242:. It continued operating as a distributor servicing individual franchisees and advertising the products sold there through direct mail services and newspaper inserts. Promotions Unlimited provided similar advertising and promotional services for thousands of other retail stores unaffiliated with Ben Franklin Stores. Promotions Unlimited went bankrupt in 2017. Despite the bankruptcy, several stores across the United States continue to operate under the Ben Franklin name.
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In the early 1990s, it began opening its own stores. Those stores were not successful, and their financial problems ultimately interfered with the chain's ability to deliver goods to its franchisees, 860 locally owned stores in 47 states. The company went bankrupt and closed these stores in
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Promotions
Unlimited had stepped in as a supplier for many Ben Franklin franchisees during the corporation's descent into bankruptcy. It acquired the name of the chain in 1997 as the old corporate entity was moving into
182:. As variety stores were penetrating their market, the company founded the Ben Franklin chain in 1927, which was sold in 1959. At Ben Franklin's peak, the chain had 2,500 stores nationwide.
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variations offering merchandise not found at regular Ben
Franklin stores, such as clothing. Other locations in this era were branded as B&C Family Center and included supermarkets.
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Ben
Franklin Stores purchased Texas retailer Duke & Ayres in the early 1970s. Duke & Ayres was a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores based in
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Vance, Sandy S. and Roy V. Scott. "Butler
Brothers and the Rise and Decline of the Ben Franklin Stores: A Study in Franchise Retailing."
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The chain had functioned largely as a wholesaler of variety and craft merchandise sold to its franchisees under the name
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563:, East Lansing: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business, Michigan State University 11 (1993), pp. 258-271
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Essays in
Economic and Business History: Selected Papers from the Economic and Business Historical Society
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In the 1970s, Ben
Franklin operated some Ben Franklin Family Center locations, which were larger
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system, with individual stores owned by independent proprietors. It was perhaps the first
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535:"Crystal Falls favorite: Ben Franklin variety store has been going strong since 1929"
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owner Cotter & Co. sold its V&S Variety Store chain to Ben
Franklin in 1995.
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254:: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky
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472:"Racine's Promotions Unlimited rekindles Ben Franklin chain"
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stores found primarily in small towns throughout the
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141:franchise, starting in 1927. They are named after
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364:"Ben Franklin celebrates 40 years in business"
537:. Iron Mountain Daily News. December 26, 2023
443:"Cotter & Co. Cutting Back In Fixup Plan"
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302:Huttner, Sidney F. (September 22, 2010).
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506:"Failed Promotions Unlimited saga ends"
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273:"Roosevelt Capital LLC Company Profile"
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599:American companies established in 1927
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567:Mexia Blackcats 1959: Duke & Ayres
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629:Retail companies established in 1927
614:Discount stores of the United States
503:Burke, Michael (January 18, 2018).
414:Kumar, Kavita (September 8, 2012).
362:Brunclik, Paige (August 30, 2013).
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188:, who later became the founder of
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470:Schuyler, David (July 14, 2006).
594:1927 establishments in Wisconsin
333:"Duke & Ayers Variety Store"
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304:"Butler Brothers, Incorporated"
220:Ben Franklin Retail Stores Inc.
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133:. They are organized using a
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609:Companies based in Wisconsin
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16:American retail store chain
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477:Milwaukee Business Journal
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604:Arts and crafts retailers
131:Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
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76:Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
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170:The chain originated in
157:A Ben Franklin Store in
421:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
337:De Leon, Texas History
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252:Hindman Ben Franklin
233:Promotions Unlimited
108:Promotions Unlimited
579:Ben Franklin Online
515:. Racine, Wisconsin
395:. 1972. p. E73
159:Middlebury, Vermont
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484:on January 3, 2015
451:. January 13, 1995
343:on January 3, 2015
312:University of Iowa
308:The LUCILE Project
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512:The Journal Times
223:1996–1997.
143:Benjamin Franklin
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517:. Retrieved
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486:. Retrieved
482:the original
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115:Ben Franklin
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71:Headquarters
25:Company type
20:Ben Franklin
399:January 16,
389:"Editorial"
174:in 1877 as
88:Area served
624:Franchises
588:Categories
554:References
347:January 3,
317:January 3,
284:January 3,
227:True Value
214:Bankruptcy
186:Sam Walton
541:April 16,
240:Chapter 7
135:franchise
455:March 3,
373:March 3,
278:Hoover's
246:See also
194:Michaels
97:Products
190:Walmart
166:Origins
149:History
59: (
41: (
33:Founded
28:Private
172:Boston
139:retail
100:Crafts
259:Notes
105:Owner
543:2024
521:2024
490:2019
457:2015
429:2012
401:2016
375:2015
349:2015
319:2015
286:2015
121:and
81:U.S.
61:1927
54:1927
48:(as
43:1877
36:1877
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
