64:, his future business partner, to invest his money in a new company. On September 1, 1884, Woolworth & Kirby opened on East Market Street in Wilkes-Barre. The store was a small, dirty room with no shelves or counters. Kirby painted the walls and made shelves and counters himself. He set out his products on his shelving and marked each item five or ten cents.
43:, Kirby’s employers introduced him to 5 and 10-cent selling. Stores around the United States began selling slow-moving merchandise at low prices. Moore & Smith tried the innovative idea by setting up temporary displays of cheap goods to clear shelves. Kirby paid attention to the business idea, formulating how he could create a similar business.
99:
if illness struck. Kirby would help pay a sick employee’s medical bills and provide sick pay. Additionally, Christmas bonuses were given in proportion to workers’ years of service. The longer an employee was with the business, the more money they would receive. Kirby even provided time off with pay during the holidays.
131:
F. M. Kirby was a philanthropist, spending money to enhance the
Commonwealth. The Kirby family’s crest bears the phrase facta non verba, meaning “deeds not words.” Kirby created the Angeline Elizabeth Kirby Memorial Health Center to make life better and more enjoyable for everyone. When Wilkes-Barre
89:
Customers who once entered the store to mock Kirby began to buy his products. Newspaper articles state that customers saw that his products were good value for the quality and returned to
Woolworth & Kirby to see his new stock. Customers began to actively shop at Woolworth & Kirby. At the end
158:
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has many buildings that bear F. M. Kirby’s name. Wilkes
University has a building named Kirby Hall. F.M. Kirby and Co. signs and markings are still displayed at his first store, now a Barnes & Noble. Kirby Park (The only land west of the Susquehanna River that is owned
98:
F. M. Kirby employed about 2,000 people. Kirby trained employees to bring out “qualities in them that were important factors in the company’s business.” He shared the business’ profit with employees who were with the company for a year or more. Kirby’s employees also did not fear losing their jobs
107:
In 1885, Fred Kirby bought out
Charles Sumner Woolworth. In 1888, Kirby opened a second store in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The store’s success led to a third. Kirby began opening a new store every four months and operated as F. M. Kirby & Co. Then, Kirby expanded his company to include stores
85:
Kirby knew that if wanted his customers to purchase his products, they needed to trust him. He engaged with his clientele and demonstrated the value of his products. Kirby slowly won over his customers with his sincere attitude and “quiet sense of humor.” He transformed into a businessman with whom
76:
Kirby spent the early part of 1885 borrowing money from his neighbors to pay shipping charges. The situation discouraged Kirby, but he was not defeated. Kirby once said in a newspaper interview that after encountering a disabled man on the street, Kirby decided to forget his misfortune. Thus, Fred
111:
In 1912, F. M. Kirby & Co. merged with the larger F. W. Woolworth that owned 300 stores, to create F. W. Woolworth Co. The resulting F. W. Woolworth Co. had a capital of over $ 65,000,000. While prices rose on almost all other products in other stores, the “variety and value of merchandise
51:
The design of the 5 and 10-cent business model would follow Kirby’s stores from inception to end. No item was more than 10 cents. Shoppers purchased products in large quantities, enabling Kirby to sell goods below their manufactured prices.
72:
Customers who came into
Woolworth & Kirby laughed at the makeshift counters. Others claimed the merchandise was not good quality because of the low prices. Neighboring merchants claimed the two men wouldn’t stay in business long.
120:
108:
in
Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. By 1911, Kirby owned 96 stores with a capital of about $ 5,000,000.
360:
27:
and the two businesses merged in 1912. Fred Kirby became a Vice
President of the F. W. Woolworth & Co., which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
60:
After working for eight years, Kirby had saved up $ 500. With an additional $ 100 from his father, Kirby moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1884 with
23:
was the founder of the F. M. Kirby & Co. 5 & 10-cent Store chain, and a philanthropist. Kirby’s company was a major rival of the much larger
132:
bought land for what would become Kirby Park, F. M. Kirby contributed $ 87,000 for the development and maintenance of the recreational space.
272:“F. M. Kirby & Co., of This City, Among the Foremost Firms of the State.” Wilkes-Barre Evening Leader. 1896-06-12. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
350:
355:
291:
335:
116:
263:“The Model 5 and 10 Cent Store of F. M. Kirby & Co.” Board of Trade Journal, January, pg. 12-13. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
159:
by the city) is Kirby’s namesake after his donation. Also, the F. M. Kirby Center bears Kirby’s name in his honor.
