My Trip to the French Market.

It was the happiest of coincidences. In the late summer of 2010, I spent a day in the Kansas City area visiting customers with a co-worker who was based there. Most of our meetings were on the “Kansas side” of town (as opposed to the “Missouri side”), which was largely new to me at the time.  We wrapped up in the late afternoon and adjourned to a local watering hole (McDonald’s) to grab a Coke and compare notes.

Leaving the restaurant, I glanced off into the distance and noticed what appeared to be, of all things, a castle on a hill – a dark, sprawling brick structure with two magnificent towers piercing the sky. “Whoa, it’s the French Market!” I exclaimed, recognizing it immediately, barely able to contain my excitement. “Uh, that’s Kmart, Dave”, my co-worker said, or something along those lines. True enough, of course, as the building had indeed housed a Kmart since 1970, and since my friend was in his mid-thirties, he wouldn’t have known it as anything else.

But once upon a time, it was indeed the French Market, a unique attempt at a discount store/supermarket with an international, old world flair. I first learned of it years ago on David Johnson’s wonderful “Discount Stores of the ‘60’s” site (which remains one of my favorites to this day), and felt I’d gotten to know it a bit from articles I read later on in old trade magazines. From all I’d read, the place was truly the talk of the town in its early years.

So after saying our goodbyes and exchanging the normal pleasantries, I hopped back into my car and proceeded to burn two five inch-wide, half inch-deep grooves into the pavement that spanned the distance between the McDonald’s and that most unusual Kmart.  During the (rather short) drive, visions of the French Market danced in my head. There I was, fantasizing about stepping through those doors into a pristine 1960’s faux-European marketplace, abuzz with beehived and Brylcreemed shoppers. Hoping to see at least some remaining features from the French Market’s glory days. And finding…pure Kmart. 

I’ll have to say it seemed nicer than most latter-day Kmarts. Cleaner, better stocked and more orderly - as if this location were one of the few remaining points of pride in that once-great organization.  And some vestiges of the French Market were indeed still visible, the most striking (besides the still-magnificent facade, of course) being a fixed awning along the upper inside front wall, once the home of the “Boulevard de France”, a collection of mini-shops, long since walled off below the awning for (presumably) office space.  

 

In September of 1962, a 54-year old family farmstead, located at the northeast corner of 95^th Street and Metcalf Avenue in the booming Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, was razed. The property had been the home of George and Agatha Barthol, who raised ten children there. Mrs. Barthol, by then widowed and living in a nearby neighborhood, made frequent visits back, according to a Kansas City Times newspaper article, to “(watch) heavy construction machinery reshape the land”. “Mother is not saddened by the sight”, her daughter was quoted in the article, “she’s happy to be where she is.”

Perhaps Mrs. Barthol shared somewhat in the excitement that was sweeping the greater community about the “all-in-one” shopping center about to rise on the site of her former home – a brand new discount department store and modern supermarket all under one roof. An exotic theme that was sure to draw attention to their growing community. And it was gonna be huge – a whopping  171,000 square feet total, with 135,000 square feet allotted to general merchandise and another 36,000 to food and drug – twice the size of the average 1963 supermarket.

The French Market was the first retail project of Kansas City-based entrepreneur Sherman Drieseszun.  Drieseszun had cut his teeth in the garment business, acquiring Vic-Gene Manufacturing with his nephew and business partner Frank Morgan. (There were only four years between them.) Vic-Gene was a supplier of private-label women’s garments to retailers.

In the ensuing years Drieseszun and Morgan would shift focus to developing numerous office building, mall and shopping center projects both in and outside the greater Kansas City area. Their most notable shopping center, arguably, was Metcalf South, which opened in 1967, just across 95^th Street from the French Market in Overland Park. Metcalf South was the area’s first enclosed mall, with Sears and The Jones Store as the original anchors.  Among the other malls the pair developed and/or owned at one point were East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph, Missouri,  Oak Park Mall in Kansas City, Crestview Hills Mall in northern Kentucky, Westminster Square Mall near Denver,  and Southwyck Mall in Toledo.

