Tidyman's
Encyclopedia
Tidyman's was a chain of grocery stores founded and based in Spokane, Washington
. At its peak, Tidyman's was operating over 20 stores in Washington, Idaho
and Montana
under the Tidyman's, Dissmore's IGA, Northwest Fresh Marketplace, and County Market banners. The grocery chain was forced to sell its remaining stores in 2006 after a highly publicized 1996 sexual discrimination scandal cost the company $6.2 million.
. By December 1982, Tidyman's was operating eight stores in Washington, Idaho
and Montana
. In 1986, Tidyman's was purchased by its employees.
During February 1992, following a November 1991 investigation, Tidyman's was fined $75,350 for employing 106 minor in violation of federal child labor laws. The United States Department of Labor
said all nine Tidyman's stores had violated child labor laws in the two previous years. Officials had also said the number of minors involved was one of the largest ever found in the Pacific Northwest
.
In May 1998, Tidyman's signed a letter of intent to merge with grocery wholesaler SuperValu
. The merger allowed Tidyman's to retain majority ownership of its twelve Tidyman's stores in addition to eight County Market stores in Montana and the Dissmores IGA store in Pullman, Washington
.
On April 13, 1999, the United States district court
ordered the grocery company to pay $6.2 million in what was one of the largest sex discrimination
awards in Eastern Washington
history. Only a month later, it was discovered that Tidyman's did not have employment liability insurance when lawsuit was filed and the future of the retailer was in jeopardy. Tidyman's had later purchased the insurance in 1997 but it was unable to help the retailer through the lawsuit.
On April 13, 2002, a federal appeals court reinstated the punitive damages that Hemmings and Lamphiear had won following the multimillion-dollar lawsuit. With the new ruling, Tidyman's now owed the two women $4.5 million plus $650,000 in attorney fees. This all came after U.S. District Court Judge Frem Nielsen had previously granted a Tidyman's post-trail motion and stripped away the jury's decision to award $2 million in punitive damages to the women. One year later, Tidyman's awarded Hemmings, Lamphiear, and their attorneys $6.3 million.
and Miles City, Montana
in February 2003.
In September 2004, as an attempt to stay in business, Tidyman's announced plans to build three stores in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene
area and remodel six or seven stores. The company also intended to begin aggressively paying off its debt. Starting in June 2004, Tidyman's closed six stores in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. These stores included five Tidyman's stores in Spokane, Washington; Moscow, Idaho
; Lewiston, Idaho
; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
; Missoula, Montana
and one County Market store in Helena, Montana
.
The six stores closed were initially planned to be the last stores Tidyman's would close. This changed when Tidyman's closed its Tidyman's store in Spokane Valley on October 31, 2005. In January 2006, Tidyman's closed two more Country Market stores in Billings, Montana
and Great Falls, Montana
. Two more Tidyman's in Spokane and a County Market in Livingston, Montana
were closed on June 5, 2006.
On June 20, 2006, Tidyman's announced it will sell its remaining stores and cease operations. Tidyman's sold the Dissmore's IGA store in Pullman, Washington to McGregor's LLC and the County Market store in Sidney, Montana
to Buttes and Bluffs Markets.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. At its peak, Tidyman's was operating over 20 stores in Washington, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
under the Tidyman's, Dissmore's IGA, Northwest Fresh Marketplace, and County Market banners. The grocery chain was forced to sell its remaining stores in 2006 after a highly publicized 1996 sexual discrimination scandal cost the company $6.2 million.
Founding; merger with SuperValu
In 1968, Jim Tidyman and Bob Buchannan opened their first warehouse supermarket in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. By December 1982, Tidyman's was operating eight stores in Washington, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. In 1986, Tidyman's was purchased by its employees.
During February 1992, following a November 1991 investigation, Tidyman's was fined $75,350 for employing 106 minor in violation of federal child labor laws. The United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
said all nine Tidyman's stores had violated child labor laws in the two previous years. Officials had also said the number of minors involved was one of the largest ever found in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
In May 1998, Tidyman's signed a letter of intent to merge with grocery wholesaler SuperValu
Supervalu (United States)
SuperValu Inc. is a United States grocery retailer and distributor. The corporation, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been in business for over a century. It is the third-largest food retailing company in the United States , and ranks #51 on the Fortune 100 list.On June 2, 2006,...
. The merger allowed Tidyman's to retain majority ownership of its twelve Tidyman's stores in addition to eight County Market stores in Montana and the Dissmores IGA store in Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
.
Sex discrimination scandal
During 1996, Connie Hemmings and Patty Lamphiear filed a lawsuit against Tidyman's after claiming the retailer was in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Tidyman's had violated these laws by failing to pay them wages and compensation that was equal to their fellow male employees, failing to promote them, and retaliating against them after they complained of the discrimination.On April 13, 1999, the United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
ordered the grocery company to pay $6.2 million in what was one of the largest sex discrimination
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
awards in Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
history. Only a month later, it was discovered that Tidyman's did not have employment liability insurance when lawsuit was filed and the future of the retailer was in jeopardy. Tidyman's had later purchased the insurance in 1997 but it was unable to help the retailer through the lawsuit.
On April 13, 2002, a federal appeals court reinstated the punitive damages that Hemmings and Lamphiear had won following the multimillion-dollar lawsuit. With the new ruling, Tidyman's now owed the two women $4.5 million plus $650,000 in attorney fees. This all came after U.S. District Court Judge Frem Nielsen had previously granted a Tidyman's post-trail motion and stripped away the jury's decision to award $2 million in punitive damages to the women. One year later, Tidyman's awarded Hemmings, Lamphiear, and their attorneys $6.3 million.
Store closures
Starting in 2003, the financially hurt retailer began shutting several stores. These closures began with two County Market stores in Billings, MontanaBillings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
and Miles City, Montana
Miles City, Montana
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,123 at the 2010 census.- History :...
in February 2003.
In September 2004, as an attempt to stay in business, Tidyman's announced plans to build three stores in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
area and remodel six or seven stores. The company also intended to begin aggressively paying off its debt. Starting in June 2004, Tidyman's closed six stores in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. These stores included five Tidyman's stores in Spokane, Washington; Moscow, Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
; Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
; Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
and one County Market store in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
.
The six stores closed were initially planned to be the last stores Tidyman's would close. This changed when Tidyman's closed its Tidyman's store in Spokane Valley on October 31, 2005. In January 2006, Tidyman's closed two more Country Market stores in Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
and Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
. Two more Tidyman's in Spokane and a County Market in Livingston, Montana
Livingston, Montana
-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
were closed on June 5, 2006.
On June 20, 2006, Tidyman's announced it will sell its remaining stores and cease operations. Tidyman's sold the Dissmore's IGA store in Pullman, Washington to McGregor's LLC and the County Market store in Sidney, Montana
Sidney, Montana
Sidney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Montana, United States, less than away from the North Dakota border. The population was 5,191 at the 2010 census. The city lies along the Yellowstone River and is in proximity to the badlands of the Dakotas...
to Buttes and Bluffs Markets.