John Wanamaker Store | |
 The grand court at the original Wanamaker's at 1300 Market Street in Philadelphia in May 2017 | |
   | |
| Location | 1300 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°57′5.98″N 75°9′43.81″W / 39.9516611°N 75.1621694°W |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Thompson, Starrett Co.; Daniel Burnham |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002459[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 2, 1978[2] |
| Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
 | |
| Formerly | John Wanamaker's |
|---|---|
| Company type | Department store |
| Founded | 1861 |
| Founder | John Wanamaker |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Successor | Macy's |
| Headquarters | 1300 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Area served | Delaware Valley |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, housewares, furniture, toys, jewelry, linens |
Wanamaker's, originally known as John Wanamaker Department Store, was one of the first department stores in the United States. Founded by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia in 1861, it was influential in the development of the retail industry including as the first store to use price tags.[3]
At its zenith in the early 20th century, Wanamaker's also had a store in New York City at Broadway and 9th Street in Manhattan. Both employed extremely large staffs. By the end of the 20th century, there were 16 Wanamaker's outlets. After years of change, the chain was bought by A. Alfred Taubman in late 1986,[4] and added to Taubman's previous purchase of Woodward & Lothrop, the Washington, D.C., department store.
In 1994, Woodies, as it was known, filed for bankruptcy. The assets of Woodies were purchased by the May Company Department Stores and JCPenney. In 1995, Wanamaker's transitioned to Hecht's, one of the May Company brands.[5]
In 2006, Macy's opened in the former Philadelphia Wanamaker's Department Store, now called Macy's Center City. The building is a National Historic Landmark. One of its expansions was designed by master architect Daniel Burnham. It contains the Wanamaker Organ, the largest functional organ in the world.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ Listing of John Wanamaker Store at the National Park Service
- ^ Georgiadis, Philip; Onita, Laura; Barnes, Oliver (September 15, 2023). "The rise of surge pricing: 'It will eventually be everywhere'". Financial Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
But in 1876, inspired by notions of equality, Quaker merchant John Wanamaker introduced price tags at the launch of his eponymous department store in Philadelphia.
- ^ Kelly, john. "New book details the history of Woodward & Lothrop, a vanished D.C. department store". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ Jackson, Kimberlly L. (September 4, 1995). "Wanamakers' Faithful Flock To Hecht's Department Store Begins Its Two-month Transition". The Morning Call. Retrieved May 15, 2015.