Editing Marshalls (section)

==History==
===Independent company===
Marshalls traces its history to 1956, when [[Alfred Marshall (businessman)|Alfred Marshall]]<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=January 1, 2014 |title=Obituaries: Alfred Marshall, founder of stores that bear his name, dies at 94 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/business/alfred-marshall-founder-of-stores-that-bear-his-name-dies-at-94.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref> gathered a group of entrepreneurs on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]], including Bernard Goldston, Norman Barren, and Irving Blitt (Frank Estey and Bernard Ribas joined the entrepreneurs in 1960 by purchasing Bernard Goldston's shares), to collectively start up the "Brand Names For Less" concept. Marshalls did not carry clothing until Irving Blitt (who later handled the sporting goods concession) called his friend Al Marshall letting him know he had the opportunity to purchase factory second Arrow shirts while on a trip to New York.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Contemplating the dual postwar phenomena of a boom in the economy and growth in the suburbs, Marshall and associates came upon a way to meet it profitably. Together, they opened a self-service [[department store]] in [[Beverly, Massachusetts]], offering apparel and homewares at low prices.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Robert |date=2014-01-02 |title=Founder of Marshalls, Who Built First Store in Beverly, Dies at 94 |url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/danvers/founder-of-marshalls-who-built-first-store-in-beverly-dies-at-94-danvers |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=Danvers, MA Patch |language=en}}</ref> Additional floor space was "sublet" to offer customers shoes, hardware, and sporting goods from separate sellers, but the separate ownership of those departments was invisible to the shopper. The original store also had a soda fountain/grill, which was another sublet of floor space, the "A & M Luncheonette" (for Alice & Mickey Masters, the proprietors).

The concept proved extremely successful. Ten years later, Marshalls had become the leading off-price retail chain in the nation. Given the [[volatility (finance)|volatility]] of the American economy in the 1970s, with recession affecting the spending habits of most shoppers, the off-price industry gathered speed. By buying up manufacturers' post-season, overrun, and close-out stock, Marshalls was able to offer fashionable, high-quality "designer" items at prices 20 to 60 percent less than those of the department stores.

===Melville Corporation===
In 1976, Marshalls was acquired by [[Melville Corporation]]. There were 36 stores in New England and California at this time. Marshall also independently owned five stores in [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]], [[Saint Croix|St. Croix]], and [[Sint Maarten|St. Maarten]] in the Caribbean.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The brand surpassed $1 billion in sales in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barmash |first=Isadore |date=April 5, 1983 |title=THE 'OFF-PRICE' RETAILING BOOM |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/05/business/the-off-price-retailing-boom.html |access-date=November 14, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> 

By April 1987, there were 261 stores across the country. However, profits began to slip in the mid-1980s when the company shifted to lower-priced goods, competing with other discount stores rather than department stores. Since Marshalls made up 28% of Melville's sales at this time, there was a lot of focus on turning the store around.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barmash |first=Isadore |date=June 10, 1987 |title=Marshalls Reported To Get New Head |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/10/business/company-news-marshalls-reported-to-get-new-head.html |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Marshalls was outperformed by rival [[TJ Maxx]] in the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barmash |first=Isadore |date=April 13, 1991 |title=An Abrupt Departure At Marshalls Stores |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/13/business/business-people-an-abrupt-departure-at-marshalls-stores.html |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>  

By 1993, Marshalls had expanded throughout 42 states including [[Hawaii]], and had opened several downtown locations. Its first location in Puerto Rico opened in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosa |first=Taina |date=August 8, 2002 |title=PUERTO RICO HERALD: Marshalls To Open Third Local Megastore |url=https://puertorico-herald.net/issues/2002/vol6n32/CBMarshalls-en.html |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=puertorico-herald.net}}</ref> The company's pretax operating earnings fell by 20% between 1993 and 1994.<ref name=":2" /> 

===TJX===
In 1995, Marshalls was purchased by [[TJX]], the parent company of its main rival, [[TJ Maxx]], for $550 million. There were 496 stores at the time.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Gilpin|first=Kenneth N.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/17/business/tjx-will-buy-marshalls-chain-from-melville.html |title=TJX Will Buy Marshalls Chain From Melville|date=October 17, 1995|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 2, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Marshalls and T.J. Maxx operate as sister stores, and share a similar footprint throughout the country. While the two offer near-identical prices and have similar store layouts, Marshalls differentiates itself by its emphasis on family footwear and larger men's and juniors departments.<ref>{{cite web|title=Marshalls|url=http://www.tjx.com/businesses_marshalls.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919095751/http://www.tjx.com/businesses_marshalls.asp|archive-date=September 19, 2008|publisher=TJX Companies}}</ref> 

Starting in 2005, Marshalls began introducing Shoe MegaShop departments in its stores. The company added MegaShops to 240 Marshalls stores in 2008, with another 200 planned for fiscal 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Steve |title=Marshalls adding 'Shoe MegaShops' at hundreds of stores |url=https://www.patriotledger.com/story/business/2008/03/28/marshalls-adding-shoe-megashops-at/40125984007/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=The Patriot Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref> Marshalls soon expanded the concept into standalone stores.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sattaur |first=Safia |date=2011-03-08 |title=Marshall's Mega Shoe Store Steps Into Town |url=https://patch.com/new-york/newhydepark/marshalls-mega-shoe-store-steps-into-town |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=New Hyde Park, NY Patch |language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, Marshalls opened its 1,000th store.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=October 15, 2015 |title=Marshalls to Celebrate Milestone of 1,000th Store Opening |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marshalls-to-celebrate-milestone-of-1000th-store-opening-300159041.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=PR Newswire |language=en}}</ref> In 2019, the company began operating a website for [[online shopping]].<ref>{{cite news |date=September 26, 2019 |title=Off-price chain Marshalls makes its U.S. online debut |url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/off-price-chain-marshalls-makes-its-u-s-online-debut-1.1322228 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926210025/https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/off-price-chain-marshalls-makes-its-u-s-online-debut-1.1322228 |archive-date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=September 26, 2019 |publisher=[[BNN Bloomberg]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> 

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Marshalls shut down all stores and suspended its online operations, closing all distribution and fulfillment centers and offices in March 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Testa |first=Jessica |last2=Maheshwari |first2=Sapna |last3=Friedman |first3=Vanessa |date=March 18, 2020 |title=Which Clothing and Beauty Stores Have Closed? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/style/coronavirus-clothing-beauty-stores-closed.html |access-date=November 13, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> TJX began reopening stores in May and completed the process by the end of June.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Genovese |first=Daniella |date=2020-05-21 |title=TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods reopen over 1,600 stores |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/tjx-companies-reopens-stores-worldwide-coronavirus |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=FOXBusiness |language=en-US}}</ref>