Proffitt's, Inc.
Type	Department store
Founded	1919
Headquarters	Maryville, Tennessee
Industry	Retail
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, housewares
Website	None

Proffitt's was a department store chain based in Alcoa, Tennessee. On March 8, 2006, the Proffitt's and McRae's stores were converted into Belk stores. Belk acquired the two chains in July 2005 from Saks Incorporated. Image File history File links Proffits_logo. ... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Maryville is a city located in Blount County, Tennessee, 20 miles south of Knoxville. ... Drawing of a self-service store. ... A website (or Web site) is a collection of web pages, typically common to a particular domain name or subdomain on the World Wide Web on the Internet. ... Alcoa is a city located in Blount County, Tennessee. ... McRaes is a department store chain based in Jackson, Mississippi. ... Belk, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the United States largest privately-held department store chain. ... Saks Incorporated (NYSE: SKS) is an operator of department stores in the United States. ...

History

Beginnings

The Proffitt's story began in 1919 when D.W. Proffitt and James Ellis founded the Ellis-Proffitt Co. on Main Street in downtown Maryville, Tennessee. The first store had seven department consisting of ladies ready-to-wear, ladies accessories, millinery, men's shoes, dry goods, and bargain basement. Ellis sold his share of the company to Proffitt in 1921 due to illness. The company expanded by opening its second store in Athens in 1936. In the 1960's, the Maryville store moved from downtown to Midland Plaza in Aloca and from there to Foothills Mall in Maryville in 1982 where 2 stores remain, one for Women and the other for Men, Kids, and Home. A warehouse and distribution center were opened in Maryville in 1970. The first Knoxville location was opened in 1972 in West Town Mall with an Oak Ridge store following in 1974. A second Knoxville store was added in 1984 at East Towne Mall (now Knoxville Center), the same year the family-owned company was acquired by RBM Acquisition Co led by R. Brad Martin. Maryville is a city located in Blount County, Tennessee, 20 miles south of Knoxville. ... Foothills Mall is an indoor regional shopping mall located on the Northwest Side of Tucson, Arizona in the community of Casas Adobes. ... Maryville is the name of several places in the United States of America: Maryville, Illinois Maryville, Missouri Maryville, Tennessee There are also places named Marysville. ... Nickname: The Marble City, K-Town, Big Orange Country, Knox Vegas, 865 Location within the U.S. State of Tennessee Coordinates: Cities in Tennessee Tennessee  - Mayor Bill Haslam (R) Area    - City 254. ...

Going public

Proffitt's Inc. went public on July 3, 1987 on the NASDAQ market under the symbol PRFT. The West Town Mall location in Knoxville was expanded to 122,000 square feet later that year making it the largest store in the chain. Proffitt's purchased the Chattanooga based Loveman's Department Store adding four Chattanooga stores and one in Dalton, Georgia, its first location outside of Tennessee. A new 80,000 square feet store is built in Biltmore Square Mall in Asheville, North Carolina in 1989, bringing the total stores to eleven. The 1992-1993 years saw a number of acquisitions making Proffitt's one of the fastest growing retailers in the US. During that time, the company purchased 18 Hess's locations in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Georgia. This added new stores in Rome, GA, Elizabethtown and Ashland, KY, Bristol, VA, and Kingsport and Johnson City, TN. In early Fall 1992, just shortly before the Hess's purchase was completed, a new Proffitt's store opened in The Mall at Johnson City in the company's entry into the Tri-Cities market. The Hess's purchase led to a dual-store format in the mall, similar to the one in the Foothills Mall in Maryville. In Johnson City, once the Hess's store was vacated and renovated, the Men's and Home Stores were moved to that building, leaving Women's and Children's in the newly constructed Proffitt's building. July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chattanooga is a city located in United States of America. ... Lovemans included two separate Southeastern department store chains with the same name. ... Dalton is a city located in Whitfield County, Georgia. ... Biltmore Square Mall, owned by Simon Property Group, is a shopping mall in south Asheville, NC with Belk and Dillards as anchor stores. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Acquisions of McRae's and Parks-Belk

