Store Profiles: Meier & Frank

Meier & Frank dates to a small dry goods store opened in 1857 in Portland, Oregon by Aaron Meier. In 1873, he was joined by business partner Emil Frank, and the store became known as Meier & Frank. Emil would soon leave the relationship, replaced with his son Sigmund. When Meier died one day in 1889 while eating breakfast, Sigmund Frank took control of the store, assisted by Meier's widowed wife.

The store was expanded in 1891, and in 1898, the store moved into it's own building. In the subsequent years, the store was continually expanded until it covered an entire city block by 1932. In 1955, the company opened a 185,000 sq. ft. store in Salem, Oregon, it's second store.

In 1966, the store was sold to the May Company, which continued to expand the chain throughout the Northwest. In 2002, most of May's ZCMI stores in Utah were converted to the Meier & Frank concept. Also in 2002, Meier & Frank's corporate offices were consolidated with Robinsons-May in Los Angeles.

Although the Meier & Frank flagship will become Macy's tomorrow, the City of Portland named the block that the store sits on "Meier & Frank Square", thus, the new Macy's will be known as Macy's at Meier & Frank Square.

Meier & Frank: 1857 to September 9, 2006 at 9:30am PST.