Dillard's, Inc. is an
upscale American
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
chain with approximately 282 stores in 29 states and headquartered in
Little Rock, Arkansas
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
. Currently, the largest number of stores are located in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
with 57 and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
with 42. The company also has stores in 27 more states; however, it is absent from the Northeast (Washington, D.C., and northward), most of the Upper Midwest (
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
), the Northwest, and most of California, aside from three stores in smaller cities.
Operations during 20th century
Early history
Dillard's is the outgrowth of a department store founded in 1938 by
William T. Dillard; its corporate headquarters remain located at the eastern edge of
Little Rock
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
's
Riverdale area and many of its executives and directors are members of the Dillard family. The family retains control of the company through its ownership of Class B Common Stock; the Class A common stock is publicly traded on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...
.
Dillard began his first store in
Mineral Springs, Arkansas
Mineral Springs is a city in Howard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,208 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Mineral Springs is located in southern Howard County at (33.876358, -93.918599). Arkansas Highway 27 runs through the ce ...
, in what was locally known as "the tater house". It was located across the street from the community's Methodist church. The building that housed the original store was torn down in the early 2000s. Dillard sold the original five and dime store in
Nashville, Arkansas
Nashville is a city in Howard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,627 at the 2010 census. The estimated population in 2018 was 4,425. The city is the county seat of Howard County.
Nashville is situated at the base of the Ouac ...
, to develop a department store in
Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,387. The city is located across the state line from its twin city ...
, initially as the minority partner in Wooten & Dillard. In 1956, Dillard led an investment group that acquired the Mayer & Schmidt store in
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...
. This store eventually took on the name "Dillard's Mayer & Schmidt" until 1974, when it was replaced with a mall-based location south of downtown Tyler.
In 1960, Dillard acquired and turned around the failing Brown-Duncan store in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
. The success of this turnaround was followed in late 1963 by acquiring the Joseph Pfeifer store in
Little Rock, Arkansas
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
, and in early 1964 acquiring the other main store in Little Rock, Gus Blass Co. Dillard used this as an opportunity to relocate his headquarters to Little Rock. In 1969, Dillard and his investors took Dillard Department Stores, Inc., public on the
American Stock Exchange
NYSE American, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and more recently as NYSE MKT, is an American stock exchange situated in New York City. AMEX was previously a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was kno ...
.
1970–1989
Thereafter, the chain expanded rapidly as an anchor in
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
s, and took advantage of market conditions to acquire smaller chains as well as its ability to turn around locations that other companies could not operate profitably. Expansion of the Dillard's chain increased rapidly during the 1970s, mainly through expanding into new malls being built in smaller cities in Texas. In 1971 five Texas units were acquired from Fedway, a division of
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. (originally Federated Department Stores, Inc.) is an American conglomerate holding company. Upon its establishment, Federated held ownership of the regional department store chains Abraham & Straus, Lazarus, Filene's, and Shilli ...
(the stores were rebadged as Dillard's in 1972). In 1974, five Leonard's stores were acquired in
Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a commitment to open a new downtown Fort Worth store at the
Tandy Center
City Place is a mixed-use facility featuring two 20-story buildings in central Fort Worth, Texas. The complex was formerly known as Tandy Center and served as the corporate headquarters for RadioShack (formerly Tandy Corporation) for many year ...
(site of the original Leonard's). Also in 1974, the former Brown-Dunkin, Blass, Pfeifer and Mayer & Schmidt stores were fully renamed Dillard's.
The 1980s brought the purchase of many local chains. In 1982, Dillard's leased three units of the defunct Lowenstein's chain in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...
. In early 1984, Dillard's acquired 12
Stix, Baer & Fuller stores in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
and
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
from
Associated Dry Goods Corp.
Associated Dry Goods Corporation (ADG) was a chain of department stores that merged with May Department Stores in 1986. It was founded in 1916 as an association of independent stores called American Dry Goods, based in New York City.
Histor ...
, while in fall 1984 two department store divisions were purchased from
Dayton-Hudson Corporation:
Diamond's
Diamond's was a department store chain headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Originally named The Boston Store, it was founded in 1897 by Nathan and Issac Diamond, Jewish immigrants who had earlier begun a dry-goods mercantile in El Paso
El Paso ...
and
John A. Brown, with locations in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
and
Oklahoma. Twelve stores in Kansas and Missouri belonging to
R. H. Macy & Co.'s Midwest Division, which was later dissolved in 2006, were acquired in early 1986, while the three-unit Hemphill-Wells company in West Texas was purchased in the summer. The stores at
Sunset Mall
Sunset Mall is a shopping mall located in San Angelo, Texas. The anchor stores are Marshalls, JCPenney, Fitness 1440, Ulta Beauty, 2 Dillard's stores, Conn's, There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.
