Luria's

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
L. Luria & Son (Luria's Department Stores)
Founded1961
FounderLeonard Luria
Defunct1997
Fate Chapter 11 Bankruptcy And Liquidation Sale
Headquarters Miami Lakes, Florida
Number of locations
10 (1979)
39 (1987)
60 (1990)
48 (1995)
17 (early 1997)
6 (late 1997)

Luria's (originally L. Luria & Son) was a chain of catalog showroom stores in Florida, from 1961 to 1997.

Contents

History

The company's history can be traced as far back as 1898, with the founding of a silverware and gifts wholesaler based in Manhattan by Lazar Luria. [1]

Luria's started in 1961, when founder Leonard Luria, son of Joseph Luria, moved to South Florida and opened a store at 980 SW 1st Street in Miami. The company went public in 1978, and by 1979, had a total of 10 stores. [2] Despite rough years from 1984–1986, the company had begun to improve by 1987, reaching 39 stores and a catalog circulation of 1 million copies. In 1986, it had opened a new prototype store in Sanford, Florida, which stressed the profitable jewelry counter by placing it in the center of the store, and also included modernized signage and counters. [3] The chain reached its peak of 60 stores in 1990, and in 1993, began opening larger format, self-service stores, in an attempt to escape the declining catalog showroom format. [1]

The chain began to decline into the mid-1990s, and by January 1995, had shrunk to 48 stores, of which 9 were the new self-service format. Another move further emphasizing its new focus on a self-service, "superstore" concept was the discontinuation of its annual catalog that same year. [4] The company was purchased by Rachmil and Ilia Lekach in 1996, taking the company out of Luria family ownership for the first time in its history. Under Lekach ownership, perfume, produced by Parlux, of which Ilia Lekach was CEO and chairman, was to become a major focus, along with kitchenware and kitchen furniture, while phasing out electronics. [5] Luria's entered 1997 in further decline; pulling out of both the Jacksonville and Tampa Bay markets that year in a wave of 17 closures, leaving the company at only 17 total stores. [1] [6] In late 1997, the company, further reduced to 6 stores, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, citing a weakened retail market, the death of the catalog showroom concept, and competition from specialty stores such as Circuit City. The final store closed by mid-December that year. [7]

Company founder Leonard Luria died on September 3, 2012, age 89. [2]

Community impact

Chain founder Leonard Luria is considered a philanthropist in the area, making investments in Israel Bonds and making donations to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Mount Sinai Medical Center. He was also involved in the American Friends of the Hebrew University, the Concert Association Of Miami, and the American Friends of Tel Aviv University. He was also known for hiring a large number of Cuban immigrants in the 1960s, including former Cuban diplomats, due to their knowledge of china and silver at embassy dinners, and was said to have left the Miami Chamber of Commerce due to what was perceived as anti-Cuban rhetoric. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winn-Dixie</span> American supermarket chain

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., styled as Winn✓Dixie, is an American supermarket chain headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It operates more than 546 stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The company has had its present name since 1955 and can trace its roots back to 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Publix</span> American supermarket chain in the southeastern United States

Publix Super Markets, Inc., doing business as Publix, is an employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Jenkins family. Publix operates throughout the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida (874), Georgia (217), Alabama (94), South Carolina (69), Tennessee (59), North Carolina (55), Virginia (22), and Kentucky (1). Kentucky is the most recent addition to the Publix footprint, with the company's first store in that state having opened on January 10, 2024, in Louisville.

Claire's is an American retailer of accessories, jewelry, and toys primarily aimed toward tween and teen girls. It was founded in 1961 and is based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The company is primarily owned by Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital, but, in 2022, announced plans to go public with an initial public offering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eckerd Corporation</span> Defunct American pharmacy

Eckerd Corporation was an American pharmacy retail chain that was headquartered in Largo, Florida, and toward the end of its life, in Warwick, Rhode Island. At its peak, Eckerd was the second-largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with approximately 2,802 stores in 23 states as far west as Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Best Products</span> American catalog showroom retail chain

Best Products Company, Inc., or simply Best, was a chain of American catalog showroom retail stores founded by Sydney and Frances Lewis in 1957 and formerly headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company was in existence for four decades before closing all of their stores by February 1997 and completely liquidating by December 1998. At the time of their second bankruptcy filing in September 1996, the company operated 169 Best stores and 11 Best Jewelry stores in 23 states, as well as a nationwide mail-order service. When in operation, Best Products was traded on the NASDAQ exchange as "BESTQ".

