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| Gimbels entered the Pittsburgh market in 1925 by purchasing the established Kaufman & Baer store, founded in 1914 by member of the Kaufmann family. |
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| The store name was changed to Gimbel Brothers by 1928 |
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| Gimbels, at 6th Avenue and Smithfield Street, was readily accepted by Pittburghers and became one of the Steel City's iconic department stores. |
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| "Nobody, but nobody, undersells Gimbels!" |
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| Read Michael Lisicky's excellent book about Gimbels |
Gimbel Brothers
Mellon Square
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
GRant 1-8400
First Floor
Sportswear Corner • Fashonia Lingerie • Accessories • Scarves • Gloves • Umbrellas • Hosiery • Almost Shoes • Millinery • Fashion Jewelry • The Real Thing • Fine Jewelry • Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Cosmetics • Hair Accessories • Small Accessories • The Strawberry Way • Candy • Notions • Personal Needs • Men’s Toiletries • Men’s Sweaters • Men’s Knit Shirts • Men’s Sport Shirts • Men’s Hosiery • Men’s Furnishings • Men’s Robes and Pajamas • Men’s Accessories • Men’s Neckwear • Men’s Underwear
Second Floor
Shops for Men Men’s Suits • Men’s Slacks • Men’s Coats • Smithfield Shop • University Shop • Now Shop • Men’s Shoes • Men’s Active Sportswear • Guitars and Records • Ski Trail lodge
Third Floor
Fashonia Dresses • Fashonia Coats • Fashonia Sportswear • Fashonia Blouses • Fashonia Sweaters • Fashonia Shoes • Tally Ho Sportswear • Casual Dresses • Women’s Shoes • Miss G Shoes • Shoe Salon • Loungewear • Sleepwear • Daywear • Robes • Inner Woman Shops • Junior Lingerie • Fur Salon
Fourth Floor
Place for Juniors • Junior World Dresses • Junior World Sportswear • Junior World Market Square Dresses • Junior World Market Square Sportswear • Miss G Dresses • Miss G Casual Dresses • Miss G Coats • Miss G Sportswear • Swim Cabana • Tally Ho Sportswear • Young Individualist Dresses • Country Corner • For Women Only • The Knit Shop • Discovery Four Shop • Gabrielle Sportswear • Gabrielle Dresses • Gabrielle After 5 Dresses • Gabrielle Coats and Suits • The Specialty Shop
Fifth Floor
Youth World Young Teens • Girls’ Clothing • Toddler Girls • Boys’ Clothing • Toddler Boys • Boys’ Furnishings • Children’s Accessories • Children’s Shoes • Children’s Sleepwear • Infant’s Apparel • ‘Her Place’
Lunches Limited Snack Shop • Books
Sixth Floor
Artificial Plants • Gifts • Decorative Accessories • Candle Shop • Pictures • Silverware • Luggage • Beauty Salon • Bridal Salon
Seventh Floor
Domestics and Bedding • Bath Shop • Fabric Shop • Art Needlework • TV/Radios • Cameras • Stationery • Sporting Goods • Studio 7
Eighth Floor
Sewing Machines • Vacuums • Appliances • Housewares • Small Electricals • Bridal Registry • Glassware • China • Garden Shop • Hardware • Kitchen Planning
Ninth Floor
Draperies • Drapery Accessories • Lamps • Floor Coverings • Replacement Cushions • Trim-the-Home Shop • Art Needlework
Tenth Floor
Furniture • Interior Design Studio • Slumber Shop • Home Planning Center
Eleventh Floor
Toys • Swimming Pools • Art Supplies • Travel Bureau
Twelfth Floor
Offices
Thirteenth Floor
Restaurant • Fur Storage
(700,000 s.f.)
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North Hills Village
Ross Township
1952
89,000 sq. ft.
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Eastland
East McKeesport
1963
200,000 sq. ft.
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South Hills Village
Upper St. Clair
1965
258,000 sq. ft.
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Monroeville Mall
Monroeville
1969
234,000 sq. ft.
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Beaver Valley Mall
Monaca
1970
204,000 sq. ft.
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Century III (1979)
West Mifflin
126,000 sq. ft.