In later years some controversy would arise around Drieseszun’s shopping center holdings, and several newspaper articles lamented his lack of investment in older mall properties, allowing them to become dated and no longer competitive enough to attract quality retailers that would draw shoppers.  Upon his passing in 2007, however, he was hailed as a visionary who helped to reshape the Kansas City skyline, developing its two tallest buildings – AT&T Town Pavilion (now known as just “Town Pavilion”, and which itself incorporated a shopping mall) and One Kansas City Place.

To design the French Market, Drieseszun engaged renowned local architect Morris Schechter, who a few years earlier designed (with Raymond A. Bales) the famed TWA headquarters building in Kansas City, now rightly hailed as a mid-century masterpiece. Schechter’s work was reportedly inspired by Les Halles, the famous 19th century Parisian market, evoking its “feel” while sidestepping its fairly impractical design in favor of a more standard discount store template  (i.e.: a rectangular box.), with some unusual added features.

For the interior design work, Drieseszun went with the very best in the business – Brand-Worth and Associates, a Los Angeles-based retail design firm. In the 1960’s, no retail design firm was hotter than Brand-Worth, who produced stunning work for a list of clients that ranged  from Ralphs supermarkets to The May Company department stores. The French Market design team was led by Brand-Worth creative director Ray Jacobs, who “conducted extensive research into modern French design” for the project.  They definitely rose to the occasion, producing colorful décor throughout the store - bold in some areas, delicate in others, resulting in a successful “modern French” look, all rendered with the refinement and sense of whimsy that were among the firm’s trademarks.  

The supermarket portion of the French Market was operated by Floyd Day and Frank Armanees, who owned and operated five Thriftway supermarkets in the KC area. “The advertising and promotions of the French Market”, Progressive Grocer magazine noted, were “run independently of (Day and Armanees’) other operations.”  

On October 10, 1963, the French Market celebrated its Grand Opening, with all the attendant hoopla hailing “the quality of a Specialty Shop with the selection and value of a giant department store, in the relaxed atmosphere of a Paris market”. (I need to relax after typing that.) One can only hope that La Marseillaise, the French National Anthem, was played at the ribbon cutting. (Try listening to that without bursting into “Love, love, love…” after the first few bars. Didn’t think you could.) The opening day special was spot-on: French bread, transported from France “with the cooperation of Trans World Airlines” – for 8 cents a loaf! (Personally, I prefer my bread like this - flown in daily from Europe. It’s getting really expensive, though…) Apparently the festivities extended into a “2nd Great Week”, as the ad below attests, with a giveaway of authentic French coins and a chance to see “the championship sports car Grand Prix.”  

Promotional ballyhoo aside, delightful scenes greeted the shoppers of the French Market – the “Boulevard de France”, a series of small shops along a flower cart-lined “street”. Seating for the children’s shoes area masquerading as a trolley car. Decorative kiosks (long before the term became dreaded by mall goers) plastered with French travel posters. A hat tree and a “maypole” in the women’s apparel section. European road signs in the auto accessories section (Equipement d’une Auto). And all manner of faux French finery in the food departments, including “Bon Bons” and a “Bread Truck”. (Which is English for “Camion de Pain.” Now, I know you’re thinking “Wow, that’s worth the cost of Rosetta Stone by itself - what this guy won’t do to impress us!)

Unfortunately, the French Market’s run turned out to be brief, closing for good in May 1970. While I haven’t been able to locate much information relating to its demise, a July 6, 1970 Kansas City Times article offers some details, referencing a court judgment that was levied “for nonpayment of rent, cancellation of insurance, nonpayment of tax escrow funds and nonprevention of waste and deterioration of the premises.” Yikes.

Without question, this sad end was preceded by a long period of decline. I can only imagine how difficult (and expensive) it had to have been to maintain such a level of customized branding for what was essentially a one-off operation.

Those grand towers didn’t remain idle for long, however, as the same Kansas City Times article laid out the plans for the building’s future - as a new location for the fastest growing (and arguably most talked about) retailer of any kind in America at the dawn of the 70’s: Kmart. At the time, there were four Kmarts in the greater KC area, and that figure was about to double. 

