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| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| |
| Industry | Retail |
| Genre | Department stores |
| Founded | 1938; 88 years ago (1938) inMineral Springs,Arkansas, United States |
| Founder | William T. Dillard |
| Headquarters | Little Rock,Arkansas, United States |
Number of locations | 272 (2025) |
Area served | United States[a] |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Revenue |  US$6.9 billion (2022) |
 US$207.962 million (2018) | |
| US$170.263 million (2018) | |
| Total assets | US$3.431 billion (2018) |
| Total equity | US$1.678 billion (2018) |
Number of employees | approx. 29,600 (2023) |
| Website | dillards |
| Footnotes / references [1][2][3] | |
Dillard's, Inc. is an Americandepartment store chain founded in 1938 byWilliam T. Dillard. It is headquartered inLittle Rock, Arkansas, and operates approximately 272 stores in 30 states.[4] Currently, the largest number of stores are located inTexas with 57 andFlorida with 42.
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Dillard's is the outgrowth of a department store founded in 1938 byWilliam T. Dillard; its corporate headquarters remain located at the eastern edge ofLittle Rock'sRiverdale area and many of its executives and directors are members of the Dillard family. The family retains control of the company through its ownership of Class B Common Stock; the Class A common stock is publicly traded on theNew York Stock Exchange.[5]Dillard began his first store inMineral Springs, Arkansas, in what was locally known as "the tater house". It was located across the street from the community's Methodist church. The building that housed the original store was torn down in the early 2000s. Dillard sold the original five and dime store inNashville, Arkansas, to develop a department store inTexarkana, Arkansas, initially as the minority partner in Wooten & Dillard. In 1956, Dillard led an investment group that acquired the Mayer & Schmidt store inTyler, Texas. This store eventually took on the name "Dillard's Mayer & Schmidt" until 1974, when it was replaced with a mall-based location south of downtown Tyler.
In 1960, Dillard acquired and turned around the failing Brown-Dunkin store inTulsa, Oklahoma. The success of this turnaround was followed in late 1963 by acquiring the Joseph Pfeifer store inLittle Rock, Arkansas, and in early 1964 acquiring the other main store in Little Rock, Gus Blass Co. Dillard used this as an opportunity to relocate his headquarters to Little Rock. In 1969, Dillard and his investors took Dillard Department Stores, Inc., public on theAmerican Stock Exchange.
The chain then expanded rapidly as an anchor insuburbanshopping malls, and took advantage of market conditions to acquire smaller chains and its ability to turn around locations that other companies could not operate profitably. Expansion of the Dillard's chain increased rapidly during the 1970s, mainly through expanding into new malls being built in smaller cities inTexas.
In 1971, five Texas units were acquired from Fedway, a division ofFederated Department Stores; the stores were rebranded as Dillard's in 1972. In 1974, five Leonard's stores were acquired inFort Worth, and a commitment to open a new downtown Fort Worth store at theTandy Center, the site of the original Leonard's. Also in 1974, the former Brown-Dunkin, Blass, Pfeifer and Mayer & Schmidt stores were fully renamed Dillard's.
In the 1980s, the company purchased many local chains. In 1982, Dillard's leased three units of the defunct Lowenstein's chain inMemphis, Tennessee. In early 1984, Dillard's acquired 12Stix, Baer & Fuller stores inSt. Louis andKansas City fromAssociated Dry Goods Corp. In fall 1984, two department store divisions were purchased fromDayton-Hudson Corporation:Diamond's andJohn A. Brown, with locations inArizona,Nevada andOklahoma. Twelve stores in Kansas and Missouri belonging toR. H. Macy & Co.'s Midwest Division, which was later dissolved in 2006, were acquired in early 1986, while the three-unit Hemphill-Wells company in West Texas was purchased in the summer. The stores atSunset Mall inSan Angelo andSouth Plains Mall inLubbock were both converted, and the third in downtown Lubbock was closed.[6]
In 1987, Dillard's purchased 26 ofJoske's 27 stores in Texas andArizona and the four-unitCain-Sloan chain inNashville, Tennessee, fromAllied Stores Corp. This deal gave Dillard's two major anchor locations at several malls in Texas and Arizona with many of the second locations being converted to a separate, expanded home and men's stores, a format that Dillard's utilized greatly, both to grow its store size cost-effectively and to prevent competitors from gaining valuable real estate. Additionally, the Joske's acquisition gave Dillard's entry into the Houston market. That same year, Dillard's co-founded CDI Contractors, a construction company that would help build, remodel, and repair most of its locations, with William "Bill" Clark and Braggs Electric Construction Company.[7]
Dillard's in 1988 acquired the formerSelber Bros. clothing department store chain, founded in 1907 inShreveport, Louisiana, which also had a few locations in Texas.[8]
In 1988, Dillard's purchased the three-unitMiller & Paine chain inLincoln,Nebraska, as well as more significantly, a half-interest and operational control ofThe Higbee Co., based inCleveland, Ohio, with partnerEdward J. DeBartolo Corp.D. H. Holmes Co., Ltd., of New Orleans, was purchased in 1989, bringing 18 units primarily in Louisiana, as well two formerDiamond's units inTucson, Arizona.
