Derelict Anderson–Little store in Rhode Island, shown shortly before demolition, displays the iconic red and white color scheme used in the company's signage

Anderson–Little was an American clothing manufacturer and retailer of the 20th century, particularly of men's suits. It operated in the eastern United States, and in New England in particular.

The brand has been revived in the 21st century as a small internet retailer.

Foundation and success

Anderson–Little was founded in the Boston area in 1918[1] or in the 1920s[2] by Morris B. Anderson and Albert Little. Anderson had been born in Russia and came to America as a teen; before co-founding Anderson-Little he had worked for Singer Sewing Machine, and managed firms including the Morris B. Anderson Clothing Company.[1] In the 1930s[2] – perhaps 1933,[3] or perhaps 1936[1] – the company relocated to Fall River, Massachusetts, then a textile-manufacturing center.[note 1]

The company opened a retail store in Fall River in 1936, and after World War II they opened their first factory showroom (a store in a factory), becoming a pioneer of factory–to–consumer retailing.[3][4] These outlets were relatively austere operations with suits being hung on racks made of pipes assembled by company hands.[2] Their main slogan and jingle for decades, "The Best Factory Makes the Best Clothing",[5][6] emphasized the manufacturing side of the business. In 1956, the Fall River factory was producing 3000 garments every week and had employed over 1000 people.

By 1960 they had eleven stores, all in New England. In 1966 they were acquired by Richman Brothers,[7][8] at which time there were 40 stores.[3][4] In 1969 Richman Brothers (including Anderson–Little) was acquired by the retail giant Woolworth.[9][10][11] In 1981, the company created three new brands – Strathmore, Shefford, and Southport – and added business attire for women (they had formerly only offered men's clothing).[2]

Reports in contemporary news publications showed that the growth of stores may have been much slower than the figures given by articles that were written decades later. The Daily Boston Globe reported that the firm had 7 stores in 1950[12] and 9 stores in 1956.[13] Women's Wear Daily reported that the firm had 19 stores in 4 states in 1966[14] and 22 stores in 1967.[15]

During the time of Woolworth's ownership, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach served as the company's celebrity spokesman.[16]

Decline and fall

Under Woolworth control Anderson–Little grew to 100 stores and beyond.

However, when Woolworth took its swan-dive to extinction[17] it ran Anderson–Little into the ground.[18] By 1992 the company had swollen to 260 stores, three factories, and two distribution centers,[19] but was no longer profitable. That same year Woolworth (just a few years short of its own 1997 demise) closed all but seven Anderson–Little stores and announced it would shut the division down entirely,[19] but a buyer was found and the remnants of Anderson–Little were sold to Cliftex Manufacturing (owners of Gentleman's Wearhouse (not to be confused with Men's Wearhouse)) that same year.[19][20] Cliftex then rebranded some of their Gentlemen's Wearhouse stores as Anderson–Little stores[21] and also began selling clothing under the Anderson–Little brand in their Gentleman's Wearhouse stores.[22]

In 1992, Cliftex operated 26 Anderson–Little stores, but closed 16 of them that year.[23] Cliftex Manufacturing closed the remaining Anderson–Little stores in 1998.[3][4]

Revival

Ten years later, in 2008, Stuart Anderson (great-grandson of founder Morris Anderson)[24] and his son Scott Anderson reclaimed the brand, which had become available after Cliftex went bankrupt,[18] and started a new clothing company under that name.

This revived company, based in Miami, is a web–only retailer, with products made in America.[25] Their first product was a classic blue blazer, and as of 2023 that and a black version remain their sole product.[26]