Plans were announced for a new Kmart at Bannister and Hillcrest roads, two more in locations “soon to be announced”, and a fourth, the KC Times article stated, to be opened in the former French Market, resulting in “the largest K Mart in the Kansas City area”, according to John B. Hollister, S.S. Kresge’s vice president of real estate.    

“Extensive remodeling,” including “interior relighting and refixturing” would be soon underway, the article goes on to say. Presumably this meant the removal of the French Market’s unique and beautiful décor, to be replaced with the normal Kmart interior. (Funkily attractive in its own way, and easily the most fondly remembered Kmart interior design today. But anything but unique, of course, given the number of Kmarts in existence.)

One aspect of the planned remodeling, thankfully, appears never to have happened. The article refers to “work on a new single front entrance in the center of the market” that was put on hold due to a construction strike. Had the strike not occurred, it seems possible that the “French” façade, towers and all, might have been ditched altogether, leaving Overland Park with nothing more than a (really big) standard-issue Kmart.

The supermarket eventually ended up in new hands as well, becoming part of a leading Kansas City-based supermarket chain, Milgram Food Stores, which was founded in 1913 and known for some nicely-designed stores and their chipper “Hi Neighbor! “ slogan. The Milgram family sold the company (which had been briefly owned by Kroger earlier in its history) in 1984 to grocery wholesaler Wetterau, Inc., of St. Louis. Ultimately the “supermarket” portion of the building would become a Hancock Fabrics store.

Last October, I visited the Overland Park Kmart for what would sadly be the last time (while open, at least), as signs were up throughout the store announcing its imminent closing for good. December 15, 2013, turned out to be the last day of operation for the 43-year old Kmart. The Hancock Fabrics store closed soon afterward, relocating to a nearby shopping center. Reportedly, the building will be torn down in the near future to make way for a new Lowe’s home improvement center.

Overland Park, Kansas, remains a treasure-trove for old retail enthusiasts, and if you’re in the Kansas City area, I would highly recommend visiting it. (Along with KC’s legendary Country Club Plaza, an absolute must-see.) There is much of interest there, including Metcalf South, a fascinating semi-dead mall (only one anchor - Sears, still exists, along with a handful of other stores). There is also the stunning circa-1958 Katz Drug Store, which has been a CVS for some time now. And for just a little while longer, a little bit of France in the heartland of America.

I can’t help but wonder how a French-themed home improvement center might go over. It’s not too late, folks!

If anyone reading this has some personal memories of shopping at the French Market (Original Recipe or “Extra Kmart”) you’d like to share or can fill in some of the large gaps in its history, we’d love to hear from you!

The first set of black-and-white photos and the first color photo set are from Progressive Grocer – the June 1964 issue of the magazine, and from the book “Progressive Grocer’s Outstanding New Super Markets”. The photos in the second black-and-white set are Brand-Worth publicity shots that appeared in the March 1964 issue of Display World magazine.

A very special thanks to Brad Moore, master modeler and Overland Park historian, for providing the 1970’s close-up exterior photos of the Kmart and Milgram stores, and to David Johnson, first for providing the inspiration for this post through his website, and for the use of the wide composite view Kmart photo.

The final photos, shown below, were taken by me on a sunny early morning in October 2013. Note the fine composition and lighting in the interior shot. I call this the “shooting photos while pretending to check Facebook” technique.

March 1, 1962 - The First Kmart Opens

Today marks a key milestone in retailing history – the 50th anniversary of the opening of the first Kmart store, in Garden City, Michigan, pictured above shortly after its opening in a photo from “The S.S. Kresge Story”, a 1979 book by the company founder’s son, Stanley S. Kresge. This store still exists, albeit in extensively remodeled form.

By any measure, 1962 was the Year of the Discount Store. Two months later, on May 1, the first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, and two months after that, on July 2, came the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas. Thus the stage was set for a key part of the retail drama that continues to play out today.

Others were launched that year as well, among them Big K, a Nashville-based chain that gained a decent foothold in the Mid-South before being absorbed by Wal-Mart in 1981. And of course there was Woolco, the discount division of F.W. Woolworth, which might have enjoyed Kmart-like success had Woolworth been willing to burn the ships the way the S.S. Kresge Company was.

