Corporate Office

Claire’s Stores Corporate Office

Claire’s was founded in 1961. Originally named Fashion Tress, the company’s main focus was on wigs and hairpieces. In 1973, Fashion Tress purchased Claire’s, a jewelry chain with 25 locations at the time. The company moved away from wigs and placed their focus on costume jewelry and ear piercing.

Most Claire’s locations today are geared towards pre-teens and teenagers. Many locations have a section for children under 7. The company offers costume jewelry, fashion jewelry, hair accessories, clip in hair pieces, teen music band jewelry and body jewelry, such as tongue rings. In America, 95% of all shopping malls contain a Claire’s store.

Claire’s has 3,469 locations throughout the U.S. and globally, including Hong Kong and the U.K. The company had $1.6 billion in sales in 2015 and employs 17,600 persons worldwide.

Claire's

Claire’s has 3,469 locations throughout the U.S. and globally, including Hong Kong and the U.K. The company had $1.6 billion in sales in 2015 and employs 17,600 persons worldwide.

History

Gus Mayer Corporate Office

Gus Mayer was founded in 1900 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The original store was located on Canal Street. A one time, the company has more than 20 locations throughout the southeast and southwest United States.

Gus Mayer is known for its upper class, high end fashions, including brands such as 7 for all Mankind, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, and Burberry. The company is now owned by the Pizitz Management Group, who purchased the chain in 1975 when the company was selling off stores to avoid bankruptcy.

Shoe salons inside Gus Mayer are owned independently by David Kraselsky and feature a full line of Stuart Weitzman and Cole Haan shoes.

In 2010, the Gus Mayer store at Colonial Brookwood Village, moved to a new 15,000 square foot building at The Summit, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Gus Mayer

Shoe salons inside Gus Mayer are owned independently by David Kraselsky and feature a full line of Stuart Weitzman and Cole Haan shoes.

History

In 2010, the Gus Mayer store at Colonial Brookwood Village, moved to a new 15,000 square foot building at The Summit, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Halls Corporate Office

Halls is the store division of Hallmark Cards. The Halls and Hallmark line was founded in 1916 by Joyce Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. Hall originally sold greeting cards from a display case in the lobby of a Kansas City store. The company soon moved to their own store and slowly began adding other merchandise to their line in addition to the very popular greeting cards.

Building a new store in the Crown Center began in 1973. Crown Center replaced the original downtown Halls store. Halls stores feature a wide variety of clothing, jewelry, wedding items, shoes, children and infants clothing, as well as china and crystal glassware.

In 2013, Halls consolidated their two stores into the new Crown Center. The new Crown Center officially opened September of 2014. Halls employs 10,500 full time employees and almost 20,000 part time employees. The company had annual revenue in 2015 of $3.7 billion.

Halls

History

Curacao Corporate Office

Curacao was founded in Burbank, California, in 1978 by current CEO Jerry Azarkman. Originally named La Curacao, the company was popular among lower income Hispanics who were unable to buy on credit. Curacao allowed clients to purchase items with only down payment, then collect money from customers weekly.

Azarkman originally sold out of his home, as well as door to door sales. He spoke very little English and no Spanish at the time, but he learned quickly. Azarkman is known for saying that courtesy and respect are languages everyone understands. Curacao opened its first store in the Pico district of Los Angeles in 1983.

Today, Curacao has more than 11 stores throughout Southern California, two stores in Arizona, with plans to expand to Texas and Nevada. Curacao employs more than 2,180 persons and annual revenue in 2014 of $2.5 million.

Curacao

History

Barneys New York Corporate Office

Barney Pressman founded Barneys New York in 1923. Pawning his wife’s engagement ring for $500, he rented a small storefront on 7th Avenue and West 17th Street in Manhattan. Barneys originally sold discounted clothing that he purchased from showroom samples and overstocks. The company also offered free parking and free alterations to attract more customers.

The company did a complete turnaround in 1973 when Fred Pressman, son of founder Barney Pressman, decided that the company could do better than selling discount items. The company began to stock designer, high end clothing items from designers such as Armani, Bill Blass, and Christian Dior.

In 2004, the Pressman family sold their remaining interest in Barneys. Today, the company is mainly owned by Perry Capital. The company has 27 locations and had revenue in 2015 of $1 billion.

Barneys New York

In 2004, the Pressman family sold their remaining interest in Barneys. Today, the company is mainly owned by Perry Capital. The company has 27 locations and had revenue in 2015 of $1 billion.