Rainbow Shops

Rainbow Shops ( Rainbow USA Inc. ), commonly referred to as just Rainbow is a privately held, moderately priced American retail apparel chain comprising several lifestyle brands primarily targeting teens and young women. The company is headquartered in East New York, NY, United States.

The founding brothers of Rainbow Shops.
Rainbow USA Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryApparel, retail
Founded1935 (1935)
Headquarters
Brooklyn, NY
,
US
Number of locations
1,300 (2018)
Key people
Joseph Chehebar (CEO)
Albert Chehebar (President)[1]
Products
  • Clothing
  • footwear
US$ 760 million (2012)
Number of employees
10,000
Subsidiaries5-7-9, Joyce Leslie and Marianne
Websitewww.rainbowshops.com
Store front
Rainbow Store Setup

History

Rainbow Shops was founded in 1935[2] in New York City by Irving Arthur Swarzman,[3] an Austrian native who was raised in Brooklyn. Swarzman brought his four brothers (Herman, Oscar, Ira, and Nat) into the business as they reached working age. They built the business from one shop to a high of eighty-two stores before selling the business in the 1980s, according to Mr. Swarzman's granddaughter. Rainbow Shops is now owned by Egyptian Jewish Chehebar family.[4][5] Today, along with sister brands 5-7-9 and Marianne, Rainbow operates 1,300 stores in United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[2]

Rainbow's holding company, A.I.J.J. Enterprises Inc., purchased the 5-7-9 brand in 1999 from the bankrupt Edison Brothers Stores. It's operated through a company division named The New 5-7-9 and Beyond, Inc.[6]

Rainbow stores are an average of 5,000 square ft. Each store’s merchandise varies by location, depending upon demographics and the size of the location. Larger stores usually carry juniors, plus, lingerie, shoes and kids departments.

E-commerce

In November 2012, Rainbow launched its online store which offers a cultivated selection of Junior and Plus fashion, shoes, accessories, discounts, offers and promotions. Its online assortment of styles gets updated daily.

References
  1. Chain Store Guide Company Snapshot: "Rainbow Apparel Co." by Natasha Perry May 29, 2013
  2. RainbowShops.com: "About Us" retrieved October 23, 2015
  3. Brooklyn Eagle: "DINNER DANCE" July 10, 1938 | "The employes of the Rainbow Shops of New York will give a testimonial dinner-dance in honor of Irving A. Swarzman, founder of the Rainbow Shops, and his brothers, Nathan, Ira, Herman and Oscar Swarzman."
  4. The Real Deal: "Dominating Deal - Mapping out just how many properties NYC’s Syrian Jewish real estate moguls own in this Jersey Shore hamlet" By Ariel Stulberg August 01, 2015
  5. New York Times: "Deal on Citigroup Tower Puts Buyer in the Real Estate Big Leagues" By CHARLES V. BAGLI February 8, 2001
  6. "EDISON BROTHERS ANNOUNCES AGREEMENTS TO SELL 485 JW/JEANS WEST, CODA AND 5-7-9 STORES ('8-K' for 5/28/99, Exhibit 99.3)". Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
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