And while $1,250 sounds like small potatoes in modern time, it amounted to over $34,000 in investment in Belk’s day. Oh, and did we mention he was only 26 years old at the time?Īt that young age, not only was William Henry Belk savvy about cash, but he also had a clever marketing strategy. According to the store’s website, William Henry Belk opened what would become the first Belk store in a 1500 square foot space with $750 of his own savings, a $500 loan, and $3,000 worth of merchandise “taken on consignment from a bankrupt store,” which means Belk was basically selling another retailer’s goods to earn a fraction of the profit. We did a deep-dive into the evolution of this southern gem and are here to share the untold truth of Belk.īelk wasn’t always the massive department store we know it as today. After so many years in the retail business, Belk surely has a story to tell. Sex and the City star Kristin Davis even had a line featured at Belk for a short time. Belk is home to designer brands like Ralph Lauren, Coach, and Calvin Klein, as well as everyday apparel labels like Jessica Simpson and Lilly Pulitzer. Host Tim Gunn summed up the department store’s reputation by saying, “Belk epitomizes the modern, Southern woman,” (via The News & Observer).įans of Belk love the shoes, cosmetics, home goods, and of course, the clothes that line the shelves. If you’ve never shopped there, perhaps you’re at least familiar with the brand from the Belk Bowl (now known as the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) which was an annual match-up of two division champion college football teams. Or maybe you recall Belk’s sponsorship of season 12 of Project Runway, where the retailer contributed shoes and accessories to the fashion competition show. The retailer started as a small business in the late 1800s and has grown into one of the most recognized department stores in the country with locations spread across 16 states (per Belk). If you’ve ever gone shopping in the southern U.S.

Belk stores and offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and wedding registries. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Shop Top National Brands & Our Wide Selection Of The Latest Styles.īelk, Inc. Belk – Find Premium Quality Products At Great Prices & Get Free Shipping On Select Orders.

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