Alexander's was a former department store in the New York metropolitan area.

History

Founded in 1928 by George Farkas, who named it for his father Alexander Farkas, catering to low- and middle-income consumers, Alexander's offered discounted designer fashions and high-quality private label goods. At its height, the company operated 15 stores, including locations in midtown Manhattan (the flagship at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, designed by Starrett & van Vleck), the World Trade Center, Kings Plaza in Brooklyn, Fordham Road in the Bronx, Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, Valley Stream in Long Island, Paramus, New Jersey, Main Street, Flushing in New York, White Plains, New York and Milford, Connecticut.

The company's hold on the marketplace began to slip in the 1970s, as customers defected to larger competitors and specialty retailers. In 1980, Interstate Properties took a major stake in the ailing chain, seeking to convert its real estate to more profitable ventures. Throughout the 1980s, Alexander's management struggled to expand the retailer's offerings beyond leisure apparel, but was often distracted by real estate sell-offs. The company made a last-ditch effort to modernize in the early 1990s by expanding its activewear, electronics, housewares, sports equipment, and toy departments, but to no avail. Alexander's finally declared bankruptcy in 1992 as debts to vendors mounted and inventories dwindled.

After being reorganized into a real estate company, Alexander's began selling off its valuable properties to developers. The company had owned all the real estate its large stores sat on. Vornado, a real estate firm (which in a previous form was another discount department store chain, Two Guys), had bought a controlling share of Alexander's at bargain prices and refocused the company on development of its land holdings.

"You'll find Alexander's has what you're looking for; how lucky can you get?!", an Alexander's slogan / advertising jingle.

Former locations

Connecticut

• New York-Newark-Bridgeport Combined Statistical Area
• New Haven-Milford Metropolitan Statistical Area
• Milford - Connecticut Post Mall (opened 1960, closed 1988, now JCPenney)

New Jersey

• New York-Newark-Bridgeport Combined Statistical Area
• New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area
• Edison Metropolitan Division
• Eatontown - Monmouth Mall (opened 1972, closed 1983), later Caldor, now AMC Cinemas
• Edison - Menlo Park Mall (opened 1972, closed 1988, demolished 1989. Now site of Nordstrom, which opened 1991)
• New York-White Plains-Wayne Metropolitan Division
• Paramus (freestanding) (opened 1950's, closed 1992, demolished in 2000, now site of IKEA, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Christmas Tree Shops, which opened 2003-2005) The building of this Alexander's featured a world record holding tile mosaic mural on one wall, which was visible to motorists on the Garden State Parkway.

New York

• New York-Newark-Bridgeport Combined Statistical Area
• New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area
• Nassau-Suffolk Metropolitan Division
• Garden City - Roosevelt Field (opened 1971, closed 1991, now site of Bloomingdales)
• Valley Stream (freestanding) (opened 1967, closed 1992) Demolished then became Caldor's , then Target
• New York-White Plains-Wayne Metropolitan Division
• Brooklyn - Kings Plaza (opened 1970, closed 1992, now Sears) and Old Navy
• The Bronx - Fordham Road & Grand Concourse (opened 1933, closed 1992, now divided and made into a small shopping mall.)
• The Bronx - 152nd Street & Third Avenue (opened 1928, closed 1992)
• The Bronx - Bruckner Boulevard (opened 1933, closed 1992)
• White Plains - (Freestanding) (opened 1977, closed 1986, demolished 1992, now site of Nordstrom at The Westchester.)
• Manhattan - Lexington Avenue & 59th Street (opened 1965, closed 1992, demolished in 2000, now location of Bloomberg Tower)
• Manhattan - The Mall at the World Trade Center (opened 1980, closed 1992, destroyed 2001)
• Queens-Flushing (freestanding) (opened 1975, closed 1992)
• Queens-Rego Park (freestanding) (opened 1950s, closed 1992, now Sears)
• White Plains (freestanding) (opened 1951, closed 1988, now location of Westchester Pavilion)
• Yonkers (strip mall anchor store) (opened 1977, closed 1992)

External links

• Red Ink Sinks Alexander's; Files Chapter 11
• Alexander's, Inc.,-Company History
• Changes Considered at Alexander's Units
• 1980's TV Ad