The Lazarus family pioneered many shopping firsts such as the concept of 'one low price' (in which no bargaining was required) theirs was also the first department store with escalators and the first air conditioned store in the country. Roosevelt in 1939 to move Thanksgiving a week earlier, to the fourth Thursday in November instead of the last Thursday in November, in order to make the Christmas shopping season longer in those years on which November had 5 Thursdays. Lazarus himself exerted enormous financial, social, and political clout he is credited with convincing President Franklin D. Under his leadership, Federated eventually became the largest department store company in the United States. Bloomingdale's of New York joined in 1930. The three businessmen agreed to merge their stores and form Federated Department Stores, of which 'Mr. Rothschild from Abraham & Straus of Brooklyn and Edward Filene from Filene's of Boston on Rothschild's yacht in Long Island Sound. In the summer of 1929, months before the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Lazarus met with Walter N. In 1928, the company purchased The John Shillito Company department store in Cincinnati. He briefly attended Ohio State University, but dropped out at the age of 18 to work full-time in the store. Lazarus, founded by his grandfather Simon Lazarus, an immigrant retailer. He grew up working in his family's store, F. (Septem– February 4, 1973), and Jeffrey Sr.

He was the second of four brothers, Simon Sr. was born to a Jewish family on October 29, 1884, the son of Rose (née Eichberg) and Fred Lazarus. (Octo– May 27, 1973) was an American founder of Federated Department Stores, which became Macy's, Inc.įred Lazarus Jr.

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