History
The mall opened in 1979, f ...
in
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Plai ...
and
South Plains Mall
South Plains Mall is a shopping mall located in Lubbock, Texas. It is located at the northwest corner of Loop 289 and Slide Road. The mall was opened on July 26, 1972 with an initial square footage of at a cost of $25 million.[Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the List of cities in Texas by population, 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of government of Lubbock County, Texas, Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also ...]
were both converted, while the third in downtown Lubbock was closed.
In 1987, Dillard's purchased 26 of
Joske's
Joske's, founded by German immigrant Julius Joske in 1867, was a department store chain originally based in San Antonio, Texas. In December 1928, Hahn Department Stores acquired the company along with the Titche-Goettinger department store of Dal ...
27 stores in Texas and Arizona as well as the four-unit
Cain-Sloan chain in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
, from
Allied Stores Corp. This deal gave Dillard's two major anchor locations at several malls in Texas and Arizona with many of the second locations being converted to a separate, expanded home and men's stores, a format that Dillard's utilized greatly, both to grow its store size cost-effectively and to prevent competitors from gaining valuable real estate. Additionally, the Joske's acquisition gave Dillard's entry into the Houston market. That same year, Dillard's co-founded CDI Contractors, a construction company that would help build, remodel, and repair most of its locations, with William "Bill" Clark and Braggs Electric Construction Company.
Dillard's in 1988 acquired the former
Selber Bros. clothing department store chain, founded in 1907 in
Shreveport
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...
, Louisiana, which also had a few locations in Texas.
In 1988, Dillard's purchased the three-unit
Miller & Paine chain in
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Linco ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...
, as well as more significantly, a half-interest and operational control of
The Higbee Co., based in
Cleveland, Ohio, with partner
Edward J. DeBartolo Corp.
D. H. Holmes Co., Ltd., of New Orleans, was purchased in 1989, bringing 18 units primarily in Louisiana, as well two former
Diamond's
Diamond's was a department store chain headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Originally named The Boston Store, it was founded in 1897 by Nathan and Issac Diamond, Jewish immigrants who had earlier begun a dry-goods mercantile in El Paso
El Paso ...
units in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill ILL may refer to:
* ''I Love Lucy'', a landmark American television sitcom
* Illorsuit Heliport (location identifier: ILL), a heliport in Illorsuit, Greenland
* Institut Laue–Langevin, an internationally financed scientific facility
* Interlibrar ...
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive ...
.
1990–1999

The
Ivey's chain of 23 stores in Florida,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
and
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = G ...
was acquired from BATUS in 1990. This was followed by
Maison Blanche
Maison Blanche (''White House'' in French) was a department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later also a chain of department stores. It was founded in 1897 by Isidore Newman, an immigrant from Germany.
Maison Blanche is perhaps best remem ...
selling eight stores on Florida's Gulf Coast to them in 1991. The locations were at
Tyrone Square Mall (1973),
University Square Mall
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
,
WestShore Plaza
WestShore Plaza is one of two enclosed shopping malls located in the Westshore business district of Tampa, Florida, developed by Albert L. Manley of Boston, MA. WestShore Plaza was opened in 1967 and was touted as Tampa's first shopping center ...
(both 1974),
Countryside Mall (1976),
Southgate Plaza (1978),
Edison Mall,
Coastland Center (both 1985), and
Lakeland Square Mall
Lakeland Square Mall is a shopping mall located on the northern side of Lakeland, Florida. It is one of two enclosed malls serving Polk County and the only shopping mall located off of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando. It is currently anchored by ...
(1988). In 1992, the remaining interest in the Higbee's stores was acquired, as well as five Ohio stores from
Horne's (as part of a legal settlement, Dillard's having canceled a 1988 deal to acquire the chain). Also in 1992, three stores from the
Hess's
Hess's was a department store chain based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company started in 1897 with one store, originally known as Hess Brothers, and grew to nearly 80 stores by its peak in the late 1980s. The chain's stores were closed or sol ...
chain liquidation (five other former Hess's were acquired in 1994), two
E. M. Scarbrough's locations in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, two
Thalhimer's
Thalhimers was a department store in the Southern United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the venerable chain at its peak operated dozens of stores in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one store in Memphis, Tennessee. Thalh ...
in South Carolina and Tennessee, a former
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor was the oldest brick and mortar department store in the United States, in business from 1826 to 2020. The brand was purchased during former owner Le Tote's 2020 liquidation bankruptcy and relaunched by new owner, Saadia Group, as a ...
store at
Oak Court Mall
Oak Court Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Opened in 1988, the mall features Macy's and Dillard's as its anchor stores.
