1970-Now

Carson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is a chain of traditional department stores that have been in business for over 150 years. Their product price points are targeted to the moderate-to-upscale shopper. more...

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1970-Now
Brain Teasers
$1 - $15
$15 - $30
$30 - $50
$50 - $75
$75 - $100
$100 - $200
$200 - $500
Jigsaw
100 - 249 Pieces
1000 Pieces
1001 - 1500 Pieces
250 - 499 Pieces
26 - 99 Pieces
500 Pieces
501 - 749 Pieces
750 - 999 Pieces
Mixed Lots
Over 1500 Pieces
Three-Dimensional
Under 25 Pieces
Other
Peg Puzzles
$1 - $15
$15 - $30
$30 - $50
$50 - $75
$75 - $100
$100 - $200
$200 - $500
Rubik's
$1 - $15
$15 - $30
$30 - $50
$50 - $75
$75 - $100
$100 - $200
$200 - $500
Sudoku
$1 - $15
$15 - $30
$30 - $50
$50 - $75
$75 - $100
$100 - $200
$200 - $500
Pre-1970

The majority of the stores are located in the Chicago metropolitan area, with more than 30 stores under the nameplate. But, as of February 21, 2007, the very famous downtown Chicago location closed.

The Carson Pirie Scott name is strongly associated with the historic Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building designed by Louis Sullivan, built in 1899 for the retail firm Schlesinger & Meyer, and expanded and sold to Carson Pirie Scott in 1904.

History

Beginnings

The chain began in 1854 when Samuel Carson opened a dry goods store in Amboy, Illinois, after he left Ireland. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed 60% of the store's stock. In 1961, Carson Pirie Scott & Co greatly expanded in Illinois by purchasing the 20 unit Block & Kuhl chain headquartered in Peoria.

In 1980, to diversify its business, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. borrowed $108 million to buy Dobbs Houses, Inc., an airline caterer and owner of the Toddle House and Steak n Egg Kitchen restaurant chains. These were sold in 1988.

By 1989, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. was acquired by P.A. Bergner & Co.[founded in Peoria illinois}, who operated the Bergner's, Charles V. Weise, Myers Brothers and Boston Store chains.

Bankruptcy

In 1991, P.A. Bergner & Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; upon emerging from bankruptcy in 1993, it became a NASDAQ publicly traded company, changing its operating name to Carson Pirie Scott & Co. One year later, the company commenced trading on the NYSE under the CRP symbol.

Acqusion by Proffitt's

By 1998, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. ownership was held by Proffitt's, Inc., (later renamed Saks Incorporated to reflect the acquisition of Saks Fifth Avenue). The Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's, and Boston Store chains, along with Younkers and Herberger's nameplates, eventually operated as Saks' Northern Department Store Group (NDSG), based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In late 2005, however, the group was put up for sale as Saks Incorporated tried to refocus itself primarily on its core Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Sale to The Bon-Ton

Carson's and its associated stores became part of The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. in a $1.1 billion deal completed on March 6, 2006. The group's base of merchandising and marketing operations remains in Milwaukee.

Read more at Wikipedia.org