The troubles of their last twenty years or so have made it increasingly hard to remember when the phrase “Kmart-like success” was a compliment of the highest order, but from the chain’s earliest years through the 1980’s, it most certainly was. For decades, while fellow ’62 travelers Target and Walmart remained barely known outside of their home turf, Kmart smashed sales records nationwide, and communities far and wide clamored for a new Kmart store in their neck of the woods. They turned the retail world upside down, ultimately toppling the thought-to-be unassailable Sears, Roebuck and Co. from its number-one retailer perch in 1986. Now, sadly, the two retailers commiserate under the same ownership, like two old vaudeville performers searching for an audience in the television age.

Yet what a fascinating business story it was (one I attempted to cover in a series of posts here a few years ago), right from its inception in the late 1950’s, when the brilliant Kresge manager Harry Cunningham set out to explore new business directions for the company. Kresge was early to key in on the coming decline of the “old five and ten”, and upon Cunningham’s visits to some of the early discounters (the New England area “mill stores” in particular), a new direction was set. To their credit, Kresge (meaning Cunningham and his team, with the blessing of 90-plus year old S.S. Kresge himself) pursued the Kmart program relentlessly, despite criticism, as if the company’s future depended on it - which it did.

In a multitude of ways, from large concepts to small details, Kmart served as the model for Walmart, and Sam Walton was always quick to credit Cunningham’s genius in the formation of his own company. In later years it became a mutual admiration society, with the then-retired Cunningham heaping praise on Walmart’s accomplishments while comparing his old company’s latter day performance to them in an unflattering light. Ironically, both men passed away in 1992. Twenty years later, of course, Kmart struggles for its very existence, while its “pupil”, so to speak, is the largest retailer (and second largest company) in the world.

But oh, what memories it holds for so many of us – the “Bluelight mobile unit”, a little cart with a pole-mounted flashing blue light, which seemed to make an appearance nearly every time we shopped there. (“C’mon Dad, they’re selling vacuum cleaners for 20% off!”) The Icees, the hideously painted cafeterias, the little gold, red and aqua shields on Kmart store-branded products. The yellow “Key” department price stickers and the “Remember – TYFSAK” stickers on the cash registers. And for me, my Grandmother’s “Focal” brand camera case, from which she would whip out the Kodak 126 Instamatic and Sylvania flashcubes (before my Dad bought her a Polaroid OneStep SX-70 sometime in the mid-70’s) at the slightest prompting.

So if you would, allow me to suggest this – if you live near a Kmart, why not run over there this evening and buy something, and while you’re at it, wish the checker a “Happy 50th Anniversary”? They probably won’t have a clue what you’re talking about (it’s gone unobserved on the Kmart website) (Note 3/20/12: I've since learned that Kmart did feature a post with the photo above on their Facebook page that day. History survives!), but you’ll feel good about it. If I still had one near me, I would!

"First In Line" at Kmart

From 1975. Of course, three weeks later, these folks were covered with a foot of snow. But when the new Kmart finally opened, doggone it, they were first in line!

You have to admire that kind of tenacity.

Kmart - Big Changes for the Bluelight

Having enjoyed a golden decade from the mid-sixties through the mid-seventies, from that point on things would become complicated for Kmart. Part of this was due to external factors such as competition and general economic ups and downs, but a series of management decisions made along the way certainly played a major factor as well.

While Kmart was an early pioneer in automated distribution, they were slow to adopt computer technology for inventory control and ordering, ostensibly to maintain a high level of independence for store managers, but it proved very costly in terms of efficiency. A much larger factor, from the public’s point of view, was the appearance of the stores. While looking at these photos tends to make me (and many of you, as I’ve learned) very nostalgic for those days, one would have to admit that by the time the 1980’s rolled around, the look had become extremely dated. Over time, the public perception of the company unfortunately (and in many respects undeservedly) shifted from a source of “value-priced” goods to one of cheap goods.

