Benny's
Company type | Store |
---|---|
Industry | Discount retail |
Founded | November 9, 1924Providence, Rhode Island | ,
Founder | Benjamin Bromberg |
Defunct | December 11, 2017 |
Fate | Closed permanently as a result of a business decision |
Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 31 (September 8, 2017)[1] |
Area served | Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut |
Owner | Arnold Bromberg Howard Bromberg Judy Rosenstein |
Number of employees | 715 (September 8, 2017)[1] |
Website | hellobennys |
Benny's was a New England–based discount retail chain founded in 1924 in Providence, Rhode Island, and having operated in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.[2][3] The main company offices were located in Esmond, Smithfield, Rhode Island.[4] On September 8, 2017, the company announced that it would be closing all 31 of its operating locations,[5] and its last location in Greenville, Rhode Island, closed permanently on December 11, 2017.[6]
History
Benjamin Bromberg (1901–1966) was born in
Closure
On September 8, 2017, Benny's announced that it would be closing all 31 stores.[1] This stirred minor controversy among its employees, as a portion of them found out by indirect means such as social media and claimed that they received no formal notice from corporate.[16][17] The oldest store at the time of the company's closure was located on Park Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island, having been operating since 1938.[18] The final Benny's store, located in Greenville, Rhode Island, closed on December 11, 2017.[6] Twenty-nine of the 31 Benny's store locations were purchased by the Carpionato Group, a development company based in Johnston, Rhode Island.[19] Following the final store's closure, the company faced minor controversy regarding a lack of severance pay for its former employees.[20]
Since the company's closure, several former store locations have fallen into disrepair. The roof collapsed on the former Benny's in East Wareham, Massachusetts, in January 2018.[21] In May 2018, a fire broke out at one of the former Benny's in Seekonk, Massachusetts.[22] Some of the former stores were sold by the Carpionato Group to other retail chains, including Dollar General, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, and Ocean State Job Lot.[23][24]
An auction was held at the Benny's corporate offices in June 2018. Store-use machinery, shelving units, delivery trucks, and returned defective merchandise were among the items auctioned.[25][26]
Legacy
The announcement of the company's closure shocked many customers, as Benny's was considered a southern New England icon.[1] As a near century-old local retail store, customers shared their nostalgia for the store online.[14][27] Local businesses expressed their condolences for Benny's closure.[28]
A musical titled Benny's: The Musical was produced in tribute to the defunct company and was performed in Providence in March and May 2018.[29]
Benny's was used as a film location in Labor Day[30][31] and The Polka King.[32]
Locations
During its 93-year period of operations, Benny's had stores in the following locations:
Rhode Island
- Arctic (Closed in 1977)[33]
- Bristol
- Coventry
- Cranston (Two locations: 148 Atwood Avenue & 819 Park Avenue)
- Cumberland (Closed in 2005)
- East Greenwich
- East Providence
- Greenville (Closed in 2017)
- Middletown
- Providence
- Wakefield
- Warwick (Two locations [at the time of closings]: 1109 Warwick Avenue & 2574 West Shore Road)
- Westerly
Massachusetts
- Dennisport
- East Wareham
- Fairhaven
- Fall River
- Mansfield
- Middleboro
- North Attleboro
- Plymouth
- Raynham
- Seekonk
- South Dartmouth
- Taunton (Opened in 1962)[34]
Connecticut
- Danielson
- Groton
- South Killingly
- New London (Closed in 1980s)
- Norwichtown
- Old Saybrook
- Putnam (Closed in 1980s)
- Waterford (Closed in February 2017)[35]
- Willimantic (Closed in 2007)[36]
See also
- Ocean State Job Lot – Another similar but larger Rhode Island–based discount retail chain.
- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet – A similar but significantly larger Pennsylvania-based discount retail chain.
- Tuesday Morning – One of the original and largest discount retail chains in the United States.
- Building 19 – A similar Massachusetts-based discount retail chain in New England, also now defunct.
