253:. It continued operating as a distributor servicing individual franchisees and advertising the products sold there through direct mail services and newspaper inserts. Promotions Unlimited provided similar advertising and promotional services for thousands of other retail stores unaffiliated with Ben Franklin Stores. Promotions Unlimited went bankrupt in 2017. Despite the bankruptcy, several stores across the United States continue to operate under the Ben Franklin name.
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In the early 1990s, it began opening its own stores. Those stores were not successful, and their financial problems ultimately interfered with the chain's ability to deliver goods to its franchisees, 860 locally owned stores in 47 states. The company went bankrupt and closed these stores in
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Promotions
Unlimited had stepped in as a supplier for many Ben Franklin franchisees during the corporation's descent into bankruptcy. It acquired the name of the chain in 1997 as the old corporate entity was moving into
193:. As variety stores were penetrating their market, the company founded the Ben Franklin chain in 1927, which was sold in 1959. At Ben Franklin's peak, the chain had 2,500 stores nationwide.
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variations offering merchandise not found at regular Ben
Franklin stores, such as clothing. Other locations in this era were branded as B&C Family Center and included supermarkets.
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Ben
Franklin Stores purchased Texas retailer Duke & Ayres in the early 1970s. Duke & Ayres was a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores based in
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Vance, Sandy S. and Roy V. Scott. "Butler
Brothers and the Rise and Decline of the Ben Franklin Stores: A Study in Franchise Retailing."
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203:, started in retailing operating a Ben Franklin store. In 1973, Michael J. Dupey converted a Ben Franklin store to start the
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The chain had functioned largely as a wholesaler of variety and craft merchandise sold to its franchisees under the name
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574:, East Lansing: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business, Michigan State University 11 (1993), pp. 258-271
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Essays in
Economic and Business History: Selected Papers from the Economic and Business Historical Society
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In the 1970s, Ben
Franklin operated some Ben Franklin Family Center locations, which were larger
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system, with individual stores owned by independent proprietors. It was perhaps the first
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546:"Crystal Falls favorite: Ben Franklin variety store has been going strong since 1929"
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owner Cotter & Co. sold its V&S Variety Store chain to Ben
Franklin in 1995.
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427:"Ben Franklin store, a throwback to the five-and-dime, finally closes"
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265:: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky
483:"Racine's Promotions Unlimited rekindles Ben Franklin chain"
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stores found primarily in small towns throughout the
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152:franchise, starting in 1927. They are named after
375:"Ben Franklin celebrates 40 years in business"
548:. Iron Mountain Daily News. December 26, 2023
454:"Cotter & Co. Cutting Back In Fixup Plan"
140:, currently owned by Promotions Unlimited of
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313:Huttner, Sidney F. (September 22, 2010).
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172:, in 2008. This location closed in 2018.
517:"Failed Promotions Unlimited saga ends"
284:"Roosevelt Capital LLC Company Profile"
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610:American companies established in 1927
578:Mexia Blackcats 1959: Duke & Ayres
7:
640:Retail companies established in 1927
625:Discount stores of the United States
514:Burke, Michael (January 18, 2018).
425:Kumar, Kavita (September 8, 2012).
373:Brunclik, Paige (August 30, 2013).
199:, who later became the founder of
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481:Schuyler, David (July 14, 2006).
605:1927 establishments in Wisconsin
344:"Duke & Ayers Variety Store"
315:"Butler Brothers, Incorporated"
231:Ben Franklin Retail Stores Inc.
144:. They are organized using a
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620:Companies based in Wisconsin
49:; 147 years ago
67:; 97 years ago
27:American retail store chain
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488:Milwaukee Business Journal
615:Arts and crafts retailers
142:Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
87:Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
181:The chain originated in
168:A Ben Franklin Store in
432:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
348:De Leon, Texas History
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263:Hindman Ben Franklin
244:Promotions Unlimited
119:Promotions Unlimited
590:Ben Franklin Online
526:. Racine, Wisconsin
406:. 1972. p. E73
170:Middlebury, Vermont
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495:on January 3, 2015
462:. January 13, 1995
354:on January 3, 2015
323:University of Iowa
319:The LUCILE Project
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523:The Journal Times
234:1996–1997.
154:Benjamin Franklin
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77:(as Ben Franklin)
16:(Redirected from
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550:. Retrieved
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497:. Retrieved
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126:Ben Franklin
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82:Headquarters
36:Company type
31:Ben Franklin
410:January 16,
400:"Editorial"
185:in 1877 as
99:Area served
635:Franchises
599:Categories
565:References
358:January 3,
328:January 3,
295:January 3,
238:True Value
225:Bankruptcy
197:Sam Walton
552:April 16,
251:Chapter 7
146:franchise
466:March 3,
384:March 3,
289:Hoover's
257:See also
205:Michaels
108:Products
201:Walmart
177:Origins
160:History
70: (
52: (
44:Founded
39:Private
183:Boston
150:retail
111:Crafts
270:Notes
116:Owner
554:2024
532:2024
501:2019
468:2015
440:2012
412:2016
386:2015
360:2015
330:2015
297:2015
132:and
92:U.S.
72:1927
65:1927
59:(as
54:1877
47:1877
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305:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
