T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

[Generals64]

Do you remember the special sales that would occur seasonally? Valentines...always had candy Mother's day...How about those purple baby chicks...Poor things....then some of the stores had rabbits and some of us got to clean up their messes. Or, how about the Hamsters that always got out? and then you had spotted mice creatures running around the store. How many of us waited for the record guy to show up the new records...Laa Bamba, "Great Balls of Fire" and of course "Hound Dog". I remember waiting for the newest Model car and the entry blank you would get for the next model contest. I also remember selling a Man ( a little drunk) $100.00 worth of Blue Waltz for his wife for Christmas....I stretched the truth just a little about how all the women were wearing that fragrance. It was all in how you worded the sales pitch...Don't you know his Christmas was cold and dreary.....Good time was had by all.

[bluedogok]

I spent many years with TG&Y and also, David Green (owner of Hobby Lobby) was an old TG&Y Guy.

In David Green's book, in the first chapter where he talks about his love of retailing there is a reference to a great aunt of mine that worked in the toy department at the TG&Y in Altus where he grew up...my mom went to high school with him as well.

The 23rd & Meridian store was the location near us. Just think of all the old "local chains" that were in that area, the 16th & Meridian Mall closest to us had an Otasco, Andele's womens clothing (I think that is the spelling), Pipkin Camera, Kiddie City (after the Safeway closed) and Windsor Mall had Street's, Hyde Drug, BC Clark, Anthony's and others. I had an ex-girlfriend in high school who worked at the Deville one for quite awhile.

[rondvu]

Can you tell me what intersection the TG&Y was at 63rd and Meridian? I have lived in this area since 2002 and never realized there was one on that intersection. I know the Mexican restauraunt was a Braum's and Precure was Bootens. Springdale was once a thriving shopping center. There was once a Kathryn Lips on the east side of the complex. At Windsor Hill they had a Napoleon Nash who's jingle was "Your clothes must have come from Napoleon Nash".

[FritterGirl]

The Toys, Games and YoYo store!!!

I remember the TG&Y at Britton and May, where the Homeland (former Albertson's) now is. There was a C.R. Anthony store right next to it. Or, maybe the Anthony's took the place of that TG&Y, as I seem to remember that it was actually on the north end of the mall rather than where the grocery is....

We used to go there frequently. It was to the 70s what Target and Wal-Mart are for us today.

[Generals64]

Can you tell me what intersection the TG&Y was at 63rd and Meridian? I have lived in this area since 2002 and never realized there was one on that intersection. I know the Mexican restauraunt was a Braum's and Precure was Bootens. Springdale was once a thriving shopping center. There was once a Kathryn Lips on the east side of the complex. At Windsor Hill they had a Napoleon Nash who's jingle was "Your clothes must have come from Napoleon Nash".

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Northwest Corner but, it was a small variety store a long time ago...they then built store #1015 at 63rd and N.W. Highway. There was a Pratt's store next door and then when TG&Y closed down, Drug Emporium took the space for 2-3 years....The variety store was gone long before you moved in the area. There was always a saying that the store at 63/NW Highway was built on an Indian Burial Site....... It was a pretty good store when I worked there.....1983...

[bluedogok]

I remember the TG&Y at Britton and May, where the Homeland (former Albertson's) now is. There was a C.R. Anthony store right next to it. Or, maybe the Anthony's took the place of that TG&Y, as I seem to remember that it was actually on the north end of the mall rather than where the grocery is....

We used to go there frequently. It was to the 70s what Target and Wal-Mart are for us today.

The Anthony's was next door (north) until it closed, the TG&Y became Jumbo Sports (there was another name for the same store in there at one time) after being vacant after TG&Y closed. I found some Olympus camera equipment on closeout when that store was closing, when I went back to get it a week later (after I had the money) they had sold it.

The Target at 50th & May was originally a Spartan store I believe.

[Pete]

Can you tell me what intersection the TG&Y was at 63rd and Meridian?

Yes, in the "Westpark Mall" shopping center on the NW corner of that intersection.

Starting from the far east end, it was Treasury Drug, Safeway then TG&Y, then the mall tenants, which at one time included Westpark Twin Theater.

[rondvu]

Thanks everyone, now it makes sense. It was at 63rd and Mac Arthur not Meridian. I thought I was loosing my mind. Bluedogok Target on May was originaly an Arlans store.

[Pete]

Yes, McArthur, not Meridian. Sorry for the confusion!