Proffitt's purchased the Jackson, Mississippi based McRae's chain in 1994. The McRae's stores, unlike the previous acquisitions, would continue to operate under their nameplate and operational division In 1995, Proffitt's purchased Parks-Belk, an independently owned affiliate of Charlotte, NC based Belk, Inc. This purchase gave Proffitt's a presence for the first time in Greeneville, TN and gave it the company an additional store in each mall in Kingsport and Johnson City. A Parks-Belk location in Morristown, TN was part of the deal, but the store was closed instead of being converted to a Proffitt's. The Johnson City Proffitt's was already operating under the dual location concept and this gave the company three stores in the same mall. The former Hess's store (now home to Goody's Family Clothing) which housed the Men's and Home Store was vacated and relocated to the former Belk site along with the Children's department. This move created the largest Proffitt's Men's Store in the company and allowed the Women's department its own store. The former Hess store in the Fort Henry Mall in Kingsport was transformed into the largest Proffitt's Home Store, with all other departments remaining in the former Parks-Belk location. Proffitt's would later open stores in Spartanburg, SC, Morgantown and Parkersburg, WVA, and they would eventually build a new store at College Square Mall in Morristown, TN. McRaes is a department store chain based in Jackson, Mississippi. ... Belk, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the United States largest privately held department store chain. ... Belk, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the United States largest privately-held department store chain. ... One of Goodys Family Clothing stores (Rome, Georgia). ...

Acquisions of Parisian, Younkers and Carson Pirie Scott

Birmingham, Alabama based Parisian and Younkers of Des Moines, Iowa were both acquired in 1996 and retained their names and operating units. Herberger's was purchased in 1997 and kept its nameplate and the company moved from the NASDAQ to the NYSE and began trading under the PFT symbol. The company purchased the Carson Pirie Scott chain in 1998 which also consisted of Boston Store and Bergner's and they continued to operated those store under their respective names. Later in 1998, the company purchased North Carolina based Brody's and those stores were converted to the Proffitt's name. 1998 also saw Proffitt's acquire a group of 15 stores from Dillard's after its buyout of Mercantile Stores. Five former Castner Knott store in Nashville, Tennessee were renamed Proffitt's, but sold in 2001 to May Department Stores after proving marginally profitable under Proffitt's management. The former Brody's stores were sold to Belk in 2004. Also, in 2004, Proffitt's opened a store in Alabama at the Riverchase Galleria in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover in the location vacated by Macy's. // 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 of specialty brands such as Juicy Couture, Karen Kane, BCBG Max Azria, Garfield & Marks, Tahari, Jig Saw, 7 For All Mankind, Diesel, Paper... Exterior of the Younkers store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa Younkers is a department store chain in the Midwestern United States. ... Herbergers is a department store chain in the Midwestern United States. ... Carson Pirie Scott, downtown Chicago Carson Pirie Scott & Co. ... The Boston Store is a major, mid-line department store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, established in 1900. ... Bergners is a major, mid-line department store in Central and Northern Illinois, established in 1889 in Peoria, Illinois. ... Dillards (NYSE: DDS), based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a major department store chain in the United States, with 329 stores in 29 states as of 2005. ... About Mercantile Mercantile Stores Company Inc. ... Castner Knott was a Nashville, Tennessee-based regional department store chain with locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Belk, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the United States largest privately-held department store chain. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Riverchase Galleria is a large super–regional shopping mall in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City 393. ... Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in middle central Alabama. ...

Merge with Saks Fifth Avenue

Late 1998 would see the biggest name change when Proffitt's purchased Saks Holdings Inc, the holding company for luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue. Upon closing of the acquisition the company name is changed to Saks Incorporated and the NYSE symbols changes to SKS. A Saks Fifth Avenue store in Phipps Plaza, Atlanta. ... Saks Incorporated (NYSE: SKS) is an operator of department stores in the United States. ...

Sale to Belk

The McRae's operations would ultimately be consolidated into the Proffitt's division's Alcoa, Tennessee based offices. They would however, continue to operate under the McRae's name. The year 2005 would signal the end of the Proffitt's and McRae's with the purchase of those stores by Belk. On March 8, 2006, all McRae's and Proffitt's stores were converted into Belk stores which ended two of the most well-known retailing names in the south. The only exception were the McRae's stores in Tuscaloosa and Gadsden in Alabama - these were converted to Parisian. Historic Southern United States. ...

Former Proffitt's Locations

Alabama

• Birmingham - Riverchase Galleria (opened 2004 - originally a Macy's store)

Riverchase Galleria is a large super–regional shopping mall in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. ...

Georgia

• Dalton - Walnut Square Mall
• Rome - Mount Berry Square Mall

Walnut Square Mall is a one-story shopping mall located in Dalton, Georgia. ...