Service Merchandise was a retail chain of catalog showrooms carrying jewelry, toys, sporting goods and electronics. The company, which first began in 1934 as a five-and-dime store, was in existence for 68 years before ceasing operations in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawgrass Mills</span> Shopping mall in Florida, United States

Sawgrass Mills is a shopping mall in Sunrise, Florida, owned by Simon Property Group. With 2,370,610 square feet (220,237 m2) of retail selling space, it is the eleventh largest mall in the United States, the largest single story outlet mall in the U.S., the largest shopping mall in Broward County, the second largest mall in Florida and the Miami metropolitan area after the Aventura Mall, and the third largest shopping mall in the southeastern United States. With over 21 million annual visitors, Sawgrass Mills is one of the most visited attractions in the state of Florida.

A catalog merchant is a form of retailing. The typical merchant sells a wide variety of household and personal products, with many emphasizing jewelry. Unlike a self-serve retail store, most of the items are not displayed; customers select the products from printed catalogs in the store and fill out an order form. The order is brought to the sales counter, where a clerk retrieves the items from the warehouse area to a payment and checkout station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southland Mall (Miami)</span> Shopping mall in Cutler Bay, Florida, U.S.

Southland Mall, originally known as Cutler Ridge Mall, is a shopping mall in Cutler Bay, Florida. It opened in 1978 as an extension of the Cutler Ridge Shopping Center, which itself was opened in 1960. Subsequent additions extended the mall in the early to mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Meyer Jewelers</span> US jewellery chain

Fred Meyer Jewelers is a national chain of jewelers. It is a owned by Fred Meyer. A subsidiary of Kroger. The company also formerly operated under the name Littman Jewelers.

Brendle's was a chain of catalog showrooms based in Elkin, North Carolina, USA. Its showrooms carried jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics. At its peak in 1990, Brendle's operated 58 showrooms in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Witmark was a catalog showroom and jewelry/electronics chain that operated in West Michigan from 1969 to 1997. The chain was founded by Paul Leven.

Sedano's Supermarkets is the United States’ largest Hispanic retailer and largest Hispanic-owned supermarket chain. With headquarters in Miami-Dade County, Sedano's employs approximately 3,000 associates and operates 35 stores across Florida in Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, and Osceola counties. Sedano's is also the largest member of Associated Grocers of Florida, a wholesale grocery food cooperative. In 2020, Sedano's Supermarkets was named Food and Wine’s 20 Best Regional Supermarket Chains of All Time.

Bealls was a Texan chain of department stores, owned by Stage Stores Inc. and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The store specialized in retailing desirable brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food Fair</span> Former supermarket chain in the United States until 1978

Food Fair, also known by its successor name Pantry Pride, was a large supermarket chain in the United States. It was founded by Samuel N. Friedland, and his brother George I. Friedland who opened the first store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the late 1920s. As of 1957, Food Fair had 275 stores, and at its peak, the chain had more than 500 stores. Friedland's family retained control of the firm through 1978, when the chain entered bankruptcy.

Midway Crossings is an enclosed shopping mall located at 7795 West Flagler Street next to the Palmetto Expressway in Miami, Florida. The anchor stores are The Home Depot, Burlington Coat Factory, Costco, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, and a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office.

H. J. Wilson Co., also known as Wilson's, was an American catalog showroom chain based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 1947 as a jewelry store, it was acquired in 1985 by Service Merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky's Market</span> Colorado supermarket

Lucky's Market is a brand of supermarkets that are being used by two independent and unrelated regional supermarket chains, LM Acquisition Co. LLC in Colorado and Lucky's Market Ohio in Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonial Plaza</span> Shopping mall in Florida, U.S.

Colonial Plaza is a shopping mall in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 1956, it was the largest retail development in the state of Florida at the time of its construction. The original complex included two supermarkets and two variety stores, plus a Belk department store. It underwent multiple expansions in its history, the first of which added a Jordan Marsh department store and an enclosed mall concourse. Further expansion in 1973 added a second enclosed wing and a relocation of Belk, while Ivey's was added in 1983 and sold to Dillard's in 1990.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Albright, Mark (October 1, 2005). "Shrinking Luria's to close area stores". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Ovalle, David (September 3, 2012). "Miami Beach philanthropist owned jewelry store chain". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  3. Hagstrom, Suzy (July 27, 1987). "ALL THAT GLITTERS FOR L. LURIA & SONS RETAILER SHINES BRIGHT BY IMPROVING STRATEGY AT CATALOG SHOWROOMS". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  4. Altaner, David (September 10, 1995). "LURIA'S IN TRANSITION, STOCK TRADING LOW". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  5. Poppe, David (October 1, 1996). "A Scent of Trouble". Florida Trend. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  6. Simanoff, Dave (January 20, 1997). "Luria's closing both area stores". Jacksonville Business Journal.
  7. "L. Luria & Son to Close Its Doors". Rapaport Diamonds.net. September 24, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2020.