Defunct 1977 Founder Jacob Schwab | Fate Bankrupt Products Clothing Founded 1937 | |
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Parent United Merchants and Manufacturers Inc. | ||
Robert Hall Clothes, Inc., popularly known simply as Robert Hall, was an American retailer that flourished circa 1938-1977. Although based in Connecticut, its warehouse-like stores were mostly concentrated in the New York and Los Angeles basins. According to a Time magazine story of 1949, the corporate name was a complete invention; the actual founder and head was a garment merchant by the name of Jacob Schwab, who "plucked the name out of the air."
Contents
Sales
Robert Hall was a pioneer of the low-overhead, large-facility ("big-box") merchandising technique, 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 of the time.
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 companies
Bankruptcy
In July 1977, Robert Hall's parent company, United Merchants and Manufacturers, filed for bankruptcy citing losses from the Robert Hall chain. All Robert Hall stores were closed and inventory was auctioned off. The Robert Hall business was purchased out of the UMM bankruptcy by Steven Watstein who managed to do it with its own assets then liquidated it.