Bloomingdale's
Germany → USA
Retail, Logistics & E-Commerce
Summary
Bloomingdale’s was founded in 1872 in New York by brothers Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale, sons of Benjamin Bloomingdale, a Bavarian-Jewish immigrant who had arrived in the United States in the 1830s and opened a Lower East Side dry-goods business. The brothers expanded the operation into a department store and, in 1886, moved to the Upper East Side site on Third Avenue and 59th Street that the store still occupies. Bloomingdale’s became famous for stylish merchandise and creative window displays, and is now part of Macy’s, Inc.
European Contribution
Bavarian-Jewish merchant traditions and the visual-display culture of central European urban commerce.
American Impact
Pioneered creative retail display and merchandising; became a defining institution of New York commercial life.
Timeline Highlights
- 1830s Benjamin Bloomingdale emigrates from Bavaria
- 1872 Sons open Ladies' Notions Shop on Lower East Side
- 1886 Moves to flagship 59th Street and Lexington Avenue location
- 1929 Acquired by Federated Department Stores
- Present Operates as a Macy's, Inc. subsidiary