Nearly two years, Atlanta's beloved institution finally bit the dust. Here I would like to recall some of the things that people may have forgotten about Rich's in terms of name changes, slogans, logos, etc.Name Changes:
-M. Rich & Brothers Dry Goods Company
-M. Rich & Co.
-Rich's, Inc.
1990's Rich's shopping bag showing storied RICHSATLANTA clock
1970's Rich's brand headphones
1990's Rich's Credit Card
Slogans:
-Atlanta Born, Atlanta Owned, Atlanta Managed
-An Atlanta Institution Since 1867
-A Southern Institution Since 1867
-It's All About the South (last slogan prior to merger with Goldsmith's and closure of downtown store)
-Time After Time (generic slogan used with Lazarus and Goldsmith's)
(1950's-1970's logo)
(1980's-2003 logo)
On the Logos, the Rich's logo was originally non-descript prior to the 1940's when the green logo was unveiled with very thin letters in a font that looks close to what is used on the Parisian signs today. Sometime in the mid to late 1950's, the modern logo was unveiled, but with spacing between the characters. This was also green and featured on the stores with glorious green glowing neon. By around 1980, the green logo became internal while exterior stores had either a dark brown backlit or black neon sign that lit up dingy white at night. The text had also been jammed together for a more compact "modern" appearance even though the font was an antiqued font.
These photos were taken by Allen Scott in August 1962 of the multi-colored levels and under the glass bridge at the now demolished downtown store addition.
Sometimes, the Rich's logo was in a narrower version of the same font as evidenced by the original store signs on Cobb Center, Lenox Square and North Dekalb. Also, one of the more peculiar logos was the stylized "R" that was used from the 1960's until the late 1980's. These used to be placed in repeated intervals all along the glass in front of the stores for a very classy look. The "R" was placed backwards as well for a more peculiar appearance.
Looking up at the Rich's clock in the early 1990's. "All about the South" was a jingle used by Rich's in that era along with Goldsmith's.
A very good synopsis.
ReplyDeleteHate to bring up old topics....but....
ReplyDeleteSeeing that credit card once again reminded me of when I worked at the Town Center store. At the time, I had the plain green card, and they were just introducing the cards shown above (which I never got, interestingly enough...I went straight to the R-m card).
What really got me was that I had customers on more than one occasion give me a circa 1965 card (guessing), complete with drawing of the old downtown store on the back and holes for a punch card reader! (They were green on white). Apparently Rich's had never changed the account numbers from the beginning of time, because I put in the number manually with no problems.
I enjoy your blog and thought this was a very cool post. Thanks for featuring it.
ReplyDeleteI recently featured a card from Ivy's--from the same era...great ephemera!
The saddest part about the demise of Rich's is Atlanta really has no hometown stores aside from Home Depot.
ReplyDeleteColonial and Alterman Bros. were two Atlanta-based grocers that are gone, Rich's and Davison's are now Macy*s,
Mighty Casey's was bought by Krystal, and Rhode's and Haverty's are only shells of their past. A mall in Atlanta or any retail strip today could pass for anywhere
Oh, yes! Did I love to walk around Lenox carrying around the green bag w/ the clock on it. I think that bag had only been around from like 1995-2001 when the switched to the more general "Time After Time" bag, which was awful. The TAT bag looked so cheap and generic. I remember from being little that before the clock bag, the bag was something with pictures of people. I remember something about "grits" and all things southern and what not. I guess it tied in with the "All About the South" campaign. And before that...wasn't there a bag where the word Rich's was wrapped around kind of like the Crate & Barrel bag?
ReplyDeleteI worked for Rich's for 15 yrs (1975-90) and saw all the changes come and go. My first Rich's card was white with green border and and Rich's logo and had one corner cliped off, it also had my full address embossed on the front. It also had cutouts punched in it so it may be read by an optical devise at the reg. (no mag strip) for me it is very sad to see what happened to this once great chain.
ReplyDeleteThe North Dekalb store had some of the old Rich's Newsletters and a flyers from their Grand Opening in the '60's. It was truly a history lesson on Rich's, and I hate that they removed it once they converted to Macy's.
ReplyDeleteMy first store credit card was a Rich's card. (I had the one with black background) I think my mom still has the green gift boxes and shopping bags with the big clock on them.
I miss Rich's :(
I worked at the downtown Rich's at the Pink Pig when I was in high school. I believe that I still have my "Santa's Helper" name tag. As a 7th grader I used to ride the bus from Grant Park to meet my friend from Grove Park under the clock. Also, I have so many fond memories of Christmas Shopping there. The downtown Rich's store was wonderful. I miss Rich's. It just isn't the same anymore, a by-gone era.
ReplyDeleteThe Rich's at Lenox had a three story water fall -- water flowing down a glass wall -- that sat amid the escalators. You would ride past it on your way up and down. I used to run my hand in the water. This was '68 until maybe '73. There was a cafeteria-style restaurant in the basement, near the base of the waterwall, called The Br'er Fox, named after the character from the Uncle Remus stories. On the top level was The Magnolia Room. I used to go with my grandmother. They had genteel ladies meals, but also a kids menu, complete with a goodie bag with crayons and such.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 80s, I worked at the Perimeter store. That Christmas ('86) was the first year that Rich's sold the Richie Bear. I got one for my nephew for his first Christmas. He is now a Junior at UGA.
ReplyDeleteMy earlier memories also focus on the old Rich's bakery. THE BEST coconut cake in the history of gastronomy.
I worked at the Rich's store in the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover AL right out of High School in 1990. It was the most beautiful dept store in the mall at the time. Ah the fun times working there. Recently visited the store after being away for over 15+ years. Sadly like Marshall Fields in Chicago, this store is now a Macy's. The store just doesn't feel the same. The interior is not as classy as it once was. I miss the old Rich's store. :(
ReplyDeleteI worked for Rich's for 13 yrs. I started at Cumberland, then became a manager at one of the free standing bake shops. After they closed the bake shops I worked in the downtown store. What an amazing place. One of the prettiest stores I've ever seen. On one side of Forsyth St was the store for homes on the other side was the store for fashion. I loved my job. What a disapointment when Federated stores bought Rich's. I felt like that was the end. The production area for the bakeries was amazing, some of the best people I had ever meet worked there. When the stores were bought the production stopped. The sweets were ordered out. I miss it so much.
ReplyDelete