Housewares

Herberger’s Corporate Office

Herberger’s was founded by Bob Herberger in Osakis, Minnesota, in 1927. The company became incorporated in 1947 as a means of opening up new locations. The company operates a chain of department stores, mostly in the Midwest.

After several sales and mergers, Herberger’s was sold to Bon-Ton stores in 2006 for $101 billion. The company continues to operate as a subsidiary of Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. The company currently has 41 locations. Herberger’s recently rolled out a new program “buy online, pick up here”, where customers could purchase items online and pick them up from the store of their choosing.

The company continues to expand, with new locations being planned, or current locations being expanded. Herberger’s has faced legal issues regarding their janitorial employees. A group of employees sued the company in mid-2015 for lack of payment and lack of overtime pay.

Herberger's

History

Gump’s Corporate Office

Gump’s of San Francisco traces its roots back to 1861, when the Gump brothers, Solomon and Gustav, opened a mirror and frame shop. The company later added gilded frames and artwork, designed for those who hit it big during the California Gold Rush. The original store was destroyed by the earthquake in 1906, but the sale of a single painting allowed the company to rebuild and restock.

Today, Gump’s belongs to an investment group, Gump’s Holdings, to whom it was sold in 2005. The company continues to sell upscale furniture, home decor, jewelry, gifts, and cultured freshwater pearls. The only thing not for sale in the store is a giant gilded wooden Buddah, from the Quing Dynasty, carved sometime in the early 19th century.

In addition to home decor items, the company also sells business furnishings. There are still paper catalogs, as well as an extensive eCommerce site.

Gump's

In addition to home decor items, the company also sells business furnishings. There are still paper catalogs, as well as an extensive eCommerce site.

History

At Home Corporate Office

Founded in 1979 in Schertz, Texas, the original name of the company was Garden Ridge Pottery. This was later changed to Garden Ridge. The company operates a chain of big box type furniture and home decor stores which offer rugs, lamps, chairs, patio furniture, housewares, textiles, wall art, and holiday decor.

After filing for bankruptcy in 2014, the company was acquired by AEA Investors in 2011.

In 2014, the company decided on a major overhaul and changed not only the orange color theme of Garden Ridge to grey but renamed all locations to At Home. There are currently 150 locations in 34 states, as well as a large eCommerce site, as of September 2018.

The company has made a substantial investment in inventory that appears to be paying off, with profits soaring into the double-digit range in 2018.

At Home appears to have big plans for California, opening their 200th store in San Diego, California, in July 2019, with plans to open 600 more across the nation in the next two years, with at least 80 more locations scheduled for California alone.

At Home went public on the NASDAQ in early 2016 under the ticker symbol: HOME.

Headquarters for the company remain in Plano, Texas.

At Home

After filing for bankruptcy in 2014, the company was acquired by AEA Investors in 2011.

History

The company has made a substantial investment in inventory that appears to be paying off, with profits soaring into the double-digit range in 2018.

At Home went public on the NASDAQ in early 2016 under the ticker symbol: HOME.

Headquarters for the company remain in Plano, Texas.

West Elm Corporate Office

West Elm was founded in 2002 by the Williams-Sonoma company. The company sells furniture, rugs, bedding, wall decor, and other household items. A catalog was released in 2003, followed by an actual retail location in Brooklyn, New York, later that year. The company acts as a subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma.

While some items can be purchased in-store, larger items, such as sofas or mattress sets, are for visual purposes only and must be purchased online. The company has a large variety of items for sale on its eCommerce site. In addition to the US and Puerto Rico, the company has retail locations in Mexico, Canada, the Middle East, Australia, and England.

In September 2018, one local Canadian artist sued West Elm claiming that the company was stealing her artwork (which was sold in West Elm stores) for their sheet patterns.

The company recently teamed up with Casper, a start-up mattress company, in 2016. Their latest retail location opened in Providence, Rhode Island, in August of 2016. West Elm offers products that are “Fair Trade Certified”, which means items were made under good working conditions, with sustainable practices, by persons who were paid a living wage.

In September 2020, West Elm and designer Eileen Fisher launched a sustainable home design using recycled jeans as material.

West Elm Kids announced in January 2023 that it had partnered with Misha and Puff.

West Elm maintains a corporate office in Brooklyn, New York.

West Elm

History

In September 2018, one local Canadian artist sued West Elm claiming that the company was stealing her artwork (which was sold in West Elm stores) for their sheet patterns.

In September 2020, West Elm and designer Eileen Fisher launched a sustainable home design using recycled jeans as material.

West Elm Kids announced in January 2023 that it had partnered with Misha and Puff.

West Elm maintains a corporate office in Brooklyn, New York.

Marshalls Corporate Office

Founded in 1956 by Alfred Marshall, who envisioned a discount brand name clothing store. Marshall, along with several other investors, opened Marshalls and Associates in Beverly, Massachusetts. This store was unique in its day as not only were shoppers able to find deeply discounted brand name clothing, but it was one of the first “find it yourself ” stores, where sales clerks did not offer one on one service.

The company was very successful and by 1966, had grown to become the leading discount retail chain in the US. By purchasing manufacturers over-runs, closeouts, or out of season merchandise, the company can offer discounts of 20 to 60 percent.

Today, Marshalls is a subsidiary of TJX Companies. The company currently has 975 locations throughout the US and 38 locations in Canada, with 6 of these stores being opened in 2015.

Marshalls

Today, Marshalls is a subsidiary of TJX Companies. The company currently has 975 locations throughout the US and 38 locations in Canada, with 6 of these stores being opened in 2015.