Buffum's
Encyclopedia
Buffum's was a chain of Long Beach, California
-based department store
s. Founded by brothers Charles Abel Buffum
and Edwin E. Buffum in 1904, it grew slowly over the years to a total of 16 stores in Los Angeles
, Orange
, and San Diego
Counties at the time of its closure in 1990.
Over the years, the stores gained a reputation as the "Grand Dame" of department stores in the area. The stores' interiors were known for large chandeliers and other upscale touches. The chain marketed itself as "Buffums Specialty Store," in an attempt to differentiate itself from other local chains including The Broadway
and Bullock's
, and the national stores such as May Co.
and Robinsons. Its most famous advertising line "I've been to Buffum's" was used in newspaper and television advertisements during the 1970s and 80s. It was also known for its "Bag-A-Bargain" promotion that placed actual shopping bags (printed with a discount offer) in local newspapers. Shoppers were to take the bag to a Buffum's location and were given a discount on merchandise that would "fit" into the bag. Many of the stores had restaurants with famous recipes and bars.
Like other local department stores of the era, Buffum's was challenged by old-fashioned business models, changing consumer, tastes and the arrival of Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom. The chain was bought in the 1970s by the Australia-based Adelaide Steamship Company
, which looked to sell the struggling chain in the 1980s. AdSteam never found a buyer, however. In a last-ditch effort to modernize, Buffum's installed new point-of-sale registers in all stores in 1990, only to enter liquidation following the 1990 holiday shopping season.
The Los Angeles Times
article says at the time of closing, the chain had 16 locations:
1) Long Beach Flagship - original torn down - replaced mid-1980s with all new store also torn down
2) Santa Ana - Downtown on Main (1950s) Separate building "A Store for Men" (1960s) added with connecting tunnel under street
3) Long Beach - Marina Pacifica - expanded/moved to a newly constructed "mall anchor store" late 1970s (now a Loehmann's)
4) Pomona - Downtown on 2nd Street
5) Lakewood - now Pacific's 9 Theatres
6) Palos Verdes Peninsula Center (+/- 1966)/ remodeled
7) Newport Beach Fashion Island (1968) - remodeled for Circuit City
8) La Habra (1968) - Fashion Square (3-level free standing store) torn down
9) Glendale Galleria (197?)- torn down for Robinsons-May
10) San Diego Fashion Valley (1969) - became I Magnin, now Sax Fifth Avenue
11) Puente Hills Mall/City of Industry -torn-down or remodeled
12) Westminster Mall - Became Robinsons-May Home Store, then torn down for Macy's, now a Target
13) Laguna Hills - remodeled to The Limited/Victoria Secret and "Wow" (Tower Records/The Good Guys Electronics
14) Manhattan Beach - anchor store, now Macy's Mens
15) Santa Anita Mall (Arcadia) - gutted for mall shops and new Nordstrom
16) La Canada-Flintridge - now a TJ Maxx on the first floor. Added October 1, 1986
The La Canada-Flintridge store was originally an IVERS, a popular local department store, located in the Plaza de La Canada. Buffum's purchased the store, celebrated the merger, and changed the store identity to Buffum's brand on October 1, 1986.
Buffum's also had a branch on Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach, California
. The location was originally built for and housed a branch of the San Diego-based department store Walker Scott. The store served the North San Diego County area with particular attention to the very tony suburb of Rancho Santa Fe. It was modeled on the La Canada-Flintridge store plan. Since its closure the Solana Beach location has housed a Ross Dress for Less
closeout store.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
-based department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s. Founded by brothers Charles Abel Buffum
Charles Abel Buffum
Charles Abel Buffum was an American businessman and politician. With his brother, Edwin E. Buffum, he founded the Buffum's Department Stores chain. He served as mayor of Long Beach, California from 1921 to 1924...
and Edwin E. Buffum in 1904, it grew slowly over the years to a total of 16 stores in Los Angeles
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, Orange
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, and San Diego
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
Counties at the time of its closure in 1990.
Over the years, the stores gained a reputation as the "Grand Dame" of department stores in the area. The stores' interiors were known for large chandeliers and other upscale touches. The chain marketed itself as "Buffums Specialty Store," in an attempt to differentiate itself from other local chains including The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...
and Bullock's
Bullock's
Bullock's was a department store based in Los Angeles, California. The company operated full-line department stores all across California, with some stores in Arizona and Nevada. Bullock's also operated the more upscale Bullocks Wilshire in parts of Southern California.- History :Bullock's was...
, and the national stores such as May Co.
May Company California
May Company California was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California. It was a subsidiary of May Department Stores and merged with May's other Southern California subsidiary, J. W...
and Robinsons. Its most famous advertising line "I've been to Buffum's" was used in newspaper and television advertisements during the 1970s and 80s. It was also known for its "Bag-A-Bargain" promotion that placed actual shopping bags (printed with a discount offer) in local newspapers. Shoppers were to take the bag to a Buffum's location and were given a discount on merchandise that would "fit" into the bag. Many of the stores had restaurants with famous recipes and bars.
Like other local department stores of the era, Buffum's was challenged by old-fashioned business models, changing consumer, tastes and the arrival of Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom. The chain was bought in the 1970s by the Australia-based Adelaide Steamship Company
Adelaide Steamship Company
The Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service...
, which looked to sell the struggling chain in the 1980s. AdSteam never found a buyer, however. In a last-ditch effort to modernize, Buffum's installed new point-of-sale registers in all stores in 1990, only to enter liquidation following the 1990 holiday shopping season.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article says at the time of closing, the chain had 16 locations:
1) Long Beach Flagship - original torn down - replaced mid-1980s with all new store also torn down
2) Santa Ana - Downtown on Main (1950s) Separate building "A Store for Men" (1960s) added with connecting tunnel under street
3) Long Beach - Marina Pacifica - expanded/moved to a newly constructed "mall anchor store" late 1970s (now a Loehmann's)
4) Pomona - Downtown on 2nd Street
5) Lakewood - now Pacific's 9 Theatres
6) Palos Verdes Peninsula Center (+/- 1966)/ remodeled
7) Newport Beach Fashion Island (1968) - remodeled for Circuit City
8) La Habra (1968) - Fashion Square (3-level free standing store) torn down
9) Glendale Galleria (197?)- torn down for Robinsons-May
10) San Diego Fashion Valley (1969) - became I Magnin, now Sax Fifth Avenue
11) Puente Hills Mall/City of Industry -torn-down or remodeled
12) Westminster Mall - Became Robinsons-May Home Store, then torn down for Macy's, now a Target
13) Laguna Hills - remodeled to The Limited/Victoria Secret and "Wow" (Tower Records/The Good Guys Electronics
14) Manhattan Beach - anchor store, now Macy's Mens
15) Santa Anita Mall (Arcadia) - gutted for mall shops and new Nordstrom
16) La Canada-Flintridge - now a TJ Maxx on the first floor. Added October 1, 1986
The La Canada-Flintridge store was originally an IVERS, a popular local department store, located in the Plaza de La Canada. Buffum's purchased the store, celebrated the merger, and changed the store identity to Buffum's brand on October 1, 1986.
Buffum's also had a branch on Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 12,867 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Solana Beach is located at ....
. The location was originally built for and housed a branch of the San Diego-based department store Walker Scott. The store served the North San Diego County area with particular attention to the very tony suburb of Rancho Santa Fe. It was modeled on the La Canada-Flintridge store plan. Since its closure the Solana Beach location has housed a Ross Dress for Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
closeout store.