Gordmans
Encyclopedia
Gordmans Stores is a chain of mid-western off-price department stores founded and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska
. Today, Gordmans operates 66 stores in 16 states in the United States
.
in New York City
and decided to move west in hopes of finding his own calling in life. A need for car repairs brought Gordman to Omaha, Nebraska
, where he found a loving relationship with Esther Richman as well as a business relationship with her father Sam Richman. The company's origins went back to the early 20th century when Sam Richman opened a small clothing store in Omaha in 1915. Sam Richman's Outfitters to the Family occupied a small storefront block-long building at 16th and Chicago in downtown Omaha. Dan Gordman joined Sam as a full partner in the business and married his daughter Esther. Several years passed, and eventually the business had grown to occupy the entire building at 16th and Chicago. In 1948, a second store was opened in South Omaha, Nebraska
and then Dan purchased Sam's remaining interest in the Company, and the name of the stores was changed to Richman Gordman.
. Richman Gordman opened two stores in Des Moines, Iowa
followed by another location in Topeka, Kansas
. Richman Gordman's 10th store opened in Grand Island, Nebraska
in 1974. Dan Gordman was among the first to incorporate central checkouts, shopping carts, and self-service shoes to Omaha. Dan was also one of the first stores to be open on Sundays.
protection, and all of its department stores closed. The off-price department store division became the company's sole focus after it emerged from bankruptcy under the Richman Gordman 1/2 Price Stores name in 1993.
in August 1999.
Sun Capital Partners bought the company in 2008. It was taken public again in 2010 with Sun continuing to hold a majority stake.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. Today, Gordmans operates 66 stores in 16 states in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Beginnings
In 1936, Dan Gordman quit his job at a Bloomingdale'sBloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and decided to move west in hopes of finding his own calling in life. A need for car repairs brought Gordman to Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, where he found a loving relationship with Esther Richman as well as a business relationship with her father Sam Richman. The company's origins went back to the early 20th century when Sam Richman opened a small clothing store in Omaha in 1915. Sam Richman's Outfitters to the Family occupied a small storefront block-long building at 16th and Chicago in downtown Omaha. Dan Gordman joined Sam as a full partner in the business and married his daughter Esther. Several years passed, and eventually the business had grown to occupy the entire building at 16th and Chicago. In 1948, a second store was opened in South Omaha, Nebraska
South Omaha, Nebraska
South Omaha, Nebraska is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth due to the rapid development of the Union Stockyards. Annexed by the City of Omaha in 1915, the...
and then Dan purchased Sam's remaining interest in the Company, and the name of the stores was changed to Richman Gordman.
Richman Gordman
During the 1960s, Jerry and Nelson, Dan's sons, and his nephew Bob joined Dan in Richman Gordman and positioned the company for more aggressive expansion. In the early 1970s, the company expanded beyond NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Richman Gordman opened two stores in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
followed by another location in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. Richman Gordman's 10th store opened in Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
in 1974. Dan Gordman was among the first to incorporate central checkouts, shopping carts, and self-service shoes to Omaha. Dan was also one of the first stores to be open on Sundays.
The 1/2 Price Store
In 1975, Dan opened a small test store in South Omaha at 25th and L Streets named the 1/2 Price Store. The concept was to sell Richman Gordman merchandise at half price. The concept led to the opening of six more 1/2 Price Stores in the 1970s and a separate corporate infrastructure was built to accommodate the growing business. By the time the company celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1990, it operated 16 1/2 Price Store off-price department stores and 16 Richman Gordman department stores. In 1992, however, Richman Gordman filed for bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
protection, and all of its department stores closed. The off-price department store division became the company's sole focus after it emerged from bankruptcy under the Richman Gordman 1/2 Price Stores name in 1993.
Gordmans
In 1996, the birth of Gordmans took three years, converting all 1/2 Price Stores into the Gordmans brand. The idea came from Dan's vision of providing name brands at a cost savings. The company decided to develop a new prototype store and attempted to improve the store's presentation. Out the combined efforts of hundreds of associates, the first two Gordmans stores opened in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
in August 1999.
Sun Capital Partners bought the company in 2008. It was taken public again in 2010 with Sun continuing to hold a majority stake.