References
- ^ a b c d "Benny's closing all 31 locations by end of 2017". turnto10.com. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "About – Benny's Your Favorite Store". hellobennys.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ "Benny's, Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ "Benny's stores, with locations in Middleboro, Raynham and Mansfield, is closing its doors". enterprisenews.com. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
- ^ "Benny's to close all 31 stores this year". WTNH Connecticut News. 2017-09-08. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ a b Naylor, Donita. "Bye bye, Benny's: Bittersweet end of a retail era". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM8S-66D : accessed 29 August 2018), Benjamin Bromberg, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 10, sheet 39B, line 85, family 256, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2176; FHL microfilm 2,341,910.
- ^ Providence Journal, County ed., 22 Aug. 1966, p. 31. NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2:14728889532D3B69@EANX-NB-1649135A2527D745@2439360-1648D25866B892C4@30-1648D25866B892C4@. Accessed 29 Aug. 2018.
- ^ Arditi, Lynn. "Benny's celebrates 90 years with a cap and a nod". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ "Flora Y. Bromberg Was co-founder with her husband of Benny's Home and Auto Stores." Providence Journal (RI), CITY FINAL ed., sec. NEWS, 13 Dec. 1991, pp. F-04. NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=news/1525B93E6BF66118. Accessed 29 Aug. 2018.
- ^ Providence Journal, Three Star ed., 9 Nov. 1924, p. 44. NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2:14728889532D3B69@EANX-NB-162FD397CE417FCF@2424099-162E2592E8695450@43-162E2592E8695450@. Accessed 11 Aug. 2018.
- ^ Howell, John. "Benny's closing stuns loyal customers". rhodybeat.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Anderson, Patrick. "Neighborhood of the Week: With Benny's closing, Esmond village wonders what's next". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ a b Thompson, Mark. "Benny's in East Greenwich, 1936-2017". eastgreenwichnews.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Weaver, Margaret. "Where were you 10 years ago?" (PDF). Killingly Villager. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ Gravelle, Kendra. "Benny's to close all 31 stores by year's end". ricentral.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Kalunian, Kim. "Benny's employees offered help as chain hints at future of real estate". WPRI. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Providence Journal, 21 Dec. 1938, p. 20. NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2:14728889532D3B69@EANX-NB-15D37BBC197ADB31@2429254-15D362C3559D51E6@19-15D362C3559D51E6@. Accessed 29 Aug. 2018.
- ^ Nesi, Ted. "Carpionato to buy nearly all Benny's store locations". wpri.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Kalunian, Kim. "Laid-off Benny's employees frustrated about lack of severance pay". wpri.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ "Benny's building condemned after partial roof collapse caused by strong wind - By Lydia Goerner". 2018-01-05. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
- ^ Peterson, Stephen. "Fire hits former Benny's store in Seekonk". thesunchronicle.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Parker, Paul Edward. "Ocean State Job Lot to open in 3 former Benny's stores in Rhode Island". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ Peterson, Stephen. "Dollar General opens in Mansfield at former Benny's". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Benny's equipment to be sold in online auction". turnto10.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Towne, Shaun. "All that's left of Benny's now up for auction". WPRI. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Hilario, Mario. "Last Benny's store closes Monday". turnto10.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ @OlneyvilleNYSys (September 9, 2017). "Our parking lot was once one of the first #Bennys locations until 1988. #olneyville #providence #rhodeisland" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Perry, Jack. "'Benny's: The Musical' coming to AS220 in Providence". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ Sun Chronicle Staff. "Lights, Camera, Benny's: Mansfield store plays a role in 'Labor Day' film". thesunchronicle.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ Hyman, Rebecca. "'Labor Day' made a scene at Mansfield Benny's". norton.wickedlocal.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ Nadeau, Joseph B. "'The Polka King' reigns on Netflix". Woonsocket Call. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ The Providence Journal, Metro ed., 27 Nov. 1977, p. 416. Via NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2:14728889532D3B69@EANX-NB-164C06C135D39A83@2443475-164A261F6A306F61@415-164A261F6A306F61@. Accessed 29 Aug. 2018.
- ^ Winokoor, Charles. "Raynham Benny's celebrates half-century mark". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ Shanahan, Martha. "Benny's in Waterford will close Feb. 28". theday.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ "Main St. mainstay closes After decades, Benny's shuts its doors." The Chronicle (Willimantic, CT), sec. Front, 3 Jan. 2007, p. 01. Via NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=news/116703641429C228. Accessed 29 Aug. 2018.