Read's Department Stores
| Industry | Retail chain, Department store chain |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1857 |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Parent company merged it with Jordan Marsh in 1987, which in 1992 merged with Federated Department Stores (today Macy's) |
| Headquarters | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
Area served | Connecticut, Westchester County, New York |
Key people | D. M. Read, Founder
|
| Products | Clothing, footwear, sporting goods, toys, jewelry, beauty products, housewares, furniture, bedding and discount goods |
| Parent | Allied Stores, since 1954 |
Read's Department Stores was a Bridgeport, Connecticut-based retail chain founded in 1857 by D. M. Read. Known for its classy, upscale merchandise, the flagship store was once hailed as New England's largest department store. It expanded to several other locations in the 1950s and 1960s, but these closed progressively through the 1980s and 1990s.
The Flagship Bridgeport store closed in 1981 when Read's moved to a new location a few blocks away. The former location was later extensively renovated and reopened as Read's Artspace, also known as the Sterling Market Lofts building.