History
The mall began as a freestanding, 3-story Goldsmith's, a Memphis-ba ...
in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...
and three Belk-Lindsey stores in Florida (Gulf View, DeSoto, and Eastlake). Except for two Belk of Columbia stores that were acquired in 1995, acquisitions were eschewed for a couple of years until early 1997 with the purchase of 15 stores—10
Mervyn's
Mervyn's was an American middle-scale department store chain based in Hayward, California, and founded by Mervin G. Morris (1920–2021). It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics ...
boxes in Florida and five southern Virginia stores from
Proffitt's
Proffitt's was a department store chain based in Alcoa, Tennessee. On March 8, 2006, the Proffitt's and McRae's stores were converted into Belk stores. Belk acquired the two chains in July 2005 from Saks, Inc.
History
Beginnings
Jeweler Dav ...
that were acquired from Hess's in 1993. The Mervyn's deal included 5 purchased from Lord & Taylor in 1991--
Cutler Ridge Mall (1982),
Coral Square
Coral Square, often referred to as Coral Square Mall, is a regional enclosed shopping mall located northwest of Fort Lauderdale in Coral Springs, Florida, on the northeast corner of Atlantic Boulevard and University Drive; it opened in 1984. Origi ...
(1984),
Miami International Mall,
Boynton Beach Mall (both 1985), and
Treasure Coast Square (1987)--along with 3 acquired from Jordan Marsh in 1992--
Pompano Fashion Square (1970),
Broward Mall
Broward Mall (previously known as Westfield Broward) is a shopping mall in Plantation, Florida.
History
The mall was opened in August 1978, with the name Broward Mall. Original anchors were Burdines, Sears, and Jordan Marsh (the latter made its ...
(1978), and
Melbourne Square (1983)--and the remaining 2 at Lakeland Square Mall (1986) and
Pembroke Lakes Mall (1992). The Proffitt's conversion gave them 2 that were also taken over from Rices Nachmans in 1985 at
Coliseum Mall (1973) and
Pembroke Mall
Pembroke Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. It was opened in March 1966 as the first shopping mall in the Hampton Roads metro area. It comprised more than 48 stores, including anchor stores Target ...
(1981), and 3 newly built stores
Patrick Henry Mall,
Greenbrier Mall
Greenbrier Mall is a nearly regional mall in Chesapeake, Virginia, United States in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The mall has a hillside terrain, with entries on both upper and lower levels. It serves communities on the east coast in t ...
(both 1987), and
Chesapeake Square
Chesapeake Square is a regional mall in Chesapeake, Virginia, in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The mall has approximately 70 stores, three anchors (Burlington, Cinemark Theatres, and Target), several eateries at the mall's food court inclu ...
(1988). Three suburban
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
stores in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
at
Willowbrook Mall,
Deerbrook Mall (both 1984), and
Baybrook Mall
Baybrook Mall is a shopping mall located near the Clear Lake City area in Houston, Texas; It has a Friendswood mailing address, but it is in the Houston city limits. - Maps for comparisonMap of the city of Houston8 x 11 version The mall is locate ...
(1985) were absorbed while the location at
The Galleria
The Galleria, stylized theGalleria and also known as the Houston Galleria, is an upscale mixed-use urban development and shopping mall located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas, United States.[Mercantile Stores
Mercantile Stores Company Inc. until 1998, was a traditional department store retailer operating 102 fashion apparel stores and 16 home fashion stores in 17 states. The stores were operated under 13 different nameplates and varied in size, with t ...]
Co., Inc., in 1998. The purchase of this Fairfield, Ohio-based department store company brought several chains, including
Bacon's,
Castner Knott,
de Lendrecie's,
Gayfers
Gayfer's was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Based in Mobile, Alabama, the chain of stores operated from 1879 until 1998 when it was taken over by Dillard's.
History
C.J. Gayfer migrated to Mobile, Alabama, fr ...
, Glass Block,
Hennessy's,
J.B. White,
Joslins,
Lion Store
Lion Store (founded in 1857 as Frederick Eaton & Co. and incorporated in 1890 as The Lion Dry Goods Co.) was a Toledo, Ohio department store chain. Mercantile Stores operated the chain from 1914 until its 1998 acquisition by Dillard's, which ret ...
,
Maison Blanche
Maison Blanche (''White House'' in French) was a department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later also a chain of department stores. It was founded in 1897 by Isidore Newman, an immigrant from Germany.
