Overview
Hutzler's, or Hutzler Brothers Company, was a department store founded in Baltimore by Abraham G. Hutzler (1836–1927) in 1858. From its beginning as a small dry goods store at the corner of Howard and Clay streets in downtown Baltimore, Hutzler's eventually grew into a chain of 10 department stores, all located in Maryland.
Early years
provided credit for his son, Abram, to start the company, but was otherwise not involved in the business alt=Moses Hutzler At age 23, Abram Hutzler was not yet old enough to secure credit; his father, Moses Hutzler, signed the official documents Abram needed to open the store in July 1858. Although the store originally traded as M. Hutzler & Son, Moses was otherwise not involved in the business. After Abram brought his two brothers, Charles and David, into the business in 1867, the retail store was left in David's hands while Abram and Charles operated a wholesale business. Abram and Charles discontinued the wholesale business in 1888 to concentrate on the company's retail operations. the Palace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Its exterior features included Nova Scotia gray stone, carved with Arabesque heads and foliage, and large display windows.
Facing Clay Street, a keystone carved with the image of Moses Hutzler was placed over a display window. The new store was organized into several departments and employed 200 workers. In 1908, the company incorporated as Hutzler Brothers Company of Baltimore City. This was later amended to Hutzler Brothers Company.
Innovative retail practices
An innovator of progressive retailing practices, Hutzler's established the one-price policy in 1868. but Hutzler's may have been the first retailer to apply the policy to such a broad range of merchandise, including every item in the store. Hutzler's led the retailing industry as one of the first to establish a liberal return policy, granting refunds to dissatisfied customers, and the first Maryland retailer with its own fleet of delivery trucks. It is also believed to be the first retail chain that did not discriminate against African-American customers. They operated the first bargain counter during the Civil War.
Downtown expansion
A five-story building on Saratoga Street and two smaller buildings on Howard Street were added to the Hutzler's downtown location in 1916. Then in 1924 another five floors were added to the Saratoga Street building, bringing it up to 10 floors. Hutzler's Downstairs, an outlet for discounted merchandise, opened in the store's basement in September 1929. A five-story art deco style expansion to the downtown store, described as "Greater Hutzlers", opened on October 1, 1932. This building eventually extended to nine floors and became known as the Tower building. When it reached the peak of its operations in the 1950s, the downtown location covered of retail space.
Suburban expansion
In 1952, after nearly 100 years exclusively on the original site, Hutzler's opened its first branch store in Towson, Maryland. Like the Tea Room in the Palace building downtown, the Valley View Room in the Towson Hutzler's also held fashion shows.
Declining years
In response to declining business in the 1980s, Hutzler's hired Angelo Arena from Marshall Field's in 1983 to take charge of the company and reverse the downward trend. In the fall of 1984, he moved the downtown store from its original location into the new Atrium building next door, site of Hochschild Kohn's former downtown location. The "Palace" name was also moved to the new building. By the time Arena arrived in 1983, the Hutzler's Palace store had contracted to of retail floor space. Its new location in the Atrium building reduced Hutzler's to 70,000 square feet. Arena's efforts were unsuccessful. Hutzler's began closing stores, first with the Inner Harbor store in December 1986. The other locations followed until 1990, when all were gone. Hutzler's remained a family-owned, Maryland business throughout its 132 years.
Its downtown location is believed to hold the record among American department stores for the longest survival at an original location. David A. Hutzler, who joined the company's board in 1976, remained at his position until the company closed in 1990, without going through bankruptcy or lawsuits as its operations ended and assets were liquidated.
External links
* "Downtown Department Stores, and other Retail Goodies" * Towson Hutzler's during Christmas * Towson Hutzler's exterior * Hutzler's downtown Baltimore store