As the eighties rolled on, the company found itself fighting a two-front war, on one side against Wal-Mart, which by that time had grown well beyond the Mid-South region, becoming a true national competitor. Wal-Mart, with highly sophisticated information systems and very aggressive supplier policies became extremely formidable in price competition. On the other flank, Dayton-Hudson’s Target stores had expanded far outside of their original Midwestern footprint, in part through the acquisition of such regional chains as Richway, its sister nameplate Gold Circle and a large number of Gemco units from Lucky Stores. Pursuing a strategy that emphasized affordable style, Target signed up designer Michael Graves, among others, to develop chic housewares for those on a budget. Kmart was now in the unenviable position of having to compete with Target on style and Wal-Mart on price.

In 1987, Kmart took a final step in cutting ties to its origins by selling all but 11 of the remaining Kresge and Jupiter stores to Rapid-American Corporation’s McCrory Stores division. By the 1980’s Rapid-American was a key caretaker of America’s 5-and-10 store heritage, owning McCrory, H.L. Green, J.J. Newberry, T G & Y, and McLellan’s. Their only competitors in that fading segment were Woolworth’s and Ben Franklin. Ironically, S.S. Kresge had gotten his start in the business in 1897 as joint owner of a dime store in Memphis, Tennessee with J.G. McCrory. The pair would later open a Detroit store (where Kresge would establish his namesake company) and a handful of others before going their separate ways, starting variety store dynasties under their own names.

In a mid-eighties bid to shore up their fortunes, Kmart embarked on a spree of diversified retail acquisitions that would last into the next decade. The list was extensive. During this period, Kmart bought out, among others, Waldenbooks (and later on Borders Books), the predecessor of what would become Builders Square, The Sports Authority, Pay Less Northwest (a Wilsonville, Oregon-based operator of 164 drug stores in the western states), and OfficeMax, a big-box office supply firm that Kmart acquired a stake in when it sold them a handful of “Office Square” stores (a short lived office supply concept that traded on the Builders Square nameplate). Within a few years, Kmart would buy a controlling interest in OfficeMax. There was also a chain of membership stores called Pace Membership Warehouse. Eventually, Kmart would combine many of these into an entity called the Specialty Store Division. Over the long haul, these acquisitions proved to be little help to the company, and in the mid-90’s Kmart began to sell off or spin off these divisions in a succession nearly as rapid as when it bought them in the first place. A large number of the Pace stores were sold to arch-competitor Wal-Mart for conversion to Sam’s Clubs. In 1998, Kmart would sell off its flagging 112-store Canadian division to Toronto-based Hudson’s Bay Company, who would combine it with its 298-store Zellers division, the leading discount chain in Canada.

In 1990, Kmart took the first step towards changing its image, adopting a new logo for the first time. That year, the company replaced its familiar “Kmart” logo with a red block letter “K” with the word “mart” written in script in the upper leg of the K. In my opinion, the single letter looked a bit lonely up there on the expansive horizontal facades of most Kmart stores. The company must have taken pride in their new logo, as I learned when my wife and I stopped into a Kmart shorted after it was introduced. She had worked at this Kmart one Christmas season before we were married to supplement her teaching income, and we decided to pop in to say hi to the manager, her old boss. He asked our opinion of the new logo, and my wife commented on how it reminded her of the old “Big K” signs. Big K was a chain of mid-south discount stores that Wal-Mart bought out in the early eighties.

He didn’t appreciate the comparison. (Hey, at least we didn’t try to claim credit when years later they added the word “Big” to many of their signs starting in 1996!) Recently, Kmart has adopted a new logo, restoring “mart” to its rightful place.

A more positive effect came about when in 1997 Kmart persuaded domestic diva Martha Stewart to create a comprehensive line of household goods to be exclusively sold at Kmart. Called “Martha Stewart Everyday” this very broad product line included everything from dishes to cookware to linens, towels and bath décor, and has in many ways been a lifeline for Kmart. There has been rampant speculation as to whether Ms. Stewart will renew her agreement with Kmart when it expires in 2009.

Despite Martha’s best efforts, Kmart skidded inexorably toward bankruptcy as the nineties drew to a close. Incurring a staggering $2.46 billion dollar loss for 2001, Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection on January 22, 2002. Operating 2,114 stores at the time of the filing, massive closings would follow, and a great many people who grew up shopping at Kmart would suddenly find that there was no longer one in or near their communities. The first wave of closings shuttered 284 stores, and sadly more waves were to follow.