Kentucky

• Ashland - Ashland Town Center
• Elizabethtown, Kentucky - Towne Mall

Elizabethtown is a city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. ... Towne Mall is a shopping mall located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and is managed by The Macerich Company. ...

North Carolina

• Asheville - Biltmore Square Mall 2 Belk stores in the mall (2006) Belk moved to the Proffitts Location 80,000 square feet
• Goldsboro - Berkeley Mall ( - originally a Brody's store)
• Greenville - Colonial Mall (formerly The Plaza Mall - originally a Brody's store)
• Kinston - Vernon Park Mall ( - originally a Brody's store)
• Rocky Mount - Golden East Crossing (opened 1998 - originally a Brody's store)

Asheville City Hall. ... Golden East Crossing is a shopping mall located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. ...

South Carolina

• Spartanburg - Westgate Mall
• Greenville - Greenville Mall formerly Parisian

Westgate Mall is a shopping center located in the West San Jose neighborhood of San Jose, California. ...

Tennessee

• Athens - Proffitt's Plaza
• Chattanooga - Eastgate Mall
• Chattanooga - Hamilton Place Mall
• Chattanooga - Northgate Mall
• Cleveland - Bradley Square Mall
• Greeneville - Greeneville Commons
• Johnson City - The Mall at Johnson City Ironically, Proffitt's purchased the Parks-Belk store in the late 1990s and converted the store to their nameplate operating two locations in this mall. Both stores here are now Belk.
• Kingsport - Fort Henry Mall Proffitt's also purchased the Parks-Belk store in the late 1990s and converted to their nameplate operating two locations in this mall. Both stores here are now Belk.
• Knoxville - Knoxville Center Mall Now Belk
• Knoxville - West Town Mall Now Belk
• Maryville - Foothills Mall - Now Belk
• Morristown - College Square Mall Now Belk
• Oak Ridge - Oak Ridge Mall Now Belk

Athens is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Opened in 1965, Chattanooga, Tennessees, Eastgate Mall was the first enclosed mall in the Chattanooga area. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Opened in 1988, Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is to be the largest mall in Tennessee. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Northgate Mall in Hixson, Tennessee, was the second mall built in Chattanooga (the first being Eastgate Mall) with JC Penney, Sears and Belk (formerly Proffitts and Lovemans) as the main anchors. ... Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. ... Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. ... Johnson City is a city in Washington County, Tennessee; however a small part of the city is located within Sullivan County, Tennessee, to the northeast and Carter County, Tennessee, to the southeast. ... Kingsport is a city located in Sullivan County, Tennessee. ... Nickname: The Marble City, K-Town, Big Orange Country, Knox Vegas, 865 Location within the U.S. State of Tennessee Coordinates: Cities in Tennessee Tennessee  - Mayor Bill Haslam (R) Area    - City 254. ... Nickname: The Marble City, K-Town, Big Orange Country, Knox Vegas, 865 Location within the U.S. State of Tennessee Coordinates: Cities in Tennessee Tennessee  - Mayor Bill Haslam (R) Area    - City 254. ... Maryville is a city located in Blount County, Tennessee, 20 miles south of Knoxville. ... Morristown is a city in Tennessee, United States. ... Oak Ridge is an incorporated city in Anderson and Roane Counties in East Tennessee, about 25 miles northwest of Knoxville. ...

Virginia

• Bristol - The Bristol Mall Converted to 2nd Belk location for this mall.
• Chesapeake - Chesapeake Square Mall Sold to Dillard's in 1997
• Chesapeake - Greenbriar Mall Sold to Dillard's in 1997
• Hampton - Coliseum Mall Sold to Dillard's in 1997, building now torn down.
• Newport News - Patrick Henry Mall Sold to Dillard's in 1997
• Virginia Beach - Pembroke Mall Sold to Dillard's in 1997
• Richmond - Virginia Center Commons Sold to Dillard's in 1997

Coliseum Mall is a medium size shopping mall, located in Hampton, Virginia with anchor stores JC Penney and Burlington Coat Factory. ... Pembroke Mall is the Hampton Roads MSAs first shopping mall located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. ...

West Virginia

• Morgantown - Morgantown Mall - Now Belk
• Parkersburg - Grand Central Mall - Now Belk

// The Morgantown Mall is located in the city of Westover northwest of the city of Morgantowns central business district along Interstate 79. ... Grand Central Mall is a 908,238 square foot regional shopping mall located on state route 14 in Vienna, WV, just north of the Pakersburg corporation limit. ...

External links

• Belk
• Saks Incorporated