Quigley's Explained

Quigley's (also Quigley's Department Stores, Quigley's Variety Stores) was a chain of variety stores and junior department stores in Los Angeles County, California, from 1936 through 1990.

Roger Bemis (R. B.) Quigley retired from Woolworth's and opened the first Quigley's in 1936, near the corner of Sunset and Fairfax, just north of what is the border of West Hollywood today. At the time, there was little competition from supermarkets for the types of products that variety stores (or "five and dimes") sold. His slogan was "basic merchandise at a reasonable price" was his slogan.

In 1948 Quigley's was owned and operated by R. B. Quigley,[1] J. H. (James Harold) Quigley,[2] [3] and W. S. Manning.

Expansion

Stores were opened as follows:

style=text-align: middle; City/neighborhoodstyle=text-align: middle; Locationstyle=text-align: middle;       Opened      style=text-align: middle; Notesstyle=text-align: middle;  Source 
Hollywood7916 Sunset Bl. at Fairfax Av.First listed in the phone directory in the 1930s[4] [5]
Los Feliz1815 N. Vermont Av.by 1947[6]
Westchester8816 S. Sepulveda Bl.1953The building was part of Bed Bath & Beyond through 2021.[7] [8] [9]
Burbank1611 W. Verdugo Av. at OliveStaff of 20 in 1948, [10]
Windsor Hills4435 W. Slauson Av.
Van Nuys6711 Van Nuys Bl. at Vanowen[11]
Long BeachPlaza, 6428 E. Spring St.[12] [13]
Sherman OaksChase Knolls, 13401 Riverside at Fulton. Closed in 1990.[14] [15]
LakewoodCarwood, 4240 Woodruff at Carson[16] [17]
Belmont Shore5026 E. Second St.8th store upon opening, 4th store in Long Beach–Lakewood area[18] [19]
DowneyDowney Shopping CenterAfter 1961[20]
Azusa305 E. GladstoneAfter 1961[21]

The last store, Sherman Oaks, closed in 1990. Despite Quigley's calling itself a department store over the years, the Los Angeles Times put Quigley's squarely in the category of variety store. The newspaper reported that the staff prided itself on the slogan, "if you can’t find it any place else, Quigley’s has it."[22]

Quigley's Belmont Shore and Plaza were voted in the top 100 of most missed things in Long Beach, according to a poll by columnist Tim Grobaty[23] in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.[24]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Roger Bemis Quigley . FamilySearch . 28 March 2024.
  2. Web site: James Harold Quigley . Family Search.
  3. Web site: James H. Quigley . general merchandise. FamilySearch . United States Census . 28 March 2024 . 1950.
  4. News: Image 259 of California - Yellow Pages - Los Angeles Central Area - August 1953 A through MONEL . 28 March 2024 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. 1953.
  5. News: Image 116 of California - Yellow Pages - Los Angeles - September 1938 . 28 March 2024 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA . 1938.
  6. News: Classified ad for Quigley's at 1815 N. Vermont . 28 March 2024 . Los Angeles Evening Citizen News . 15 June 1944 . 22 . en.
  7. Web site: Image 259 of California - Yellow Pages - Los Angeles Central Area - August 1953 A through MONEL . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA . 28 March 2024.
  8. News: The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California . 28 March 2024 . Newspapers.com . 4 May 1958.
  9. 8816 S. Sepulveda Bl., Los Angeles . 28 March 2024 . Google Maps.
  10. News: Quigley's . Los Angeles Evening Citizen News . 22 November 1948 . 24.
  11. News: Advertisement for Quigley's Van Nuys grand opening . 28 March 2024 . The Van Nuys News . 4 November 1948 . 24.
  12. News: Advertisement for Plaza Shopping Center . 28 March 2024 . Press-Telegram . newspaperarchive.com . 16 October 1968 . Long Beach, California . 101 . en.
  13. News: Local Center Opening Set . 28 March 2024 . Independent . 21 June 1953 . 30.
  14. News: Belief in Valley's Future / Chase Knolls Shop Center . 28 March 2024 . The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet . 18 January 1955 . 11.
  15. News: New Quigley’s Store Open for Valley Shoppers Oct. 13 . 28 March 2024 . Valley News . 13 October 1955 . 47.
  16. News: Carwood Business Group Forms, Picks First Officers . 28 March 2024 . Independent . 31 May 1956 . 43.
  17. News: Ad for Carwood Center . 28 March 2024 . Press-Telegram . 16 October 1955 . 40.
  18. News: Quigley Department Store in Belmont Shore Opening Today…5026 E. Second St.…8 stores…4 in LB-Lakewood . 28 March 2024 . Press-Telegram . 4 May 1961 . 69.
  19. News: EPA parking fee plan out . 28 March 2024 . Independent . 9 February 1974 . 13.
  20. News: Downey Shopping Center ad . 28 March 2024 . The Los Angeles Times . 10 October 1963 . 186.
  21. Book: City Business Directory of Greater Los Angeles . 1961 . City Business Directory Publishers . 28 March 2024 . en.
  22. News: Klein . Karen E. . 'Masterpiece of a Store' Will Close Its Doors : Quigley's: For 37 years, it sold "all the bingles and bangles, the little nitty- gritty things no one else wanted to sell." . 28 March 2024 . Los Angeles Times . 12 April 1990.
  23. Web site: Tim Grobaty: books, biography, latest update . Amazon.com . 28 March 2024 . en-us.
  24. News: Tim Grobaty: Readers come up with extensive - ProQuest . 28 March 2024 . Press -Telegram . 31 July 2012 . en.