J.CREW

In 1947 Mitchell Ciander and Saul Charles found this popular retail store. The original name of the company was Popular Merchandise. The store did its business as Popular Club Plan. They began by selling low priced women's clothing. In the 1980's sales started booming. The idea behind J.CREW, Lands' End, Talbots, and L. L. Bean were to provide leisurewear for the upper and middle class that was based on the same style of Ralf Lauren but these stores were much less expensive. in 1989 Popular Merchandise, Inc became known as J.Crew, Inc. The first retail store was opened in 1989 in South Street Seaport in down Manhattan. As of January 2011 there are 248 stores, there are 217 J.Crew stores, 27 Madewell stores, 9 crewcuts stores, and 85 J.Crew factory outlets.