Efird's, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Exterior façade on Tryon Street with wall sign, circa 1955 (courtesy Pat Richardson)
Beginning operations as the “Racket Store” and soon thereafter as the “Bee Hive” on the corner of East Trade Street and North College Street in Charlotte, North Carolina, the store would become Efird’s Department Store was bought by Anson County native Hugh Efird and two of his brothers, Joseph and Edmund, in 1907.Joseph Efird took charge of the Charlotte store after Hugh died in 1909 and oversaw the creation of a chain of stores that eventually included over 50 retail establishments across the Carolinas and Virginia, all directed from Charlotte.
In 1922, plans were announced for constructing a brand new half million dollar Efird’s Department Store on the 100 block of North Tryon Street. The new flagship Efird’s store was designed by locally renowned architect Louis Asbury and was a state of the art store: five stories high with over 100,000 square feet of floor space including a bargain basement a top floor dining room and, uniquely of its time, escalators.
Efird’s sold out to Belk in the mid 1950s, and its North Tryon Street store became part of the adjacent Belk complex. The store building was razed in the early 1990s, and the Bank of America Corporate Center sits on its site.
Efird's, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Exterior façade on Tryon Street with wall sign,date unknown. (courtesy Pat Richardson)
Efird's, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement, March 1951. (courtesy Pat Richardson)
Efird's, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement, March 1951. (courtesy Pat Richardson)
Efird's, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement, March 1951. (courtesy Pat Richardson)
References:
Historic Retail Buildings In Center City Charlotte
Christina A. Wright, “Survey and Research Report on the Withers Efird House,” June 30, 2000.
That's a very interesting history. Guess it proves that consolidation in department stores is not a new thing!
ReplyDeleteGreat photo, also. I'm amazed how many Liggett Rexall stores turn up in old photos like this. Liggett was one of the very largest Rexall franchisees, with stores from NY to Florida.
So, what you're saying is, Belk has being buying and killing stores since the 50's?
ReplyDeleteSorry, couldn't resist. I kid, I kid. ;-)
Is "absorbing" a better term?
ReplyDeleteActually, in the case of Efrid's, Paul Efrid approached William Henry Belk--Efrid's was in horrible financial shape in the mid-50's and couldn't find a buyer for the chain.
Dave: Thanks. I didn't know much about Efird's until very recently. I also know next to nothing about Liggett Rexall, but apparently Louis Liggett was the mastermind behind the Rexall system. There's a book about it.
ReplyDeleteBrian: Very funny. :-)
Pat: Thanks for the clarification.
Does Efird's have a corporate or family link to American & Efird, the textile arm of Ruddick Corp, also Harris-Teeter's parent?
ReplyDeleteEfird is a new name for me, but I grew up in Northwest Georgia, and Belk-Gallant was the local Belk operation with Miller Bros. and Loveman's operating in Chattanooga, Parks-Belk and Miller Bros. in nearby Cleveland, TN , Belk-Rhodes, Kessler's and Georgia's only Miller's in Rome and of course Rich's and Davison's in Atlanta, Belk-Gallant having retreated to the rural hinterlands and Kessler's taking the discount approach.
I've seen department stores emerge from being a local retailer to regional and now national under the expansion of Federated/Macy*s, Dillard's, Belk and the Bon-Ton, as well as Proffit's/Saks Inc. entering and exiting the fray as a regional operator of stores.
In retail, the old adage of everything old is new again still holds true. Belk's return to Atlanta has its critics, but Atlantan's have the choice of Macy*s, Dillard's and Belk, which gives them a greater variety than New Yorkers and Los Angelenos when it comes to mid-range department stores. The Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee may well be the bellwethers to watch the fates of Macy*s, Belk and Dillard's play out.
Is this related to Efird's furniture here in Charlotte? Same family, different branch, maybe?
ReplyDeleteAlmost overlooked Liggett, as the Rexall was more obvious. Was the Liggett chain related to Liggett Tobacco?
ReplyDeleteAnon: Thanks for the memories. North Georgia and Southern Tennessee sounded like they had numerous department store choices.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if American & Efird is a related company, but I'd imagine it could be.
Matt: You could be right.
Anon: I don't think the tobacco company and drug store were linked
Love the clock on the exterior photo!
ReplyDeleteEfird's had the look and feel of a big city store.
ReplyDelete