Nancy Talbot
Nancy Talbot | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nancy Orr August 17, 1920 |
| Died | August 30, 2009 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Nancy Talbot |
| Alma mater | Radcliffe College |
| Occupation | businesswoman |
| Known for | founding Talbots |
| Spouse | Rudolf |
Nancy Talbot (August 17, 1920 – August 30, 2009) was an American businesswoman who co-founded the Talbots women's retail clothing chain with her husband, Rudolf Talbot.[1]
Early life and career
Nancy Orr was born in 1920
The couple returned to the United States. Her father-in-law opened a Johnny Appleseed clothing store in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1945, but died suddenly, which forced Rudolf Talbot to take over the business.[1] Rudolf Talbot dropped the Johnny Appleseed franchise in 1947, because he disliked the clothing he was selling.[1] Rudolf and Nancy started a new clothing store, which they first called "The Talbots."[3] The business eventually became known as Talbots and soon moved to a single-family clapboard house in Hingham, Massachusetts.[1][3] The couple painted the Talbots store's door red, which remains a trademark of Talbots stores up to the present day.[1][4]
In 1949, the couple distributed 3,000 fliers to potential customers from
Nancy and Rudolf opened three new stores in
The Talbots sold their company, along with its four existing stores at the time, to General Mills in 1973.[1] In the late 1980s, the company expanded into California.[3]
Nancy Talbot remained at Talbots as a vice president until her retirement in 1983.[1] By the time she retired, Talbots had grown to approximately 30 stores with a catalog circulation of more than 10 million copies per year.[1] As of 2009, Talbots had 586 locations and more than $1.5 billion in revenue.[1]
Personal life
Nancy Talbot married Rudolph Talbot in 1945. The couple had two daughters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Rudolf Talbot died in 1987.[1]
Nancy Talbot died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on August 30, 2009, at her home in Boulder, Colorado, at the age of 89.[1]
References
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ "NANCY TALBOT: 1920–2009". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ a b c d e Nelson, Valerie J. (2009-09-05). "Nancy Talbot dies at 89; co-founder of women's clothing store Talbots". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (2022-09-08). "Talbots Celebrates 75 Years in Business, But Looks Ahead, Not Back". WWD. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ Shohet, Nancy (2016-07-08). "About to celebrate its 70th year, Talbots finds its groove – The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.