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In 1937, the company opened as a single store in
Waterbury, Connecticut. It gradually expanded to over 350 warehouse-like outlets, based in 36 states. All through the mid-1950s, the Robert Hall shop launched on 2725 5th St. Ave. in Huntington. The company already has retail facilities in Portsmouth,
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Robert Hall produced its clothing in the U.S. mostly the lower Hudson Valley near
Poughkeepsie and in North Carolina. Ultimately the offshoring of clothing production in the 1970s doomed the company when it failed to follow suit and was undercut by retailers like K-Mart and other similar department
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Robert Hall pioneered low-overhead, large-facility ("big box") merchandising, and combined inexpensively made goods with extensive radio and television advertising. Many
Americans who grew up in the 1950s and '60s recall the commercial jingles. ("When the values go up up up/And the prices go down
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The company also operated outlets of Robert Hall
Village, where Robert Hall clothing was sold alongside other merchandise in stores of approximately 120,000 ft² in what's considered one of the forerunners of the discount superstore concept. Non-clothing retail areas were leased to other
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stores. These competitors offered only “ready to wear” garments (made in various sizes), whereas Robert Hall offered tailoring and customer services to assure customers that the affordable garments they purchased actually fit them and could last a lifetime.
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citing losses in the Robert Hall chain. All 366 Robert Hall stores were closed and inventory was auctioned off. The Robert Hall business was purchased from the UMM bankruptcy by Steven
Watstein, who managed to do it with its own assets then liquidated it.
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In July 1977, after losing more than $ 100 million in three years, the company entered bankruptcy proceedings. In summer 1977, all 367 Robert Hall stores were sold for $ 35 million. In 1982, Jacob Schwab died at the age of 90 in
Manhattan.
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in 1937. Schwab had been treasurer of United
Merchants and Manufacturers, the parent company of Robert Hall, since 1922. By 1946 Schwab was among the highest-paid executives in America, earning more than $ 440,000 a year.
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magazine story in 1949, the corporate name was an invention. The founder and head was garment merchant Jacob Schwab, who "plucked the name out of the air." It started as a single store in
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down down/Robert Hall this season/Will show you the reason/High quality - economy." Another jingle had the last line replaced with "Low overhead... low overhead.")
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A recent story in the
January 24, 2022 New Yorker, "What's the Deal, Hummingbird?" by Arthur Krystal includes the jingle for Robert Hall.
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Retailing triumphs and blunders : victims of competition in the new age of marketing management
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Jeff
Spitalnik, former Robert Hall Villages management, comment on North Park Mall, Villa Park, Ill
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In July 1977, Robert Hall's parent company, United
Merchants and Manufacturers, filed for
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373:"Palm Beach: Wild Wild West Robert Hall purchased and liquidated by Steven Watstein"
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ROBERT HALL VILLAGE Trademark of Robert Hall Clothes, Inc. - Justia Trademarks
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353:"United Merchants, Citing Losses, Files Voluntary Bankruptcy Action"
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257:"Company Histories: United Merchants Manufacturers Inc."
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Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1977
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305:"Robert Hall Clothes was a mainstay in Queens"
445:Defunct retail companies of the United States
188:Michman, Ronald D.; Alan James Greco (1995).
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265:International Directory of Company Histories
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16:Connecticut-based American garment retailer
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440:Retail companies disestablished in 1977
420:Clothing retailers of the United States
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82:United Merchants and Manufacturers Inc.
430:Clothing companies established in 1937
425:American companies established in 1937
279:"Lost Huntington: Robert Hall Clothes"
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435:Retail companies established in 1937
111:metropolitan areas. According to a
455:1937 establishments in Connecticut
351:Barmash, Isadore (July 13, 1977).
267:, Vol. 13. St. James Press, 1996.)
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235:. April 25, 1949. Archived from
277:Casto, James (19 March 2018).
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401:Robert Hall Jingle/Commercial
303:Marzlock, Ron (9 May 2019).
263:(adapted from entry in the
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194:Greenwood Publishing Group
89:Robert Hall Clothes, Inc.
117:Waterbury, Connecticut
129:Ohio and Morgantown.
91:, popularly known as
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261:fundinguniverse.com
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20:Robert Hall Clothes
358:The New York Times
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381:. Retrieved
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150:companies.
109:Los Angeles
97:Connecticut
93:Robert Hall
414:Categories
403:Video via
383:2011-11-17
243:2008-03-26
170:References
160:bankruptcy
154:Bankruptcy
314:15 April
288:15 April
101:New York
72:Clothing
69:Products
63:Bankrupt
25:Industry
405:YouTube
124:History
105:Chicago
51:Defunct
43:Founder
35:Founded
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78:Parent
29:Retail
141:Sales
54:1977
38:1937
316:2020
290:2020
232:TIME
198:ISBN
113:Time
107:and
59:Fate
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