I totally forgot this store even existed... Emporium Department Store

[Demovictory9]

Didn't shop there often but its in the misty memories of long ago. Can't even remember where it was located near me.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. IIRC they merged with Capwell's in the 70's

Which were more common where I lived (SF Bay) but I think there were some of both around.

Don't know that ever went to Emporium, but Capwell's was a Walnut Creek staple for many years. Then Nordstrom came.

I. Magnin is another now-gone department store I recall.

[Demovictory9]

2. never heard of Capwells. I remember I. Magnin. i considered it to be too pricey so never shopped

there. I stuck to Robinsons, May Company, Mervyns, JC Penneys

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Yeah, I never shopped at I. Magnin ...

But Emporium and Capwell began their association in the 1920's, interestingly. I never heard them referred to as the same company until early 1980's, as is referenced below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emporium_(San_Francisco)

[Emile]

4. We never had a Emporium, but we had Zayres.

[Demovictory9]

6. Never had a Zayres

[Emile]

8. They were like KMart and Walmart. I don't think they were anywhere but in the Midwest.

[Demovictory9]

9. From the commercial, they look very kmart

.down to the red smock

[Fla Dem]

10. Nope, had one just north of Boston. Was there for a long time then just disappeared.

Actually was the 1st store of it's kind in the area. Even before Kmart and Walmart.

Wikipedia
Zayre (/zɛər/) was a chain of discount stores that operated in the eastern half of the United States from 1956 to 1990. The company's headquarters was in Framingham, Massachusetts. In October 1988, Zayre's parent company, Zayre Corp., sold the stores to the competing Ames Department Stores, Inc. chain, and in June 1989, Zayre Corp. merged with one of its subsidiaries, The TJX Companies, parent company of T.J. Maxx. A number of stores retained the Zayre name until 1990, by which time all stores were either closed or converted into Ames stores.[A] (The TJX Companies, which also owns Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra, is still in operation as of 2021.)[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayre

There's this too.
https://old-school-boston.blogspot.com/2010/12/zayre-former-new-england-based.html

[Emile]

11. Wow, same here. We had a Zayre before KMart.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

5. As I kid I remember Harriet telling Ozzie she was going to the Emporium. I had no idea what that

was!

[Demovictory9]

7. Lol..now you know! I only remembered it because was watching a dead mall video

So many anchor stores gone