Remember these Miami stores? See what Spec’s, Burdines, Kress and others looked like
Miami Herald Archives
·1 min read
It’s shopping season. Even though Black Friday is in the rear-view mirror, there’s still plenty of presents to buy.
Maybe you’ll head to Jordan Marsh or Burdines for cosmetics or a new dress. Perhaps to Incredible Universe for electronics. Eckerd always has last-minute holiday gifts in the aisles. Or maybe you want to browse Luria’s jewelry cases. Oh, Spec’s surely has the latest record or concert tickets in the back window.
Yes, we’re in a time warp.
Before Walmart and Target and Costco came to town, Miami had a different shopping landscape. Many of the stores were locally owned or managed.
Alas, those stores are gone. How we loved them so.
Do you have a favorite store no longer around?
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and through the Miami Herald photo archives to revisit some of the lost stores of South Florida.
Burdines
Burdines in downtown Miami.
Burdines’ Royal Palm Cafe, featuring a salad bar in 1983.
Burdines department store on South Miami Avenue at First Street in 1933.
Luria’s
Peter Luria President of Luris’s in front of the Coral Gables store.
Food Fair
A Food Fair in Florida, a precursor to Pantry Pride and later Woolley’s..
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise in Hialeah.
Blockbuster
A Blockbuster Video store at Alton Road and 15th Street in 1995.
Eckerd
Jack Eckerd in 1968 at one of his Eckerd drugstores.
Levitz
A Levitz store.
Jefferson
In 1966, the three-story Jefferson in downtown Miami.
A new South Florida Jefferson store in 1962.
Syms
Syms at 5300 NW 12th Ave. in Miami.
Spec’s
Spec’s in the 1950s.
Woolworth
Woolworth on Lincoln Road in South Beach.
Woolworth downtown Miami store reopens in November 1990 after a fire. Elena Alonso was the first person into the store when it opened after a fire gutted the store in May. The store, which has been downtown since the 1930s, was back in business for the holidays much to the delight of people who shop downtown.
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh in Fort Lauderdale.
Jordan Marsh interior.
Incredible Universe
Customerslook at computers at Incredible Universe store near Miami International Airport in 1995.
Kresge
Christmas shoppers filled the S.S. Kresge Store in downtown Lexington on Dec. 9, 1948. S.S. Kresge, a Detroit, Mich., company, brought their 5 and 10 cent stores to Lexington in 1912. The downtown store was at 250 West Main Street, across from Cheapside Park. The store closed in 1967 and is now the site of the Lexington Financial Center, also known as the “Big Blue Building.” The Kresge was renamed Kmart Corp. in 1977.
Kmart
In January 2002, Gary McDonald leaves Big Kmart on Northwest 57th Avenue and 183rd Street after picking up a few home supplies.
Kress
The Kress store on Flagler Street in Miami at the time it was going out of business in 1980.
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