The family legacy in retail that would become the Jacksonville-based Stein Mart department store chain took root in 1908 when Sam Stein, a Russian immigrant, opened a general merchandise store in Greenville, Mississippi, a small town in the state’s delta region.
It died Aug. 12 when the discount fashion retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began liquidation sales at its nearly 300 stores in 30 states.
Changing shopping patterns, sales declines and COVID-19 all contributed to the death.
When Sam Stein retired in 1932, his son, Jake, took over the family business. The second generation shifted the focus to discount clothing and opened the first Stein Mart department store in 1964.
Read the rest of this story from WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record.