TheIvey's chain of 23 stores in Florida,North Carolina andSouth Carolina was acquired from BATUS in 1990. This was followed byMaison Blanche selling eight stores on Florida's Gulf Coast to them in 1991. The locations were atTyrone Square Mall (1973),University Square Mall,WestShore Plaza (both 1974),Countryside Mall (1976),Southgate Plaza (1978),Edison Mall,Coastland Center (both 1985), andLakeland Square Mall (1988). In 1992, the remaining interest in the Higbee's stores was acquired, as well as five Ohio stores fromHorne's (as part of a legal settlement, Dillard's having canceled a 1988 deal to acquire the chain).
Also in 1992, three stores from theHess's chain liquidation (five other former Hess's were acquired in 1994), twoE. M. Scarbrough's locations inAustin, Texas, twoThalhimer's in South Carolina and Tennessee, a formerLord & Taylor store atOak Court Mall inMemphis, Tennessee and three Belk-Lindsey stores in Florida (Gulf View, DeSoto, and Eastlake). Except for two Belk of Columbia stores that were acquired in 1995, acquisitions were eschewed for a couple of years until early 1997 with the purchase of 15 stores—10Mervyn's boxes in Florida and five southern Virginia stores fromProffitt's that were acquired from Hess's in 1993. The Mervyn's deal included five purchased from Lord & Taylor in 1991:Cutler Ridge Mall (1982),Coral Square (1984),Miami International Mall,Boynton Beach Mall (both 1985), andTreasure Coast Square (1987). Three additional stores were acquired from Jordan Marsh in 1992:Pompano Fashion Square (1970),Broward Mall (1978), andMelbourne Square (1983), and the remaining two at Lakeland Square Mall (1986) andPembroke Lakes Mall (1992). The Proffitt's conversion gave them two that were also taken over from Rices Nachmans in 1985 atColiseum Mall (1973) andPembroke Mall (1981), and three newly built storesPatrick Henry Mall,Greenbrier Mall (both 1987), andChesapeake Square (1988). Three suburbanMacy's stores inHouston atWillowbrook Mall,Deerbrook Mall (both 1984), andBaybrook Mall (1985) were absorbed while the location atThe Galleria (1986) was not affected.
In 1994, an agreement was signed between Dillard's,Wal-Mart andCifra to open up to 50 stores in Mexico under the Dillard's nameplate, with six stores set to open in 1995 and 1996.[9][10] The first store would have been located atPlaza Fiesta San Agustin, however it never opened.[10]
The deal-making culminated with the purchase ofMercantile Stores Co., Inc., in 1998. The purchase of this Fairfield, Ohio-based department store company brought several chains, includingBacon's,Castner Knott,de Lendrecie's,Gayfers, Glass Block,Hennessy's,J.B. White,Joslins,Lion Store,Maison Blanche,McAlpin's, Root's andThe Jones Store. Dillard's sold 26 stores of the former Mercantile Stores toMay Department Stores Co. andSaks Incorporated and traded an additional seven stores toBelk for nine of theirs in southern Virginia andChattanooga, Tennessee. Overall this deal enabled Dillard's to enhance its position in several markets in the South, Midwest and Mountain states.
Also in 1998, the chain enteredCalifornia, opening its first store in a formerWeinstock's atWeberstown Mall inStockton, California.[11] In 1999, Dillard's opened stores atMall of Georgia andArbor Place Mall nearAtlanta.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2021) |
After the acquisition of Mercantile, Dillard's ceased expanding through acquisitions, although eight locations of the defunctMontgomery Ward in the Midwest, and four locations fromZCMI in Utah and Idaho were acquired in 2001, when stores opened atChandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Arizona,The Mall at Stonecrest inLithonia, Georgia,The Mall at Wellington Green inWellington, Florida,International Plaza and Bay Street inTampa, Florida, andThe Shops at Willow Bend inPlano, Texas.
In 2004, Dillard's store credit card operation, operated as Dillard's National Bank, was sold toGE Money Bank. Customers can now be issued Dillard's/American Express cards as well as the traditional Dillard's store charge cards. These cards can be used at any store that accepts theAmerican Express brand.
In 2005, Dillard's opened stores atPerimeter Mall andAtlantic Station inAtlanta,Georgia as well asSt. Johns Town Center inJacksonville, Florida, and California's third and latest store atImperial Valley Mall inEl Centro, California.