[Generals64]

Just to clear the air about the demise of TG&Y....McCrory's owner Ishmael Ricklas from Pennsylvania/New York City was looking for bargains and steals in Real Estate.....He saw what TG&Y was paying on an average per square ft. leasing and he thought he could get the same amount as he got in New York City...boy was he wrong....This blunder put his idea into a tail spin and his fastest out was to liquidate it.......Straight from HIS mouth on an elevator ride at the headquarters of McCrory's in York, Penn.....If you notice, there aren't any McCrory's McClellan's or Green's in this area. Or anywhere as a matter of fact.....

[Pete]

But TG&Y was already really failing by the time McCrory stepped in.

Like many, I have a lot of found memories of the place just because it was so prominent in my childhood, but the stores were incredibly outdated as was their merchandising model.

As for their cheap leases, it's because they located in cheap shopping centers (many owned by C.A. Henderson) and were completely bare-boned spaces, with exposed florescent lighting, low ceilings, etc.

[Generals64]

But TG&Y was already really failing by the time McCrory stepped in.

Like many, I have a lot of found memories of the place just because it was so prominent in my childhood, but the stores were incredibly outdated as was their merchandising model.

As for their cheap leases, it's because they located in cheap shopping centers (many owned by C.A. Henderson) and were completely bare-boned spaces, with exposed florescent lighting, low ceilings, etc.

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Understand the Childhood memories....Have so many myself as do many other people in the area. TG&Y was not failing when it was sold, there was a bit of turmoil on who Household financed had hired to run the company. If you go through the last couple of CEO's( Del Santo, Herron and Rusthoven) their credentials were not exactly the best in the west. But, they were heroes to the people in Chicago.....The outdated model seems to still be doing pretty good with Hobby Lobby. Their fixturing and counter format is EXACTLY that of TG&Y. And, yes quite a few of the buildings were Henderson's but, a lot of them are still in existence (Hobby Lobby Stores). What I was trying to say was that Ricklas was trying to impress an Okie who was dedicated to the structuring of TG&Y. I was however on his turf so I had to be a little subtle and yet respectful. When TG&Y try t start the AIM store program is when they hiccuped and trouble began. But, Dan Kelly (TG&Y forever) and his team had the company going the right direction til Household Finance changed to their ideas. STILL MISS THE OLD DIME STORE ATMOSPHERE.....Don't YOU?

[SoonerDave]

Although the marketing and layout isn't quite the same, I've caught myself having flashbacks to TG&Y when I go into Wallgreens.

As for my own employment memory of TG&Y, I can tell my story...

It was late summer/early fall of 1980 when I, at the ripe age of 15, was hired on as a stockboy at the giant TG&Y at I-240 and Penn. Now, understand that my primary sklls to that point were academic rather than physical, but I figured there was no better way to "get" more physical than to get a physical job. So I jumped in with both feet.

For a time, I worked as a stock runner from the customer service desk back to the storage area on the upper floors of the extreme east end of the store - roughly what used to be the Burlington area of the current building. Remember, too, that this stock area was essentially a Star building, wrapped in sheet metal, and at that time of year it was still warm enough to make that storage area beastly hot - and it also just happened to be where the layaways were stored. You just plain dreaded going up there, because just a few minutes there would start one sweating like a butcher - there was simply *zero* air movement up there. It was suffocating.

Parcels were loaded to and from this storage area via a service conveyor system that ran parallel to a flight of stairs. The concept is pretty simple - load the item at one end, press the "go" button, and the conveyor takes the goodie to whichever floor you wanted while you took the stairs.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn't quite simple enough.

One day, I was told to retrieve an unfinished wood desk out of layway. I ran to the back of the store, trudged up the stairs, and looked for the desks. When I found the one I was supposed to get, I wasn't quite sure how to load it onto the conveyor. Mind you, this wasn't a particularly complex desk; it was basically a top, a "pedestal" of four plywood sheets stapled together with some drawers, and a solid sheet on the opposite side so you could set it upright.

Rather than loading the desk top first, genius yours truly figures the conveyor system could just 'pull" the desk from the loading platform and just pull it down the belt. So I plopped it down, lined up the non-drawered side with the edge of the conveyor, and hit the "go" button. I watched in horror as the conveyor simply ripped the plywood side sheet from the rest of the desk and leave a mangled wooden carcase behind. The side that was pulled off ended up rolling off the conveyor onto the floor below.

I thought to myself, "well, it was nice working for TG&Y...but I'm so fired..." Panicked, I ran to find a floor manager, told him the whole sad story, and waited for him to scream his head off at me just before he booted me out of the store.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The manager was exteremely nice, and I guess could tell I was horrified at what I had done, and said, "don't worry about it, we have a bunch of those desks, just go clean up the mess and get a different one." I was dumbfounded. Pleased, but dumbfounded.

