Bear in same shopping center. Both stores closed and new Big Bear store {only built in other end of shopping center, which closed in 2004)
*Springfield - #965 (oclosed 1991, now Kroger)
*Zanesville - #97 (now Gabriel Brothers)
*Wheelersburg - #120 (opened 1988; closed 1996; became a Kroger store in 2002)
*Wintersville, Ohio opened 1976, converted to Big Bear Plus 1994 Closed 2004 now a Riesbeck's supermarket

West Virginia

*Ceredo (opened in 1974, merged into Big Bear Plus store in 1993. Big Bear Plus closed on Jan. 15, 2004)
*Parkersburg
*Huntington, West Virginia U.S. Route 60 in the East End by Foodland Store. Now Gabriel Brothers. (opened? Closed in 1983 when moved to former Sears building at 29th Street and 5th Avenue alongside new Big Bear store) 29th St. store later became Big Bear Plus and closed in January 2004.

ee also

*Penn Traffic
*Big Bear Stores