A year later, the future of Kmart would be revealed when it was announced that a group of investors, led by 38–year old billionaire Edward S. Lampert, had submitted a plan to usher Kmart out of bankruptcy. Many changes, a degree of stability and a runup in Kmart’s value would follow, and Kmart has lived to fight to this day, although the road remains challenging, to put it mildly. In November 2004, Kmart announced its intentions to buy Sears, Roebuck and Co., a most ironic twist of fate considering the companies’ arch rivalry for America’s retail crown in the 70’s and 80’s. The combined entity was named Sears Holdings Company, and eventually many Kmart executives would relocate from Kmart’s massive 70’s modern headquarters in Troy, Michigan (which is now finally being torn down -many thanks to the reader who sent this link discussing the complex's fate) to Sears (also massive and much newer) HQ in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates. From a consumer’s standpoint, a significant change has been the availability of core Sears brands in Kmart stores, including Die Hard, Kenmore and Craftsman.

The photos above are circa 1976, and show the sign and an interior from the Ionia, Michigan store, a “Group 9” store which was previously operated under another name. The third photo shows the checkouts from a new store in Oxford, Ohio. The fourth is a snack bar shot, location unknown, and the last store pictured is another Group 9 unit from Dyersburg, Tennessee. Thanks to John Flack, who has a great page on the opening of the Marlton, NJ Two Guys store, for photos 2 through 5.

Kmart - That 70's Store

Ah, the seventies. An era of taste and refinement. Of subtlety and style. And no place was better to outfit that style than Kmart. I believe that these Kmart scenes from the early and mid seventies capture the essence of that era as well as any photo, retail or non-retail, that I’ve ever seen.

Up first is a great early evening photo, from 1973, of the standard seventies Kmart exterior, followed by three very busy, slightly more recent interior shots, showing a virtual sea of 70’s humanity. In the first interior photo, the snack bar can be seen at the left rear of the store. And no, that’s not Ashton Kutcher with his back to the camera, this was the real seventies. The third and fourth photos show checkout area scenes.

By the middle of the decade, one of the burning questions in retail revolved around Kmart and whether their sales would surpass those of Sears, Roebuck and Co. By late 1976, Kmart had pulled past number two JCPenney, with $100 million more in sales and 70 percent higher profits than that well respected company. Another factor that didn’t escape notice was the increasing contrast of Kmart’s success with the troubles of their direct competitors, including some big national and regional discounting names – Grants, Interstate Department Stores (Topps and White Front), Arlan’s, Mammoth Mart and National Bellas Hess, to name just a few who were either out of business by then or were in bankruptcy reorganization. Within a few years, all would be gone.

In 1974, having established Kmarts in most major markets, Kresge launched a second Kmart format which they internally called the “Group 9 stores” specifically for smaller communities who were thought to be unable to support a full-sized (average 73,000 to 96,000 square feet) Kmart. The Group 9 stores were typically in the 40,000 square feet range. Interestingly, several of the Group 9 stores were originally opened as competitors’ discount stores. Kresge was able to capitalize on the misfortunes of several chains such as those named above and convert the stores to the smaller Kmarts. In 1977, the company would change its name from S.S. Kresge Company to Kmart Corporation, an acknowledgment that over 90 percent of their sales were coming from the Kmart stores.

Here are a few video links of vintage Kmart commercials for your enjoyment. The first one comes to us courtesy of Jack, a fan of this site, who commented recently on his pilgrimage to a local Kmart, searching for remnants of the golden era. This mid-70's commercial, which has become my life’s dream to reenact, was filmed in a store that very closely resembles the one pictured above. It features about as ecstatic (and well choreographed) a reaction to a new store in town as one could possibly imagine. For the last week, I’ve been walking around the house yelling “Kmart!” at random. You’ll see why. The second one, a Christmas commercial from 1974, features the eminently singable “Kmart is your saving place” jingle in its pure original form, one that would be heard in countless alternate versions in the years that followed. The last one is from the 1980 Christmas season, part of a charming series of commercials that I remember extremely well from my youth. Sure drives home the passage of time.