Coming in due course.
does anyone know the name or brand of cash registers that Gimbels used in the 60s and 70s? They produced a 3part NCR receipt and the registers themselves looked like huge adding machines. On the top right corner was the authorization light if your credit was denied.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know the compant that made the delicious vanilla and chocolate caramels that were sold in the candy dept???rpowroznik@mckasd.net
ReplyDeleteGimbels ads for candy usually say "Made fresh daily in our own candy kitchen," or "Made and packed in our 12th floor candy kitchen." They were labeled "Gimbels Chocolates," "Gimbels Preferred Chocolates," or "Gimbels Select Chocolates." They also made a brand named "Charl-Mont Fine Candies" which was also advertised as "made fresh daily."
ReplyDeleteThe packaged candies of various high-end brand names that are around today cannot claim "made fresh in our kitchen" on the premises, but it was quite common in department stores of the past.
They had an open buttercream in dark and milk chocolate...genisee creams...they were my mom's favorite. I wish I could see them again...
DeleteI grew up in the area and the candy was the best the peanut butter cups were made right in the store and the candy counter drew large crowds and so did the bakery, the bakery made a very good rum cake. I now live in Philadelphia and several of us at our church are from Pittsburgh and we began talking about what a good store it was. I remember when they had layaway and when it opened in the Beaver Valley Mall. If it could be sold Gimbels had it. They designed kitchens and did interior design for the rest of the home sending out a representative to sit down and help you plan your space, It is really missed by the people of the city of Pittsburgh and the rest of western Pennsylvania. The receipts were put in the registers manually the top copy was blue and white the second copy was white and the last copy was yellow.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the cash registers was I believe Unitote They were used when Gimbels purchased them I think they actually came from either Hornes or kaufmanns About half the training department spent most of the fall training part timers for the Christmas Rush I owrked for them at one time but left before they closed in 1986 Heard BAT just didn't want them anymore
ReplyDeleteGimbels was Pittsburgh's affordable department store. I still have a beautiful danish walnut end table which I refinished. So many great Gimbels memories. The best candy ever. My Mom worked at the competition, Donahoe's, but she always said Gimbels candies were the best.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the talking tree in Gimbels toy dept. at Christmas?
ReplyDeleteGimbels Midwest used Regitel electronic registers.
ReplyDeleteYes! I remember the Talking Tree!! My mother took me there every year when I was young..North Hills Village location.
ReplyDeleteGimbals also had the best bakery in the city - bran muffins, bear's claws couldn't be beat. I wonder if the recipes exist anywhere
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember the Talking Tree, too! I had a friend who was the "voice" of the Talking Tree!
ReplyDeleteThe North Hills actually opened in 1957, as I've viewed in the Pittsburgh Press on Google Newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate enough to have the store directory form this great store hanging in my hallway. I was part of a small group that got to do the last walk thru of the whole store before the demolition started to make it H J Heinz headquarters. No one had been in that store's upper floors since the day it closed back in 1983. It was creepy, sad, and exciting all bundled into one. What a great store that must have been. I now collect department store memorabilia, and LOVE this site!
ReplyDeleteMy Mother help Mr. Gimbal bale the basement from the big flood of 1936.Allot of merchandise was lost at that time. My mother worked in fine jewelry till the late 1940's.
ReplyDeleteWhen my mother moved to California and got married, Mr. Gimbal sent her a sterling silver set of flat-ware as a wedding gift. I still have that set today.
Thanks to Gimbals
I worked as a part time elevator operator at the downtownPittsburgh Gimbels store. My bosses were George Green, Ernest Ramsey and George Curtis. It was a nice place with very nice people.
ReplyDeleteVito Capaccio
Every Saturday, I used to "shop" in downtown Pittsburgh. I would start at Kaufmann's, then Saks, then Gimbels, and finally Joseph Horne Co (as it was at the other end of downtown). Lunch was always at Gimbels - in the downstairs (basement level) restaurant which I think was called the Plum Tree. Their food was much better than the food at rival Kaufmann's Tic Toc restaurant. Does anyone else remember this little restaurant? Those were the days. Now all are gone except Macy's - - boring as ever. It's a shame that the young people today will never have this experience consumer choice of all those stores
ReplyDeleteHow could anyone forget the Bargain Basement!! Oh, the deals that could be found there. I still have a cable knit cardigan sweater that I bought there in 1972.
ReplyDelete