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Interstate Department Stores, Inc. was originally founded in 1928 as an American holding company for a chain of small department stores.〔 After a very rapid expansion as the result of acquisition and expansion of two discount store chains acquired in 1959〔 and 1960〔 and also two toy store chains acquired in 1967 and 1969, the firm was rename in 1970 as Interstate Stores, Inc. to better reflect its business.〔 Increased competition and the changes in consumer buying habits eventually led to decreased sales in the late 1960s and early 1970s which forced the firm to file for bankruptcy in 1974. After shedding all of its non-performing units, the firm was able to exit bankruptcy with the entire toy division intact along with a small remnant of the department store division in 1978. The firm was rename Toys "R" Us upon emergence from bankruptcy. ==History== Interstate Department Stores was incorporated in Delaware on February 14, 1928 as a holding company to operate twenty-three department stores in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The first stores were obtained by combining the properties associate with either the Federman Department Stores and Stillman Department Stores groups. During this process, individual stores kept their individual names, and local management and staff. Leo G. Federman was selected as the company's first president.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 The oldest store had been in operations for 20 years. By August of that year, Interstate had acquired or built four additional stores and had opened the Hill's Dry Goods Co. in Davenport, Iowa and The Evansville Dry Goods Co. in Evansville, Indiana.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 In October 1929, Interstate acquired the Aurora Dry Goods Company of Aurora, Illinois〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Interstate Department Stores, Inc. )〕 and the Waukegan Dry Goods Co. of Waukegan, Illinois.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 After open two stores during 1935, Interstate had 40 stores.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 In 1952, the firm had 47 department stores.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 By 1958 Interstate operated 48 stores in fifteen states, selling low- and medium-price merchandise. In 1959, Interstate entered the discount department store field by the acquisition of the two-store Los Angeles-based White Front chain in April for $1.6 million〔 (Alternate Link ) via ProQuest.〕 and starting of the new discount chain through the opening a Family Fair store in Toledo, Ohio and Canton, Ohio in August and October, respectively. At this time, Interstate had 49 conventional department stores〔 (Alternate Link ) via ProQuest.〕 A year later, Interstate bought the Topps Department Stores discount chain for $4 million. By 1963, White Front had 11 stores. Interstate managed the discount chains, opening more stores. The rapid growth of the Topps chain in the East and Midwest had the unwanted side-effect of forcing many Interstate-own conventional department stores to close when a new Topps store was situated within the same community.〔 In the late sixties, Interstate diversified their holdings through the acquisition of the toy store chains Children's Supermart (Washington, DC) in 1967〔 (Alternate Link ) via ProQuest.〕〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 and Children's Bargain Town (Chicago) in 1969.〔 (Alternate Link ) via ProQuest.〕 By 1968, there were 60 Topps, 28 White Fronts, 32 department stores, and eight toy superstores. In 1970, the stockholders voted to change the name of the company to Interstate Stores, Inc. to better reflect its business at that time since income from the conventional department stores represented a smaller percentage of the overall income for the firm.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 In the 1970s, sales dropped and Interstate closed several stores. In 1974, Interstate tried to acquire the variety and discount chains owned by McCrory Stores, but failed. Soon, Interstate filed for bankruptcy.〔 (Link ) via ProQuest.〕 Soon, all White Front stores closed, with most being converted to Two Guys. Their only chain left, Toys "R" Us, was decided to become the core business. In 1978, Charles Lazarus (founder of Toys "R" Us) took over, and the company was renamed Toys "R" Us Corporation. The company was acquired by Vornado Realty Trust in 2005, former owner of Two Guys. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Interstate Department Stores」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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