After eight years of leading the Target business, Dayton returned to the corporate headquarters when his family owned department business merged with the J.L. Hudson Company in 1969 to form Dayton Hudson. After spending several years as a senior vice president there, Dayton retired in 1974. But the groundwork Dayton laid for Target helped establish a brand identity and unique value proposition that allowed the retailer to flourish.
Dayton was the youngest of five brothers who joined his father’s department store business after being wounded in combat during World War II. Dayton is survived by his wife Wendy, his four children and six grandchildren.
3 comments:
Thank you for the thoughtful post, Target Addict. It makes me a little nostalgic for the old department store days a la Higbee's in "A Christmas Story." At least Target still survives as a testament to Dayton-Hudson. I moved from California to the Midwest when I was 10 - so I remember leaving I. Magnin, Bullocks, and Emporium-Capwell for a new land with Dayton's, Hudson's, Lazarus, L.A. Ayres, Marshall Fields (eventually part of Target) and other stores. They all had their own quirks, and it was fun.
Now everything's a Macy's...
Ah, Music...I share your nostalgia for the late, great department stores of yesteryear. Including the list you provided, there was also the store "Joseph Magnin" (by one of Isaac "I" Magnin's sons). I think the I. Magnin store was a bit more upscale, but I could be confusing the two.
They actually kept the I. Magnin name despite being bought out by Bullock's in 1944. But by the mid-90's, I. Magnin was bought by Macy's, and the chain ceased to exist.
I TOTALLY remember Joseph Magnin too! In fact, at the exhibit on California Modernism at LACMA recently, one of the items featured was a set of amazing gift boxes designed by Joe Hong in 1966 for a Joseph Magnin holiday campaign. You can probably Google an image. (I have the book from the exhibit) Super retro chic!
My I. Magnin recollection is of the store at Vallco (?), which was the fancy new mall at the time. It has apparently since gone downhill, and now it's Valley Fair that has been regentrified.
Post a Comment