Richway and/or Value City

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Ephrata1966
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Richway and/or Value City

Post by Ephrata1966 »

I am not too familiar with the Deep South. But I know Houston and Philadelphia well. The big-box chain Richway did operate mainly in Atlanta. After a long run, these stores were sold to Target in 1988. They were remodeled into standard Targets. But around 1995, they already started to relocate. Target rolled out the "Greatland" format around then. Many of the ex-Richway/Targets then became Value City. That is odd since I believe they "jumped" from Philadelphia for sure. And today, Value City is out of business, except for their furniture division. Many of the new Targets have relocated again, and the "Greatland" name is dying out.

Most Value City stores where I am used to be these chains: Korvettes/Dry Goods, Gaylords/Gee Bee, Woolco/Gee Bee, Steinbach, or Clover (most of which became Kohl's). Steinbach was really a mall department store chain. They started in Asbury Park, which was once a boom town. At one point they were owned by Food Fair. You might want to learn about Shore Mall in New Jersey. It was a jumbled mix of Sears, Steinbach, Food Fair, Circuit City, Grant City, JCPenney, Pathmark, Office Depot, Big Lots, A&P, and TGI Friday's!
Ephrata1966
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Oh and another thing, there was a Value City almost in my backyard. It has been torn down for a Giant (Pennsylvania/Martin's) facing the other way about to open. The opening has been delayed due to the construction union strikes. They protest here every day with the sheriff. This shopping center, built in 1955, was once anchored by both Penn Fruit and A&P.
rich
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by rich »

Do a search--Richway has been much discussed. It was an upscale discount store operated by the upper-mid-range Rich's department store chain in Atlanta. It was much like Gold Circle or Caldor or today's Target.

Value City occupied all manner of former discount stores. They were part of Schottenstein's which also was a liquidator. Value City regularly sold overstock merchandise from high end retailers which Schottenstein liquidated for them. Value City was one of the original off-price stores and a careful shopper c. 1960s and early 70s could find bargains that couldn't be duplicated elsewhere. In some places, Schottenstein liquidated regular department stores that went had gone bankrupt or otherwise had out of business and kept some of the stores. They had a long running store in Golden Gate Plaza in Maumee, Ohio which had been part of the upscale Lamson's chain, which Schottenstein had liquidated.
Ephrata1966
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by Ephrata1966 »

The Value City Furniture in Baltimore, oddly enough, is a former Service Merchandise, and was next to a Target Greatland.

Wait a minute, they had Value City that early? I thought it was an 80's chain.
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BK31
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by BK31 »

I just noticed that a former Richway in Sandy Springs, GA at Johnson Ferry Road and Roswell Road is now sitting vacant after Target moved to newer digs a couple miles south in the last year or so. The other former Richway I'm familiar with is in the Smyrna/Marietta, GA area on Hwy 41 and is still a Target that got an exterior refresh not too long ago, but still had the older Target decor package inside. Both have the former Richway triangular skylights plainly visible, but are non existent on the interior.

I'm hoping my work finds me inside the Sandy Springs space in the near future. I'd love to pop a couple ceiling tiles on the sales floor and see if those skylights could be recommissioned.
Transit Road
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by Transit Road »

The Value City Furniture in Baltimore, oddly enough, is a former Service Merchandise, and was next to a Target Greatland.

Wait a minute, they had Value City that early? I thought it was an 80's chain.
If you are referring to the Nottingham Square (White Marsh, MD/suburban Baltimore County) Value City Furniture location, the original tenant was Waccamaw's HomePlace. After Waccaamaw closed, the store became a "higher-end" furniture retailer American Signature Furniture. In reality, it was just another version of Value City Furniture, but was not co-located with a Value City Department Store location.

Value City which was seen as downscale brand for this area originally, but during the reorganization the name was changed to Value City Furniture.

Service Merchandise was located.between Best Buy and Dick's Sporing Goods, when the plaza was built in 1996-1997. The space is now Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Party City, and Michaels Crafts.
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MikeRa
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by MikeRa »

Ephrata1966 wrote:I am not too familiar with the Deep South. But I know Houston and Philadelphia well. The big-box chain Richway did operate mainly in Atlanta. After a long run, these stores were sold to Target in 1988. They were remodeled into standard Targets. But around 1995, they already started to relocate. Target rolled out the "Greatland" format around then. Many of the ex-Richway/Targets then became Value City. That is odd since I believe they "jumped" from Philadelphia for sure. And today, Value City is out of business, except for their furniture division. Many of the new Targets have relocated again, and the "Greatland" name is dying out.

Most Value City stores where I am used to be these chains: Korvettes/Dry Goods, Gaylords/Gee Bee, Woolco/Gee Bee, Steinbach, or Clover (most of which became Kohl's). Steinbach was really a mall department store chain. They started in Asbury Park, which was once a boom town. At one point they were owned by Food Fair. You might want to learn about Shore Mall in New Jersey. It was a jumbled mix of Sears, Steinbach, Food Fair, Circuit City, Grant City, JCPenney, Pathmark, Office Depot, Big Lots, A&P, and TGI Friday's!
I believe the only Clover that Value City took over was the Feasterville, PA store, since most of the Clover stores went to Kohl's, 2 to Kmart, and the Cottman & Castor Avenue Lit Brothers/Clover went to J. C. Penney
Ephrata1966
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by Ephrata1966 »

What is ironic is that the Cottman Clover became a JCPenney that did not last. The former Grant City at Shore Mall near Atlantic City was a JCPenney from 1976-1986, then Clover until 1996. This Clover ended up as Burlington Coat Factory. So the Value City at the mall (was Steinbach from 1974-1994) closed and is still empty.
Last edited by Ephrata1966 on 09 Nov 2010 18:08, edited 1 time in total.
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nysw3636
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by nysw3636 »

There was a Value City store in Newburgh, NY on North Plank Road (RT32) back in the 1980's. Is this the same department store chain? It is now a half Rite-Aid and half, I think, a Dollar General?
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Re: Richway and/or Value City

Post by umtrr-author »

Not sure whether this fits but we do seem to be jumping all over the map... here in Western New York it's just standalone Value City Furniture stores. I don't recall hearing about Value City Department Stores in New Jersey before I moved here in 1989 so I was surprised to come across one in NJ on a trip down. I had thought all they did was furniture.

An Ashley Furniture opened next to one of the Value City Furniture stores here a few years ago. Both stores are still in business.

Didn't know Steinbach started in Asbury Park. They had the former Orbachs in Woodbridge Center for a while.
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