Maison Blanche is perhaps best remem ...
,
McAlpin's
McAlpin's was a Cincinnati-based department store founded in 1852 as Ellis, McAlpin & Co. McAlpin's opened their landmark downtown location on Fourth Street in 1880. In 1954, McAlpin's became the first Cincinnati department store to open a suburba ...
, Root's and
The Jones Store
The Jones Store Company was an American chain of department stores located in the Kansas City area formerly operated by Mercantile Stores Company and the St. Louis, Missouri-based May Co.
History
The Jones Store Company was founded in 1887 as an ...
. Dillard's sold 26 stores of the former Mercantile Stores to
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was an American department store holding company, formerly headquartered in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It was founded in Leadville, Colorado, by David May in 1877, moving to St. Louis in 1905. After many c ...
Co. and
Saks Incorporated
Saks, Inc. (originally Proffitt's, Inc.) was an American holding company founded in 1919. Before acquisition by the Canadian-founded Hudson's Bay Company in 2013, it held ownership of department store chains including New York City-based Saks Fi ...
and traded an additional seven stores to
Belk
Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, ...
for nine of theirs in southern Virginia and
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, it also extends into Marion County, Tennessee, Marion County on its west ...
. Overall this deal enabled Dillard's to enhance its position in several markets in the South, Midwest and Mountain states.
Also in 1998, the chain entered
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, opening its first store in a former
Weinstock's
Weinstock's, originally Weinstock, Lubin, and Co., was an American department store chain headquartered in Sacramento, California. It was founded by Harris Weinstock and his half-brother, David Lubin. The chain was purchased by Hale's in 1949, ...
at
Weberstown Mall in
Stockton, California. In 1999, Dillard's opened stores at
Mall of Georgia
Mall of Georgia is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Opened in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in both the Atlanta Metropol ...
and
Arbor Place Mall near
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
.
Operations during 21st century
After the acquisition of Mercantile, Dillard's ceased expanding through acquisitions, although eight locations of the defunct
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
in the Midwest, and four locations from
ZCMI
Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (typically referred to as ZCMI) was an American department store chain. It was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 9, 1868 by Brigham Young. For many years it used the slogan, "America's First De ...
in Utah and Idaho were acquired in 2001, when stores opened at
Chandler Fashion Center
Chandler Fashion Center is a regional shopping center located in the city of Chandler, Arizona, and is the second largest mall in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The mall is owned by Macerich and was developed by Westcor a former subsidiary of M ...
in Chandler, Arizona,
The Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia, Georgia,
The Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, Florida,
International Plaza and Bay Street in Tampa, Florida, and
The Shops at Willow Bend
The Shops at Willow Bend, sometimes referred to as Willow Bend Mall, is a shopping mall located in Plano, Texas, with over 125 stores and three anchor stores. The mall is located at the intersection of West Park Boulevard (Farm to Market Road 54 ...
in Plano, Texas.
In 2004, Dillard's store credit card operation, operated as Dillard's National Bank, was sold to
GE Money Bank
GE Capital is the financial services division of General Electric.
The company currently only runs one division, GE Energy Financial Services. It had provided additional services in the past; however, those units were sold between 2013 and 2018. ...
. Customers can now be issued Dillard's/American Express cards as well the traditional Dillard's store charge. These cards can be used at any store that accepts the
American Express
American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...
brand.
In 2005, Dillard's opened stores at
Perimeter Mall and
Atlantic Station
Atlantic Station is a neighborhood on the northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States comprising a retail district, office space, condominiums, townhomes and apartment buildings. First planned in the mid-1990s and officially o ...
in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
as well as
St. Johns Town Center in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
.
In 2008, Dillard's closed their travel agency, Dillard's Travel, alongside all in-store locations due to economic conditions. Dillard's Travel previously operated in 43 of the 318 stores. Also in 2008, stores opened at both
The Shops at Wiregrass
The Shops at Wiregrass is an open-air lifestyle center in Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, Florida. In addition to free parking lots, valet parking, and a parking structure, there are streetside parking spaces at meters along its central street, Pa ...
and
Pier Park in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
. Additionally, Dillard's announced that it had completed a transaction to acquire the remaining fifty percent (50%) interest in CDI Contractors, LLC and CDI Contractors, Inc., which it did not already own.

In late 2018, Dillard's announced a location would open in fall 2019 in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...
, at the site of the former
Younkers
Younkers Inc. is an American online retailer and former department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer had evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa ...
in
Empire Mall.
By August 2020, it had not yet opened.