In 2008, Dillard's closed their travel agency, Dillard's Travel, alongside all in-store locations due to economic conditions. Dillard's Travel previously operated in 43 of the 318 stores.[12] Also in 2008, stores opened at bothThe Shops at Wiregrass andPier Park inFlorida. Dillard's also announced that it had completed a transaction to acquire the remaining fifty percent (50%) interest in CDI Contractors, LLC and CDI Contractors, Inc., which it did not already own.[13]
In 2014, Dillard's announced a partnership withBourbon & Boots, also based in Little Rock, to launch a line of Southern-themed products for sale in stores.[14]
In late 2018, Dillard's announced a location would open in fall 2019 inSioux Falls, South Dakota, at the site of the formerYounkers inEmpire Mall.[15]
By August 2020, it had not yet opened.[16] In September 2019, Dillard's remained headquartered in Arkansas, with 260 "full-line" stores and 29 clearance centers. It had locations mostly in the South and Southwest of the United States, in 29 states overall. The company was also a significant owner of property in the United States, and it owned 44,300,000 square feet (4,120,000 m2) of the 49,000,000 square feet (4,600,000 m2) it used for its business and retail operations.[17]
In March 2020, Dillard's attracted note in the press for keeping many of its 290 stores open during the coronavirus pandemic,[18][19] with Dillard's stating "we are open with limited hours where not ordered to close by state or local government mandate."[18]
In April 2020, Dillard's closed around 200 out of its 285 stores in response to COVID-19. Its online store remained open.[20] In May 2020, Dillard's had reopened all but two of its locations inTampa Bay, according to its website at the time.[21] That week, management and Dillard's CEO, William Dillard II, informed its annual meeting that the company's first quarter had been the worst in its history, due to the coronavirus, saying Dillard's business had become "total chaos" by the end of April as a result. At the time, Dillard's had 257 department stores, and 28 clearance stores, and had reopened stores in 21 states or more.[22]
In August 2021, the company released its second quarter report. It did not release "store comps relative to pandemic-dominated 2020; comparable store retail sales compared to 2019 rose 14%." After an $8.6 million net loss in August 2020, the company noted that it instead had made a net income in August 2021 of $185.7 million.[23]
For 2023 (for the 53 weeks ending 3 February 2024), Dillard's net income was $738.8 million. Net sales for the same period were $6.75 billion. Operating expenses to 3 February 2024 were $1.77 billion.[24]
In March of 2024, Dillard's opened their first location in the upper midwest in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the Empire Mall.
In 2024, the company introduced "The Coterie Shop" a concept of online and conventional special occasion and casual clothing shops from Abbey Glass, Buru, Crosby by Mollie Burch and Fanm Mon. The Coterie Shop will be featured inAlabama,Arkansas,Arizona,Florida,Georgia,Kentucky,Louisiana,North Carolina,Oklahoma,South Carolina,Tennessee andTexas.[25]
In a partnership with Trademark Property, Dillard's purchasedLongview Mall inLongview, Texas in 2025.[26]
The chain continues to expand and has recently added stores in non-traditional mall shopping centers. Currently, the largest Dillard's store at 365,000 square feet (33,900 m2) is located atScottsdale Fashion Square, an enclosed super-regional mall inScottsdale, Arizona. Within the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the chain has two flagship stores with a 299,000-square-foot (27,800 m2) store at theNorthpark Center inDallas and a 310,000-square-foot (29,000 m2) store at theNorth East Mall inHurst.[27] Its flagship store in the East Coast region, at 260,000 square feet (24,000 m2), was located in theMacArthur Center in downtownNorfolk, Virginia, closed in 2023. It announced construction of a new "flagship" store in Lubbock, TX on Nov 15th, 2022. This store will be 220,000 sq ft. The home store for the chain is inLittle Rock; the divided store is located in the trend-consciousPark Plaza Mall, one of the city's oldest continuously operating shopping centers in its midtown section.
As of April 2020, Dillard's operated 28 clearance stores in the United States.[22] Dillard's Clearance Centers occupy 26 mall spaces throughout multiple states for the clearance stock of clothing from prior seasons.[28] They are usually located within declining shopping malls in former full-line Dillard's locations as the no longer high priced items are not as covetable for the general clientele Dillard's procures.[29] The 265 regular department stores ship the clearance clothing at already 65% off to these Clearance Centers where the clothing is then marked down further to liquidate the heaps of clothing and shoes.[28]
The Clearance Centers rival that of aMarshalls orTJ Maxx with unknown sizes or quantities of a specific item. However, all the clothing at Dillard's Clearance Centers are direct from the normal Dillard's Department Stores close to and surrounding the one outlet. The goods that are sent to these stores are including, but not limited to: overstocked, offseason, didn't sell well, or damaged.[30] This is an easy way to buy all of the brand-specific items at a cheaper, more economical price.
The hours may vary a little bit by store or holiday; however, the generic hours of a Clearance Center are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 pm to 7 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm. On Mondays, the Clearance Centers are closed for the restocking of the Clearance items.[31]
On a week-to-week basis, each Dillard's Clearance Center receives further markdowns by each department; older merchandise is marked down to an amount ending in "99 cents," representing a 65% discount.[31]
Department stores in the United States | |
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| Current | |
| Defunct | |
| Online only | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
