Bealls (Texas)
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| Department store | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1923 Henderson, Texas |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas |
| Products | Apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares |
| Parent | Stage Stores, Inc. |
| Website | http://www.stagestores.com |
Bealls /ˈbɛlz/ is a United States chain of department stores, owned by Stage Stores Inc. and headquartered in Houston, TX. The store specializes in retailing desirable brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares.
The chain overlaps with the Florida-based Bealls chain, although the two are not related. In markets where the two chains overlap, the Florida chain operates as Burkes Outlet instead.
The first Beall store was opened in Henderson, Texas in 1923 by brothers Archie and Robbie (and later, Willie). The Bealls opened a second store in Nacogdoches in 1926 and a third in Mt. Pleasant in 1927.
By 1930, there were seven stores in the chain. The Beall brothers won bids for the business of J.L. Douglas, a Jacksonville merchant. This move would establish Jacksonville as a permanent home office for the growing chain (as well as its eighth store). The Beall brothers decided to file for incorporation of the chain during this time.
In 1935, the home office moved to the Mayfield Building in downtown Jacksonville. The Jacksonville store location would move in 1936 from the old Douglas building to the corner of Main and Commerce streets, where it would remain for nearly 50 years. By 1940, Bealls had 15 stores in the chain.
Despite World War II, store count by 1950 had grown to 19. Continued growth of the chain led to 38 locations by 1957. Bealls shifted their home office and warehousing to a new location on East Rusk Street in Jacksonville, east of downtown. In the 1960s, a chain-wide modernization of store interiors and operations was underway and more name-brand items could be found in stores.
In 1972, Bealls had grown to 60 stores in Texas and found its way beyond the borders of its home state for the first time, with a location opened in Oklahoma. Bealls had reached most parts of Texas, except for the far west and the Panhandle. Meanwhile, three of Robbie Beall's sons were now in high-level positions with the company; Royce and Ray were now vice-presidents and R.G. was serving as president of Bealls.
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