In September 2019, Dillard's remained headquartered in Arkansas, with 260 "full-line" stores and 29 clearance centers. It had locations mostly in the South and Southwest of the United States, in 29 states overall. The company was also a significant owner of property in the United States, and it owned 44.3 million square feet of the 49 million square feet it used for its business and retail operations.
In March 2020, Dillard's attracted note in the press for keeping many of its 290 stores in the United States open during the coronavirus pandemic,
with Dillard's stating "we are open with limited hours where not ordered to close by state or local government mandate."
In April 2020, Dillard's closed around 200 out of its 285 stores in response to Covid-19. Its online store remained open.
In May 2020, Dillard's had reopened all but two of its locations in
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...
, according to its website at the time.
That week, management and Dillard's CEO, William Dillard II, informed its annual meeting that the company's first quarter had been the worst in its history, due to the coronavirus, saying Dillard's business had become "total chaos" by the end of April as a result. At the time, Dillard's had 257 department stores, and 28 clearance stores, and had reopened stores in 21 states or more.
In August 2021, the company released its second quarter report. It did not release "store comps relative to pandemic-dominated 2020; comparable store retail sales compared to 2019 rose 14%." After an $8.6 million net loss in August 2020, the company noted that it instead had made a net income in August 2021 of $185.7 million.
Store formats

The chain continues to expand and has recently added stores in non-traditional mall shopping centers. Currently, the largest Dillard's store at is located at
Scottsdale Fashion Square, an enclosed super-regional mall in
Scottsdale, Arizona
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, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
. Within the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the chain has two flagship stores with a store at the
Northpark Center
NorthPark Center, sometimes referred to as NorthPark Mall, is an upscale, enclosed shopping mall in Dallas, Texas (United States). It is at the intersection of Loop 12
(Northwest Highway) and US 75 (North Central Expressway). Opened in 1965, it ...
in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
and a store at the
North East Mall in
Hurst
Hurst may refer to:
Places England
* Hurst, Berkshire, a village
* Hurst, North Yorkshire, a hamlet
* Hurst, a settlement within the village of Martock, Somerset
* Hurst, West Sussex, a hamlet
* Hurst Spit, a shingle spit in Hampshire
** Hur ...
.
Its flagship store in the East Coast region, at , is located in the
MacArthur Center
MacArthur Center is a shopping mall in Norfolk, Virginia, in the center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Built by the Taubman Company, the mall is owned by Starwood Capital Group since October 2014.
The mall currently features a large Dill ...
in downtown
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 cen ...
. It announced construction of a new "flagship" store in Lubbock, TX on Nov 15th, 2022. This store will be 220,000 sq ft. The home store for the chain is in
Little Rock
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
; the divided store is located in the trend-conscious
Park Plaza Mall, one of the city's oldest continuously operating shopping centers in its midtown section.
Clearance Centers

As of April 2020, Dillard's operated 28 clearance stores in the United States.
Dillard's Clearance Centers occupy 26 mall spaces throughout multiple states for the clearance stock of clothing from prior seasons.
They are usually located within lower-income areas as the no longer high priced items are not as covetable for the general clientele Dillard's procures. The 265 regular department stores ship the clearance clothing at already 60% off to these Clearance Centers where the clothing is then marked down further to liquidate the heaps of clothing and shoes.
The Clearance Centers rival that of a
Marshalls
Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. M ...
or
TJ Maxx
TJ Maxx (stylized as T•J•maxx) is an American department store chain, selling at prices generally lower than other major similar stores. It has more than 1,000 stores in the United States, making it one of the largest clothing retailers in ...
with unknown sizes or quantities of a specific item. However, all the clothing at Dillard's Clearance Centers are direct from the normal Dillard's Department Stores close to and surrounding the one outlet. The goods that are sent to these stores are including, but not limited to: overstocked, offseason, didn't sell well, or damaged.
This is an easy way to buy all of the brand-specific items at a cheaper, more economical price.
The hours may vary a little bit by store or holiday; however, the generic hours of a Clearance Center are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 pm to 7 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm. On Mondays, the Clearance Centers are closed for the restocking of the Clearance items.
On a week-to-week basis, each Dillard's Clearance Center receives further markdowns by each department, i. e. Ladies’ Shirts and Men's Pants could be an extra 50% off the already reduced 60% off merchandise making the total be around 80% off the original market value.
References
External links
Dillard's Official Website
{{Authority control
Companies based in Little Rock, Arkansas
Culture of the Southern United States
Economy of the Southeastern United States
Culture of the Western United States
Economy of the Western United States
Clothing retailers of the United States
Department stores of the United States
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Retail companies established in 1938
1938 establishments in Arkansas
Family-owned companies of the United States