Gordmans

Born in 1915 out of a small retail store at the corner of 16th and Chicago in Omaha, Nebraska, Gordmans is proud to celebrate more than 100 years in business. Fashion trends may come and go, but Gordmans has thrived knowing that low-cost, high-quality apparel and décor are always on-trend.

“We’ve delivered high-quality merchandise at great values for 100 years. Not many companies come close to fulfilling that promise, or lasting that long,” said Andy Hall, president and chief executive officer. “Looking toward the future, we will continue to build our national brand portfolio and further enhance the guest experience as Gordmans continues to grow by adding stores and ecommerce channels.”

Today, Gordmans operates 106 stores in 22 states, along with an online shopping site that allows guests to shop anytime, anywhere.

The company was started by Sam Richman, a Russian immigrant, who opened a small clothing store in Omaha. A few years later, he was joined by Dan Gordman, a former Bloomingdales executive who was headed west to start a new career. Dan’s ’32 Chevy, bound for California, broke down in Omaha. While awaiting repairs, Dan met Esther Richman, daughter of Sam Richman, whom he would soon marry. His fated stop for car repairs also led to a lifelong business relationship with her father, Sam. Out of this, Richman Gordman stores were born.

Richman Gordman prospered, leading to progressively faster expansion. Over several decades, the company added stores in Omaha and elsewhere in Nebraska, along with communities in Iowa and Kansas. Centralized checkouts, shopping carts, self-service shoe departments and racetrack-shopping configurations for easier store navigation were all introduced by Dan.

In 1975, a second group of retail stores, Half Price Stores, was launched. By 1990, the company had grown to 16 Richman Gordman stores and 16 Half Price Stores. In 2000, all of the stores were renamed Gordmans.

Gordmans was sold to Sun Capital Partners, one of the largest private equity firms in the country, in September 2008. A successful initial public offering of common stock for Gordmans occurred in 2010, as well as a secondary public offering in 2012.

Andy Hall was named president and chief executive officer of Gordmans, as well as a member of the company’s board of directors in August 2014 – positions which he still holds today.

From 2012 to 2014, Gordmans increased its store base by over 30%. In fiscal year 2014, revenues reached $635 million. In 2015, the Company will open six new stores.

Gordmans believes in giving back to the communities in which it operates. Since 2000, Gordmans has supported Partners in Education and has contributed more than $1 million to public school systems in markets where Gordmans has stores.

In 2012, Forbes magazine ranked Gordmans No. 29 on its 2012 list of America’s 100 best small-cap companies based on sales and earnings growth. Apparel magazine ranked Gordmans No. 48 on its 2014 list of the Top 50 leading apparel retailers, noting Gordmans’ gRewards Loyalty program and focus on ‘destination’ businesses such as juniors, misses, young men’s apparel and home décor.

“We’ve proved that saving money never goes out of style,” said Mr. Hall. “And I think it’s safe to say that delighting guests with the latest fashion trends in name brand apparel and home décor at incredible values is at the foundation of this [100th anniversary] impressive milestone. Our 5,300 associates are passionate about delivering value, every day.”