Do you remember Steve & Barry's?
Steve & Barry’s was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual clothing, footwear and accessories. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008 and 2009.
The chain’s origin was based on various university campuses across the United States. Until 2007, it was called Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear, and the chain specialized in college-related clothing and private-label casual clothing. The chain dropped the “University Sportswear” tagline after securing licensing agreements with several celebrities to develop and distribute private-label lines of clothing designed or inspired by each of them, in an attempt to expand the chain’s customer base.
The Rise & Fall of Steve & Barry's
Founded by Steven Shore and Barry Prevor at the University of Pennsylvania in 1985 while Prevor was an undergraduate student, Steve & Barry's became a local popular destination due to its low prices compared to other university bookstores and gift stores. The success of the original store led to the opening of locations on university campuses, including Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Indiana University, Rutgers University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Purdue University.
On November 20, 2008, after closing many stores, Steve and Barry's parent company announced the remaining 176 stores would be liquidated by early 2009 and the chain was going out of business.
Click through the gallery above for some of the most popular forgotten retail spots that are now gone, but never forgotten. Did we miss one of your favorites? Share your memories in the comments.
