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PARISIAN
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Parisian is a moderate to upscale U.S. chain of department stores, based in Birmingham, Alabama known for its superior level of personalized service and limited distribution speciality brands such as Karen Kane, Sig Tahari, Free People, 7 For All Mankind, Tommy Bahama,Lacoste, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Kate Spade, Cole Haan, and Coach.
Parisian is a division of Saks Incorporated, the owners of the Saks Fifth Avenue (SFA) department store chain. Parisian currently operates 38 stores located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The chain plans to add two Arkansas stores in Little Rock and Rogers by late 2006. New Parisian stores are also slated for Birmingham, Alabama; Detroit, Michigan; Ridgeland, Mississippi (metropolitan Jackson); and Prattville, Alabama (metropolitan Montgomery) over the next three years. In July 2006, Parisian announced that it plans to open a new store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in spring 2008.
History
The chain was founded by sisters Bertha and Estella Sommers under the name Parisian Dry Goods & Millinery Company in 1887 in Birmingham. In 1945, Parisian adopted an aggressive program of brand-name merchandising and enhanced customer service as it expanded. In 1983 it became a publicly traded company and it joined Proffitt's Inc., in 1996. In September of 1998, Proffitt’s, Inc. and Saks Holdings, Inc. completed a merger transaction where Saks Fifth Avenue and its Off 5th outlet stores became the Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises division of Proffitt’s, Inc. At that time, Proffitt’s, Inc. was renamed Saks Incorporated.
Particularly in its larger markets, Parisian was placed in a marketing tier between the luxury-oriented SFA chain and the company's other more moderate nameplates. At its height, Saks Incorporated operated more than 250 mid-level to high end department stores under its Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises group, the Parisian division, the Northern Department Store Group (Younkers, Herberger's, Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's, Boston Store), and its Southern Department Store Group (Proffitt's and McRae's) — plus more than 50 Club Libby Lu specialty shops.
Following the divesting of its Southern Department Store Group in July 2005 to Belk, Inc., and the March 2006 sale of its Northern Department Store Group (controlled under the divisional umbrella of Carson Pirie Scott) to Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., for $1.1 billion, Parisian survives as a division that emphasizes its service, fashion, and specialty items much like its New York-born corporate sibling. Though it shares several markets with SFA, many of Parisian's markets are comparatively smaller in scale.
In January 2006, Saks Incorporated announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives for its 38 Parisian stores (which could lead to a sale), the last of its mid-level department store chains. The company's activity within the last 12 months is seemingly oriented toward the return of Saks Fifth Avenue as an independently operated brand for the first time in more than 30 years. Some industry experts have also speculated that the activity positions a streamlined Saks Incorporated itself for buyout at a later point.
On Wednesday August 2, 2006 it was announced that Belk, Inc. had entered into a stock purchase agreement with Saks Incorporated to acquire 38 Parisian department stores, a 125,000 square foot administrative/headquarters facility in Birmingham, Alabama, and a 180,000 square foot distribution center onw distribution center in Steele, Alabama Plans have been announced to close one of the distribution centers, in and to change the Parisian stores over to the Belk's nameplate during the third quarter of 2007. When the transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is complete, Belk will operate a total of 315 stores in 19 states. [1]
With the sale to Belk, the last of Birmingham's historic department store brand names will be lost, joining Pizitz, Loveman's, Yielding's, and Blach's in the annals of history.
Current Parisian Locations
Alabama
- Birmingham - Colonial Brookwood Village - 107,416 sq. ft., Opened 2002 in former McRae's location
- Birmingham - Downtown (flagship) - 21,500 sq. ft.
- Birmingham - Riverchase Galleria - 188,108 sq. ft., Opened 1986
- Birmingham - The Summit - 114,534 sq. ft., Opened 1997
- Decatur - Colonial Mall Decatur - 90,300 sq. ft.
- Dothan - Wiregrass Commons Mall - 160,430 sq. ft.
- Florence - Regency Square - 90,000 sq. ft. (2 stores; Main store 50,000 sq. ft., Men's/Kid's 40,000 sq. ft.)
- Gadsden - Colonial Mall Gadsden - 90,000 sq. ft. (formerly McRae's)
- Huntsville - Madison Square Mall - 115,000 sq. ft.
- Huntsville - Parkway Place - 167,256 sq. ft.
- Mobile - Bel Air Mall - 122,500 sq. ft.
- Montgomery - Eastdale Mall - 127,938 sq. ft. (2 stores; Main store 68,970 sq. ft., Men's/Kid's 58,968 sq. ft.)
- Tuscaloosa - University Mall - 172,396 sq. ft. (2 stores; Main Store 82,222 sq. ft., Men's, Children's, and Home 90,174 sq. ft.)
Florida
Georgia
- Alpharetta - North Point Mall - 87,407 sq. ft., Opened in 1995 in former Mervyn's location
- Atlanta - Northlake Mall - 103,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1992 expansion
- Atlanta - Phipps Plaza -170,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1992 expansion
- Columbus - Peachtree Mall - 87,600 sq. ft., Opened in 1986 expansion
- Douglasville - Arbor Place Mall - 142,550 sq. ft., Opened 1999
- Duluth - Gwinnett Place Mall - 128,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1993 expansion
- Kennesaw - Town Center Mall - 131,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1993 expansion
- Lithonia - The Mall at Stonecrest - 145,974 sq. ft.
- Macon - Macon Mall - 105,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1998 expansion
Indiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Ohio
South Carolina
Tennessee
New Parisian store openings
2006
2007
2008
Closed Parisian locations
Alabama
Florida
- Central Florida MSA/Ocoee – West Oaks Mall- 212,000 sq. ft., Acquired from Dillard's in 1998, was a Gayfers; coverted to McRae's in 2004, sold to Belk in 2005
- Central Florida MSA/Orlando – The Florida Mall- 120,000 sq. ft., Acquired from Dillard's in 1998, was a Gayfers; sold to May Company in 2001, now Lord & Taylor
- Central Florida MSA/Oviedo – The Market Place- 180,000 sq. ft., Acquired from Dillard's in 1998, was a Gayfers; sold to Burdines in 2000; now Macy's
- Central Florida MSA/Sanford - Seminole Towne Center - 141,000 sq. ft., Opened in 1995, coverted to McRae's in 2004, sold to Belk in 2005
Georgia
- Savannah - Savannah Mall - 102,000 sq. ft., Opened 1990 & Closed 01/03
Ohio
South Carolina
- Columbia - Columbiana Centre - 95,000 sq. ft., Closed 2/06 to become JCPenney
- Greenville - Greenville Mall - 120,000 sq. ft, Converted to Proffitt's in 1999; closed in 2004
Advertising Slogans
- "You're Somebody Special"
External links
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