Fortunately, I didn't have to face that conveyor for much more than paper towels from then on out....


-soonerdave

[Generals64]

Although the marketing and layout isn't quite the same, I've caught myself having flashbacks to TG&Y when I go into Wallgreens.

As for my own employment memory of TG&Y, I can tell my story...

It was late summer/early fall of 1980 when I, at the ripe age of 15, was hired on as a stockboy at the giant TG&Y at I-240 and Penn. Now, understand that my primary sklls to that point were academic rather than physical, but I figured there was no better way to "get" more physical than to get a physical job. So I jumped in with both feet.

For a time, I worked as a stock runner from the customer service desk back to the storage area on the upper floors of the extreme east end of the store - roughly what used to be the Burlington area of the current building. Remember, too, that this stock area was essentially a Star building, wrapped in sheet metal, and at that time of year it was still warm enough to make that storage area beastly hot - and it also just happened to be where the layaways were stored. You just plain dreaded going up there, because just a few minutes there would start one sweating like a butcher - there was simply *zero* air movement up there. It was suffocating.

Parcels were loaded to and from this storage area via a service conveyor system that ran parallel to a flight of stairs. The concept is pretty simple - load the item at one end, press the "go" button, and the conveyor takes the goodie to whichever floor you wanted while you took the stairs.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn't quite simple enough.

One day, I was told to retrieve an unfinished wood desk out of layway. I ran to the back of the store, trudged up the stairs, and looked for the desks. When I found the one I was supposed to get, I wasn't quite sure how to load it onto the conveyor. Mind you, this wasn't a particularly complex desk; it was basically a top, a "pedestal" of four plywood sheets stapled together with some drawers, and a solid sheet on the opposite side so you could set it upright.

Rather than loading the desk top first, genius yours truly figures the conveyor system could just 'pull" the desk from the loading platform and just pull it down the belt. So I plopped it down, lined up the non-drawered side with the edge of the conveyor, and hit the "go" button. I watched in horror as the conveyor simply ripped the plywood side sheet from the rest of the desk and leave a mangled wooden carcase behind. The side that was pulled off ended up rolling off the conveyor onto the floor below.

I thought to myself, "well, it was nice working for TG&Y...but I'm so fired..." Panicked, I ran to find a floor manager, told him the whole sad story, and waited for him to scream his head off at me just before he booted me out of the store.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The manager was exteremely nice, and I guess could tell I was horrified at what I had done, and said, "don't worry about it, we have a bunch of those desks, just go clean up the mess and get a different one." I was dumbfounded. Pleased, but dumbfounded.

Fortunately, I didn't have to face that conveyor for much more than paper towels from then on out....


-soonerdave

Hey:...you aren't the only one in the Conveyor club. I started working for TG&Y in '62 but was transferred to #411 (I240/Penn) one week before we started receiving merchandise (June '64) and was there when the conveyor was installed....the stories are funny and heart-wrenching but, we still all had a good time working there or in any other other stores owned by TG&Y...

[CuatrodeMayo]

As a young-un I only remeber TG&Y for a very short childhood period. My mom and I always went to the one in Bryant Square in Edmond...I think it is a Bed, Bath, & Beyond now.

[Generals64]

As a young-un I only remeber TG&Y for a very short childhood period. My mom and I always went to the one in Bryant Square in Edmond...I think it is a Bed, Bath, & Beyond now.

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Bryant Square was a pretty good store even towards the end of TG&Y. There were three (3) TG&Y Stores in Edmond......The big store was one of the first Family Centers......

[bluedogok]

Walgreen's is still very much rooted in the "Five & Dime" concept. It has always been a pharmacy but many of their roots are in that concept as they tried to expand their market beyond the traditional drug store of the early 1900's. I went to a design symposium at the Walgreen's headquarters when we were doing their stores in Oklahoma. They had a nice presentation on the history of the company and how it developed into what it is today. Their online history is an interesting read for those with in interest in marketing & merchandising.

Walgreens - Page Through Our Past

[Generals64]

Walgreen's is still very much rooted in the "Five & Dime" concept. It has always been a pharmacy but many of their roots are in that concept as they tried to expand their market beyond the traditional drug store of the early 1900's. I went to a design symposium at the Walgreen's headquarters when we were doing their stores in Oklahoma. They had a nice presentation on the history of the company and how it developed into what it is today. Their online history is an interesting read for those with in interest in marketing & merchandising.

Walgreens - Page Through Our Past

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That was an interesting story about Walgreen. You know, Mr. Young (TG&Y)
was just as innovative as that in the developing and building of TG&Y stores. His book "The making of a Merchant" tells of a young man achieving success simply by putting forth hard work. He (Mr. Young) use to love to see a store with an innovative display and or a person with the intestinal fortitude to try something different especially if it made a profit. He also was excited to see people share their ideas. Once again, especially if it produced a profit....