20:
281:“F. W. Woolworth Co. To Hold Great Sales In 617 Stores,” Wilkes-Barre Record. 1912-06-22. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
197:“Fred Morgan Kirby – Philanthropist and Five and Ten Pioneer.” Woolworthsmuseum.co. 2013. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
163:
61:
228:“Kirby Started Career With $ 500 Saved While Clerking,” Wilkes-Barre Record. 1940-10-16. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
24:
36:
77:
Morgan Kirby resolved to reach out to his customers and own one of the nicest stores in Wilkes-Barre.
345:
340:
206:“An Enterprising Business Firm of This City,” Wilkes-Barre Times. 1898-06-12. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
40:
144:
296:. Vol. C. New York, N.Y.: James T. White & Company. 1930. pp. 153–154 – via
140:
139:
received a donation so civil rights could be taught. Kirby also sent a $ 100,000 endowment to
136:
135:
Kirby donated large sums of money to high schools and colleges to provide better education.
329:
254:“Good Works… Go Marching On…” Sunday Independent. 1950-11-12. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
297:
185:
The
Biography of a College: A History of Lafayette College 1927 - 1978
242:“Great Name…” Sunday Independent. 1950-11-12. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
310:
Condron, Betsy Bell (2001). Kirby Hall. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
112:
offered by the
Woolworth stores constantly increasing.”
90:
of 1886, Kirby and
Woolworth divided their first profit.
39:
in 1861. At fifteen, as a clerk at Moore & Smith in
162:
Furthermore, the F.M. Kirby Math and Science Center at
147:
to build a laboratory and create a lasting endowment.
155:Kirby died in Wilkes-Barre on October 16, 1940.
319:Kirby died in Wilkes-Barre on October 16, 1940.
224:
222:
220:
218:
216:
214:
212:
293:The National Cyclopædia of American Biography
8:
250:
248:
238:
236:
234:
361:1920 United States presidential electors
175:
143:. In addition, he donated $ 900,000 to
7:
14:
187:. Easton, PA: Lafayette College.
86:people were delighted to speak.
35:Fred Morgan Kirby was born in
1:
183:Gendebien, Albert W. (1986).
377:
351:Lafayette College trustees
115:A Republican, Kirby was a
21:Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
25:F. W. Woolworth & Co.
356:Pennsylvania Republicans
164:The Lawrenceville School
62:Charles Sumner Woolworth
336:American businesspeople
56:Beginning of a Business
81:Kirby the Business Man
37:Brownsville, New York
117:presidential elector
103:An Expanding Venture
41:Watertown, New York
145:Swarthmore College
141:Lafayette College
19:(1861-1940) from
17:Fred Morgan Kirby
368:
320:
317:
311:
308:
302:
301:
288:
282:
279:
273:
270:
264:
261:
255:
252:
243:
240:
229:
226:
207:
204:
198:
195:
189:
188:
180:
166:bears his name.
137:Wyoming Seminary
376:
375:
371:
370:
369:
367:
366:
365:
326:
325:
324:
323:
318:
314:
309:
305:
290:
289:
285:
280:
276:
271:
267:
262:
258:
253:
246:
241:
232:
227:
210:
205:
201:
196:
192:
182:
181:
177:
172:
153:
129:
105:
96:
83:
70:
58:
49:
33:
12:
11:
5:
374:
372:
364:
363:
358:
353:
348:
343:
338:
328:
327:
322:
321:
312:
303:
283:
274:
265:
256:
244:
230:
208:
199:
190:
174:
173:
171:
168:
152:
149:
128:
125:
104:
101:
95:
92:
82:
79:
69:
66:
57:
54:
48:
47:Business Model
45:
32:
29:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
373:
362:
359:
357:
354:
352:
349:
347:
344:
342:
339:
337:
334:
333:
331:
316:
313:
307:
304:
299:
295:
294:
287:
284:
278:
275:
269:
266:
260:
257:
251:
249:
245:
239:
237:
235:
231:
225:
223:
221:
219:
217:
215:
213:
209:
203:
200:
194:
191:
186:
179:
176:
169:
167:
165:
160:
156:
150:
148:
146:
142:
138:
133:
126:
124:
122:
118:
113:
109:
102:
100:
93:
91:
87:
80:
78:
74:
67:
65:
63:
55:
53:
46:
44:
42:
38:
30:
28:
26:
22:
18:
315:
306:
292:
286:
277:
268:
259:
202:
193:
184:
178:
161:
157:
154:
134:
130:
127:Philanthropy
114:
110:
106:
97:
88:
84:
75:
71:
68:Starting Out
59:
50:
34:
16:
15:
346:1940 deaths
341:1861 births
330:Categories
298:HathiTrust
170:References
31:Early life
94:Employees
151:Death
121:1920
119:in
332::
247:^
233:^
211:^
123:.
300:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.