Rike Kumler Co.
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The Rike-Kumler Company (commonly known as Rike's) was an American
Rike's former main store in downtown Dayton was imploded in 1999 and is now the site of the
Rike's was well known for its annual tradition of animated Christmas window displays. The animated figurines were preserved and have been displayed yearly during the Christmas season at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center since its inception.[5]
History
Rike-Kumler Co
The company was established as the Rike-Kumler company in downtown Dayton, Ohio in 1853. They would remain independent until 1959 when they joined the
Elder-Beerman Antitrust Lawsuit
Beginning in 1961, the Rike-Kumler Co and parent company Federated Department Stores Inc, were subject to an antitrust lawsuit by competitor Beerman Stores, later Elder-Beerman, accusing the company of trying to smother competition in order to create a monopoly in the Dayton area. It alleged that the Rike-Kumler Co would tell suppliers not to sell to Elder-Beerman, or they would no longer buy from them, and due to their larger buying power, suppliers would choose Rike-Kumler.[12] The second suit, claiming damages of $15 million (~$108 million in 2023), was filed in 1966.[13] Elder-Beerman would be awarded damages of $1,275,097, later tripled to $3,750,291 in July 1969 by the U.S. District Court in Dayton. However, a three-judge federal appeals court would reverse the decision in April 1972, sending it back to the district court in Dayton. Rike's would leave the suit in November 1972, after reaching an undisclosed agreement out-of-court.[14]
Expansion and Merger
The company would continue to open mall-based stores in the early 1970s, including at the
References
- ^ "Federated Stores Acquires Rike-Kumler For 580,000 Shares". The Wall Street Journal. July 27, 1959. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ a b Flynn, Adrianne; Bland, Jim; Scruggs, Afi-Odelia E. (November 22, 1991). "A downtown retailing story". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ Huffman, Dale (October 3, 1999). "Rike's to go". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ DeBrosse, Jim (October 31, 1999). "Rike's building to go bing-bang-boom Saturday". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ Stewart, Chris. "Rike's Christmas window display". Dayton Daily News.
- ^ Ash, Agnes (July 24, 1959). "Big Ohio Store Joins Alliance". The Miami News. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Business Roundup". The Tampa Tribune. December 11, 1960. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Rain, Snow Stay Away Builders In High Gear". Dayton Daily News. September 20, 1961. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Opening Ceremony Slated Tomorrow". Journal Herald. November 1, 1961. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Platt, Brainard (August 17, 1963). "Rike's Opens Salem Branch Months Ahead Of Schedule". Journal Herald. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Clements, Bill (October 18, 1963). "Rike's, CORE End Hiring Dispute". The Dayton Daily News. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Heller, Karen (January 30, 1969). "Stifled, Says Beerman; Not So, Replies Rike's". Journal Herald Valley News. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Federated Stores Accused In Antitrust Suit In Dayton". The New York Times. July 2, 1966. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Out-of-court pact ends Beerman-Rike battling". The Journal Herald. November 6, 1972. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Buckhout, Wayne (April 6, 1982). "Federated Combines Shillito's, Rike's". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Shillito Rikes to merge with Lazarus stores". Dayton Daily News. January 19, 1986. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
External links
- Wright State University Rike Historical Collection (includes brief company history)