During the first third of the 20th century, discount chain variety stores made their presence felt in downtown areas of towns and cities. Such stores in Holyoke included Neisner's, W.T. Grant, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth's, and J. J. Newberry Co. They were known as five and dime, or 5 & 10, stores. Today's post discusses J. J. Newberry Co., later renamed Newberry's.
John J. Newberry, who learned retailing while working for S. S. Kresge, opened his first store in Stroudsburg, PA, in 1911. By 1919, he owned this refurbished general store and seven more stores. That year, he bought out a chain of eight stores and owned sixteen.
"Mr. (John J.) Newberry acted as general manager, floor man, stockman, and buyer, visiting the New York markets, and the price range of items at that time was only up to twenty-five cents."
With success came a partnership with his brother, C. T. Newberry in 1919. His retail background came from working for the F. W. Woolworth's chain. Another brother, E. A. Newberry, joined in 1919 and 20 years later became president of the corporation.
The new J. J. Newberry store moved into the former space of Schulte-United, a junior department store chain that briefly existed in Holyoke. J. J. Newberry's Grand Opening occurred on June 20, 1931. The store lease included the basement, ground floor store, with storage, and offices on the second floor.
The new J. J. Newberry store occupied 239 High Street, about half the block McAuslan & Wakelin owned on High to the corner of Dwight Street. Eugene's Milliners and Thom McAn Shoes occupied 233 and 235 High Street, respectively into 1936. McAuslan & Wakelin dry goods moved into these two spaces around 1937. This is the other half of the building north of Newberry's to the High and Dwight corner.
J.J. Newberry was a progressive retailer that renovated its interior and exterior several times during its 38 years in Holyoke. Along the way, it added departments to meet customer needs and wants.
For example, early in the 1930s, the store sold groceries. In 1940, the store was renovated to include a horticultural and pet department in the basement, a new modern magazine section, a photography area, and a soda bar.
In late 1946, McAuslan & Wakelin announced it would expand its operations on Maple Street, taking over the space occupied by the Sears store. Sears had plans to move to a new store on Dwight below High Street. The space McAuslan & Wakelin was leaving on High Street would serve an expanded J. J. Newberry store, which had received permission to develop from the Office of Housing Expeditor.
By 1961, the chain had 555 stores, 235 offering credit plans. In 1963, Liberty Bakeries opened within the Holyoke store.
In April 1967, the McAuslan-Wakelin Buildings along Dwight Street from High to Maple Street were sold to S.A.R., Inc., whose owner was Louis Ryback, proprietor of Ryback's Market. In April 1967, J. J. Newberry Co. signed an 18-month lease extension, which would be its last. In July 1968, the store announced it would close around Christmas 1968. Operations ceased on January 31, 1969.
Shopping plazas and later malls with plenty of free and accessible were changing downtown's retail landscape.
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates are shown.
Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories.
Facebook, Growing Up in Holyoke, MA (1950s Color photo of the downtown shoppers, Holyoke, MA)
The former Holyoke Schulte-United store site was next leased to J. J. Newberry Co.
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