RICH'S DEPARTMENT STORE: THEN AND NOW
Rich’s Department Store had humble beginnings that grew into an Atlantan legacy. Morris Rich was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who moved to Atlanta from Ohio in 1867; he opened his dry goods store “M Rich & Co” later that same year. He started his business in a small storefront on Whitehall Street, but increasing success led to the need for increased space. The storefront experienced a series of moves throughout the late 1800s, before settling at this flagship storefront on the corner of Broad and Alabama Street in downtown Atlanta in 1924. Over the years Morris’s two brothers, Emanuel and Daniel, gradually joined in the business endeavour. In 1926 Daniel’s son Walter Rich took over running the store, and he would later be replaced in 1947 by Morris’s grandson Richard Rich. Under Richard Rich’s leadership, the store began expanding beyond downtown Atlanta and Georgia as a whole. In 1955 a new storefront was opened in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in 1959 two new locations opened in the broader metro Atlanta. This pattern continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, leading to Rich’s becoming the biggest regional department store in the country. They spread into South Carolina and Alabama, before finally handing leadership out of family hands and into a bigger company. Throughout the 1990s there was a series of consolidations
between big department stores, which ended with Rich’s being merged with the nation-wide department store Macy’s. Rich’s became “Rich’s-Macy’s,” and the flagship downtown storefront became Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center. Finally, in March 2005, the name Rich’s was officially removed from the store title, ending 138 years of success and growth.
Rich’s was known for their customer service, commitment to community, and treatment of employees. One example of their dedication was during the cotton crisis in 1914. When cotton farmers were hit hard with a dramatic decrease in cotton prices, Rich’s accepted bales of cotton as a means of paying for merchandise, helping the cotton farmers despite the store’s own losses. Similarly, when the Great Depression hit in 1929 and the city could not pay public employees, Rich’s accepted their promissory notes as a form of payment, allowing teachers and city officials to continue to pay for rent, food, and other living essentials. Furthermore, in the 1920s, Rich’s enacted an exchange and credit policy where any item could be
Rich's interior, 1947
exchanged and anyone could receive store credit. This policy was incredibly flexible, and often was applied to merchandise that the store did not even carry. Rich’s philosophy in believing the best in people was one reason the store was so welcomed and loved by the Atlanta community and how it earned its place in the hearts of Atlantans.
Boycott of Rich's, 1960
Rich’s Department Store is just one example of how Jewish-run businesses shaped Atlanta. Despite being bought out, it was a place of community for over a century and played a crucial role in the history of the city. It’s legacy for community-building lives on through Rich’s Foundation, established in 1943 as a way for Rich’s Department Store to invest back in the community. Since then, Rich’s Foundation has supported city endeavors in arts, education, health, environment, and social welfare, giving back to a community that gave it so much. Today, what remains of Rich's is the building and the famous Rich’s clock; but its history of community is no where to be found.
Despite its general tolerance, Rich’s Department Store still found itself a target during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s. While true that Rich’s was more accepting of African American customers than most other southern department stores, given its prominence in the community, and its segregated restaurant “The Magnolia Room,” Rich’s experienced several waves of sit-ins. There was an understanding in the black community that if Rich’s enacted more progressive racial policies, many stores would follow in its footsteps. It became a frequent spot for local college students to protest, and notably Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in October 1960 for a sit-in he joined in the Magnolia Room. A boycott followed Dr. King’s arrest, and in 1961 Rich’s began to integrate.
