Bealls' Cologne Conundrum: Real Or Replica?

Bealls is a privately held company, owned by the founding family and its employees. The store was started in 1915 by Robert M. Beall Sr. in Bradenton, Florida, and has since expanded to over 550 stores across the country. Bealls sells a variety of items, including clothing, shoes, handbags, housewares, toys, and furniture, and is known for offering discounts of up to 70% off competitors' prices. While it is not explicitly mentioned whether Bealls sells real cologne, the company does specialize in retailing brand-name apparel, accessories, and cosmetics, which may include fragrances.

Bealls' history

Bealls is a privately held company, owned by the founding family and its employees. The store was founded in 1915 by 22-year-old Robert M. Beall Sr., who opened a dry goods store in Bradenton, Florida, called "Dollar Limit". He invested his entire savings in merchandise, and even used empty wooden packing crates as display tables. In 1920, the store was renamed the V-Dollar Limit Store as the maximum price went up to five dollars. Business thrived during the Florida land boom of the 1920s and, within a few years, Beall had purchased a vacant lot and built a new modern department store, which opened in 1924.

However, the Florida boom ended soon after, and the stock market crash hit Beall hard. He was unable to pay his debts and lost his business to the bank, but he stayed on as manager throughout the depression. In 1944, after paying off his debts, he managed to buy back the company. In 1946, Robert was joined by his son E.R. as a junior partner, and they renamed the business Bealls Department Store.

Air conditioning and an influx of new residents in the 1950s began to transform Florida. In 1957, the second Bealls Department store was opened in Bradenton's Westgate Shopping Center, and a third store followed in 1961 at the Venice Shopping Center in Venice, Florida. E.R. developed the new chain while his father ran the original downtown store until just before his death in 1979. During the 1960s and 1970s, Florida experienced rapid growth, and Bealls stores grew with it. In 1980, Robert M. Beall II became president of the corporation, becoming the third generation at the helm.

E.R. Beall had noticed the growth of outlet stores in North Carolina, and in 1987, Bealls ventured into the off-price channel. After a few initial setbacks, Bealls Outlet quickly caught on. In 1992, Bealls opened its first out-of-Florida Outlet in Arizona and soon expanded to Georgia. Now, Bealls Outlet operates in many different states under the names Bealls Outlet and Burkes Outlet.

In 2020, Bealls bought Stage Stores' intellectual property and acquired the rights to the Bealls name nationwide, as well as the rights to all of Stage's different chains, private labels, and customer lists. In 2022, they sold the rights to the Stage Stores chains (excluding Bealls) to BrandX. In April 2023, it was announced that Bealls Outlet & Burkes Outlet would be rebranded to "bealls", and that Bealls (in Florida) would be renamed Bealls Florida.

Today, Bealls is a family-owned retail corporation with headquarters in Bradenton, Florida. The company operates more than 550 stores under the names Bealls, Bealls Florida, Home Centric, and Rugged Earth Outfitters. Bealls stores are known for offering a wide range of apparel, shoes, handbags, housewares, toys, and furniture at discounted prices.

Bealls' product range

Bealls is a privately held company, owned by the founding family and its employees. The store was founded in 1987 by E.R. Beall, the son of Bealls Department Store founder, Robert M. Beall, Sr. Bealls began as a chain of outlets in Florida, with three initial locations, but has since expanded across the United States, now serving communities in over 22 states with more than 550 stores.

The mission of Bealls is to offer great prices on the latest trends in clothing, accessories, and home and beauty products. The retailer aims to help shoppers find a balance between their busy lives and budgets. Bealls offers a wide variety of items, including apparel, shoes, handbags, housewares, toys, and furniture, from well-known brands, designers, and name brands.

Bealls Florida specifically caters to the needs of Florida families and visiting guests who enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle. The retailer offers clothing, home goods, shoes, and swimwear.

Bealls also operates under the name Home Centric, providing an ever-changing selection of high-quality and timeless home merchandise with an eclectic mix of styles.

