Courtesy Image An advertisement featured in The News on Feb. 14, 1962, features deals the former Kresge located at 180 North State Street at the time.

Not too long ago, in Alpena’s core downtown, there were three prominent stores where you could enter and purchase popcorn and candy, cosmetics, clothing, and select your favorite 45 rpm or record album.

In addition, countertops were filled with the latest toy selection, a massive selection of small kitchen appliances, household goods, plants, gardening supplies, and hardware.

Finally, there was an area where you could purchase goldfish or parakeets. A 1962 advertisement in The News listed the feathered pets available at one of these retailers for 99 cents.

Finally, at one side of each establishment, there was a lunch counter where you could order a variety of sandwiches, beverages, and tasty desserts.

Northeastern Michigan residents will recall these unique stores known as five and 10, or variety stores.

F. W. WOOLWORTH STORE

Located just south of the PNC Bank, on 2nd Avenue, was the F.W. Woolworth store.

According to an Alpena News March 1951 news account, Frederick Johnston announced the construction of a multi-story building to replace the Adam’s Book Store, Gray’s Photography Studio, and the Douville Bakery retail store with an F. W. Woolworth store.

At that time, the current Woolworth store was located across 2nd Avenue.

By May 1952, the Woolworth store opened with an adjacent Douville – Mary Lee confectionery store located in between the new retailer and the then Alpena Savings Bank.

The Woolworth company’s history goes back to 1879 when Frank Woolworth opened his first “Great Five Cent Store” in Utica, New York. Store expansion continued in the nation’s northeastern corridor and later into the Mid-west, South, and Western states.

In the early 1960s, Woolworth took a major leap in designing and opening a large single-story discount store called Woolco. This opening occurred before the establishment of Kresge’s Kmart store.

In the years that followed, the company purchased Kinney Shoe Corporation and founded the Foot Locker sporting goods chain.

By 1979, the Guinness Book of Records cited Woolworth as the world’s largest department store chain.

In the years that followed, the company expanded into additional sporting goods outlets called Champs Sports, as well as a drug store operation later called Phar-Mor.

By 1983, all Woolco stores ceased operations in the United States. The brand remained in Canada until 1994 when these units were sold or converted to Walmart or Zellers discount stores.

In July 1997, the Woolworth name was discontinued and converted on the stock exchange to the Venator Group, focusing primarily on sporting goods.

Woolworth or Woolco stores are still found in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, and Germany.

The 792-foot New York City Woolworth Building is located at 233 Broadway.

McCRORY STORE

At the corner of 2nd Avenue and River Street was the massive, two-story McCrory store. The location is now occupied by Bob’s Bullpen.

The store was originally named McLellan’s and became a McCrory brand in 1972.

McCrory’s founding goes back to 1882 when the first store opened in Scottsdale, Pennsylvania. During the early part of the 20th century and well into the late 1920s, the chain experienced significant geographic growth. However, by January 1933, the company entered bankruptcy.

Exiting bankruptcy, McCrory began an aggressive growth pattern acquiring other variety stores such as Green, Kress, Murphy, Newberry, and McLellan.

One of the acquisitions was the TG&Y store chain, which had a unit located in Alpena on Ripley Boulevard — now, in part Tractor Supply.

In 1987, McCrory made a major acquisition which had an effect on Alpena.

The company purchased the remaining 76 S.S. Kresge and Jupiter stores which were then “orphans” of the massive Kmart brand.

An April 1987 Alpena News article announced the acquisition affecting the Alpena Shopping Center Kresge store. By August of the same year, The News reported all but two Kresge employees were terminated by McCrory. Replacement employees were hired on a part-time basis.

In downtown Alpena, slightly over two blocks apart, were a McCrory store and a Kresge store.

In December 1989, the decision was reached to close the 9,000-square-foot McCrory store located on the corner of 2nd Avenue and River Street. The 15,000-square-foot Kresge store would remain open and be rebranded under the McCrory name.

The News reported the Alpena Shopping Center — Harborside Mall — McCrory store closed in early 1997.

Once with over 1,300 stores, McCrory began a significant closing and downsizing process of all its operations. By February 2002, the company ceased all operations.

S.S. KRESGE STORE

In February of 1962, the Alpena Shopping Center, located at the base of State Avenue at Chisholm Street, opened a variety of stores in the new and expanded $1.5 million shopping complex. The Kroger grocery store has anchored the site since 1957.

At the northernmost point of the center’s east side was a new 21,000-square-foot S.S. Kresge store. It would be the nation’s 777th Kresge store.

Also, anchoring the shopping center would be the Three Sisters apparel store, Kinney Shoes, Cunningham drug store, Kotwicki’s clothing store, Froggett Jewelry, a finance and loan office, barber and hair styling shop, and coin-operated laundry.

The News accounts noted in 1966 and 1970, the Kresge store experienced walk-out strikes by employees represented by the Retail Clerks International Association.

At one time, Sebastian Spering Kresge was a partial owner of the McCrory store chain. He exited this relationship when McCrory offered him the opportunity to open a store in Detroit while they entered the Memphis, Tennessee market

S.S. Kresge Company was founded in Detroit in 1899. The first store located at Woodward Avenue near Grand River Avenue was 2,000 square feet offering 1,500 items, none costing more than 10 cents.

With the entry of the 1960s, Kresge had well over 900 stores crossing the nation with their distinctive red sign and silver lettering. In 1962, the corporation opened its first Kmart store in Garden City, Michigan.

By 1994, all Kresge stores ceased operations. Only Kmart existed with the “Big K” found not only in Canada but in Australia, New Zealand, select European countries, and joint operating agreements in Mexico and Singapore.

Acquired by the McCrory empire, the Alpena store closed in 1989 under the McCrory name. In 1980, a Kmart opened in the Alpena Mall. Kmart later moved to a free-standing store further down U.S.-23 South. This store ceased operations over nine years ago.

When the 2000s entered, Kmart went through a series of bankruptcy filings and was later acquired by the Sears department store chain.

As of this October, like the disappearance of the S.S. Kresge name, the final U.S. mainland Kmart store closed in Long Island, New York.

One Kmart remains open on the island of Guam.

The allure of variety stores in downtown Alpena is but a memory for many. Now, mostly being replaced by national and regional retailers on the city’s outer edges and through online ordering.

However, you cannot go to a lunch counter at these operations. Nor purchase a parakeet after you dine as well as acquire sewing needles.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO. He frequently writes historic feature stories and op-eds for various Michigan newspapers. As a Vietnam-era veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve. He served on the public affairs staff of the secretary of the Navy. He grew up in Alpena and in years past has shopped at each of these retailers. He resides in suburban Detroit.