[BB37]

But TG&Y was already really failing by the time McCrory stepped in.

Like many, I have a lot of found memories of the place just because it was so prominent in my childhood, but the stores were incredibly outdated as was their merchandising model.

TG&Y may have been in decline, but McCrory truly destroyed the chain. After McCrory took over, the quality of merchandise went down, and the stores got dirtier and junkier (quite a feat, if you think about it). When they began rebranding the stores as McCrory, the handwriting was on the wall. IIRC, they tried rebranding back to TG&Y, but it was too late; the entire company went under.

Even if sale to McCrory hadn't occurred, TG&Y would never have survived the arrival of WalMart.

I grew up near Shepherd Mall (watched 'em build it, in fact), and spent many happy hours in the Family Center there.

[Generals64]

I have read how Wal-Mart would have "Crushed" TG&Y and on behalf of TG&Y those statements just aren't true. If you will take the time to read Sam Walton's book his only competitor he worried was from the west stateline (as he put it). Sam's reasoning was the stability and tenacity of the management that was established when Wal-Mart began. When TG&Y began to shut down it is true that the merchandise mix began getting very "sticky" very importish and a whole lot smaller. McCrory began looking for the "cheapest" route out of anything while Wal-Mart was coming down McCrory's throat...If you do your technical homework Wal-Mart "danced" around TG&Y's territory until McCrory/McClellan and Green were at the helm. Then as any good businessman would do they took control. McCrory had begun to operate through their corporate offices in Pennsylvania and this took the edge off for TG&Y. They(MCrory) closed TG&Y distribution warehouses and tried to used their already existent warehouses and this caused a cost of transportation and movement to go through the roof.

Next, McCrory was not ready to deal with the massive items that were in the TG&Y Stores and this was what TG&Y was most noted for was their mix. Target was about the only thing close in this area......However, if Wal-Maart was bad towards TG&Y how come there were INSTANT letters from the Corporate offices in Bentonville to TG&Y's Buying department? Also, remember this...when TG&Y closed there were over 22,000 jobs lost in the blink of an eye........HMMMM

[bluedogok]

Yep, there was always a rumor of a "gentleman's agreement" between Sam Walton and the TG&Y guys about competing in parts of Oklahoma. I don't really remember seeing any Wal-Mart stores around central Oklahoma until AFTER the sale to HFC and the subsequent Wal-Mart expansion after they went to McCrory's.

[Generals64]

Yep, there was always a rumor of a "gentleman's agreement" between Sam Walton and the TG&Y guys about competing in parts of Oklahoma. I don't really remember seeing any Wal-Mart stores around central Oklahoma until AFTER the sale to HFC and the subsequent Wal-Mart expansion after they went to McCrory's.

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The only Wal-Mart in the central part of Oklahoma was in 1974 when Sam Walton (Wal-Mart) and Carl Meadors (Ben Franklin) bid on the store in Guthrie. I was working for Carl at the time and he just didn't want to take on that large a burden. Sam moved in and History began to be come the future. The only other store in oklahoma was in Claremore at the time....True Story.........

[BB37]

Yep, there was always a rumor of a "gentleman's agreement" between Sam Walton and the TG&Y guys about competing in parts of Oklahoma. I don't really remember seeing any Wal-Mart stores around central Oklahoma until AFTER the sale to HFC and the subsequent Wal-Mart expansion after they went to McCrory's.

That may have been true in OKC, but I don't think it was the case everywhere. IIRC, WalMart had it's store in Kingfisher in the mid-to-late 70's (its still there, in fact). We didn't see WM enter OKC until the mid-80's, after McCrory tanked.

[bluedogok]

The first one that I knew of was the Yukon store and it was early 80's I think.

[Generals64]

Believe what you want to believe...The first store (Wal-Mart) in OKLAHOMA was in Claremore and the second one was in Guthrie. The Guthrie store was built and occupied in the fall of 1974. Claremore was in 1970 or 71...Check Wal-Mart.....I moved from Guthrie to Texas after Ben Franklin (Carl Meadors) turn down the lease proposal and began liquidating his stores....I would ask you to check him but he passed away in the early 80's.....I worked for Carl Meadors for three years before Wal-Mart began coming to Oklahoma.....I was in Texas 10 years and came back to work for TG&Y. Ended up in the Corporate Buying Department for three (3) years. The announcement of TG&Y being bought was on January 16th, 1986. I was in the President of TG&Y's office when he got the call.....Been there, done that.