Bealls' locations

Bealls is a privately held company, owned by the founding family and its employees. The store was founded in 1915 as Bealls Florida and now has more than 70 stores in the state of Florida. The first Bealls outlets were opened in 1987 in Arizona and Florida, with the first store in Bay Minette, Alabama, opening in 1998. Now, Bealls has over 550 stores across more than 22 states.

Bealls Florida stores specialise in clothing, shoes, and home décor that fit the Florida lifestyle. This includes clothing for women, men, and children, as well as shoes for the beach, boat, water, board, golf, and office. Bealls Florida also offers tropical and coastal home décor, bed and bath, dining, and kitchen accessories.

Bealls stores can be found in the following locations in Florida:

• Indian Harbour Beach
• Orlando: Southchase Shopping Center, Waterford Lakes, Colonial Plaza, and Lee Vista Promenades

Bealls also has stores in over 22 states across the country, including Alabama.

Bealls' online shopping

Bealls is a privately held company, owned by the founding family and its employees. The store was started in 1915 by Robert M. Beall Sr., who opened a dry goods store in Bradenton, Florida, called "Dollar Limit". The business was renamed the V-Dollar Limit Store in 1920, and by the 1950s, the Bealls family had opened two more department stores in Florida.

Today, Bealls is a retail corporation with over 650 stores across more than 22 states, operating under the names Bealls, Bealls Florida, Home Centric, and Rugged Earth Outfitters. The company mission is to offer great prices on the latest trends in clothing, shoes, accessories, and homeware.

Bealls offers online shopping through its website, with free shipping on orders over $99. The website offers a 10% discount on online-only purchases, excluding gift cards and clearance products. Bealls' online shopping experience includes a store locator, allowing customers to find their nearest physical store.

The company has a strong commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. The Bealls Charitable Foundation, established with proceeds from the sale of the original downtown store, has provided scholarships to over 600 employees and their dependents. Bealls also contributes to organisations such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and the American Cancer Society, and sponsors Take Stock in Children, a mentorship programme for at-risk children in Florida.

Bealls' reputation

Bealls is a well-known and reputable retail company with a long history in the United States. The original Bealls, founded in 1915, is a Florida-based retail corporation with headquarters in Bradenton, Florida. It operates more than 650 stores under different names, including Bealls, Bealls Florida, Home Centric, and Rugged Earth Outfitters. The company has a strong reputation for offering a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares, at affordable prices.

Bealls Florida, previously known as Bealls Department Store, was established when 22-year-old Robert M. Beall Sr. opened a dry goods store in Bradenton, Florida, in 1915. The store initially sold merchandise priced at $1 or less, with empty wooden packing crates serving as display tables. Over the years, the business evolved, and by the 1950s, Bealls Florida had expanded to multiple locations across the state. The company has a reputation for resilience, having survived economic downturns, including the Florida land boom crash and the stock market crash in the 1920s.

It is important to distinguish between the Florida-based Bealls and the Texas-based Bealls chain, formerly owned by Stage Stores. The two companies were not affiliated, although they overlapped in some markets, with the Florida chain operating as Burkes Outlet in those regions. In 2020, the Florida-based Bealls acquired the rights to the Bealls name nationwide from Stage Stores, along with the rights to their other chains, private labels, and customer lists. This move solidified the Florida-based Bealls' reputation as a prominent and expanding retail presence in the United States.

Bealls has a reputation for providing great value to its customers by offering a wide variety of items for the home and family at prices up to 70% off the competition. Their expert buyers scour the market daily for unique purchases and negotiate deep discounts with manufacturers worldwide. Bealls also has a strong commitment to its community and has been involved with various charitable initiatives. The company established a charitable foundation named for its founder, which has provided scholarships to employees and their dependents. Additionally, Bealls has contributed to organizations such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and the American Cancer Society, demonstrating its dedication to social responsibility.

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