In a planned succession Stuart Anderson retired in 2014 and Anderson-Little is now owned and run by Scott Anderson, the fifth generation of Andersons to run the brand.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "M. Anderson, 95, Clothier, Dies". Newport Mercury. August 6, 1971. p. 3. Retrieved November 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Morris B. Anderson, 95, of Miami, Fla., clothing magnate and co-founder of Anderson-Little Co. of Fall River, Mass., died Wednesday in Mercy Hospital in Miami. Mr. Anderson was born in Russia. When he was 13 years old, his family came to this country and settled in Boston. He began his career as an employee of the Singer Sewing Machine Co., and later managed several small manufacturing firms, including the Morris B. Anderson Clothing Co. In 1918, he joined Albert Little in founding the Anderson-Little Co., with outlets in Boston and Watertown, Mass. In 1936, he moved to Fall River where they established their factory there. The company currently has 32 outlets throughout New. England, including one in Middietown. After moving to Miami in 1946, he helped found an innovative scholarship loan program at the University of Miami. Besides his son, Mr. Anderson leaves his second wife, Mrs. Jeanette Anderson of Miami, whom he married in 1969; son, Raymond R. Anderson of Barrington, five grandsons and a granddaughter. His first wife, Mrs.Sophie Anderson, died in Newport in 1967. The funeral and burial were in Miami today. Alternate Link via NewspaperArchive.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kiefer, Francine (April 12, 1983). "Image change at Anderson-Little helps set sales record". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "A Brief History of Anderson–Little". Anderson–Little website. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Welker, Grant (July 17, 2008). "Anderson-Little is back in fashion". The Herald News. Fall River, Massachusetts. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ "(advertisement)". The Telegraph (Nashua). March 27, 1973. p. 15. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "(advertisement)". The Bridgeport Post. November 21, 1957. p. 15. Retrieved November 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Anderson-Little Merges With Richman Brothers". The Boston Globe. January 12, 1967. p. 48. ProQuest 367059865. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ Campanella, Frank. (January 29, 1968). "Richman Brothers Styles New Gains On Modern Operating Approach". Barron's. p. 24. ProQuest 350634968. Richman significantly expanded its marketing area by taking over on November 1, 1966, Anderson-Little, a New England chain of 14 retail stores, with two outlets in Rhode Island, seven in Massachusetts and five in Connecticut, plus manufacturing facilities in Fall River, Mass.
  9. ↑ "Richman Bros. Votes Woolworth Unit Merger". Chicago Tribune. March 5, 1969. p. c6. ProQuest 168884501. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Woolworth completed acquisition at the Richman Bros. clothing firm". Los Angeles Times. March 26, 1969. p. f9. ProQuest 156166016. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ Abele, John J. (March 26, 1969). "Woolworth Buys Apparel Concern: Variety Chain and Richman of Cleveland Combined; Companies Take Merger Actions". The New York Times. p. 61. ProQuest 118683556. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Anderson Little Open New Retail Clothing Store on Summer St". Daily Boston Globe. March 8, 1950. p. 8. ProQuest 839623931. Retrieved November 19, 2015. Anderson Little was founded in Boston in 1911 by Morris B. Anderson and operations were shifted to Fall River in 1936. There are now seven units in the retail chain.
  13. ↑ "Anderson-Little Label Assures Utmost in Value". Daily Boston Globe. September 20, 1956. p. 23. ProQuest 843366436. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Anderson-Little Opens Waltham, Portland Units". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 113, no. 101. November 22, 1966. p. 28. ProQuest 1565328407. Two stores have opened simultaneously in Waltham, Mass., and Portland, Me., by Anderson-Little Co., to bring the total to 19 stores in four states for the manufacturing-retail firm headquartered in Fall River, Mass.
  15. ↑ "Anderson-Little Opens Another Unit". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 115, no. 240. December 12, 1967. p. 43. ProQuest 1523493845. Anderson-Little opened its twelfth Massachusetts store, here [Lowell, Mass.], in its growing chain of 22 factory salesrooms.
  16. ↑ "Clothing Store Plans to Open". Glens Falls Post Star. February 28, 1978. p. 16. The company's national spokesman is Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Alternate Link via NewspaperArchive.com.
  17. ↑ Pollard, Garland (July 1, 2007). "F. W. Woolworth's: July 2007 Dead Brand of The Month". BrandlandUSA (blog). Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  18. 1 2 Pollard, Garland (January 1, 2009). "Founding Family Interview: The Anderson-Little Brand Returns". BrandlandUSA (blog). Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 "Woolworth's to shut Anderson Little chain. (F.W. Woolworth Co. closes Anderson Little-Richman Brothers)". Daily News Record. April 6, 1992. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2010 – via HighBeam Research.
  20. ↑ Donker, Peter P. (August 18, 1993). "Clothier buys Anderson-Little name". Telegram & Gazette. p. E2. ProQuest 268517735. Gentlemen's Wear-House, the New Bedford-based men's factory-direct clothier, said it has bought the Anderson-Little name and will change the name of 26 of its 30 retail outlets to Anderson- Little. Gentlemen's Wear-House outlets are primarily in the Boston market, the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield area; Providence, the Albany, N.Y., market and in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Gentlemen's Wear-House was founded in 1972 and is a privately held company.
  21. ↑ Weisman, Robert (August 18, 1993). "Gentlemen's Wear-house Acquires Anderson-little". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Gentlemen's Wear-House chain using Anderson-Little Logo". Daily News Record. September 24, 1993. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2010 – via HighBeam Research.
  23. ↑ Rising, David (November 18, 1996). "Cliftex closing stores". South Coast Today. Standard–Times (New Bedford, Massachusetts). Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  24. ↑ Scott Anderson (May 6, 2011). Interview with Scott Anderson (Flash video) (TV news interview). New York City: Fox Business Network. Event occurs at 0:15. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Made in South Florida: Anderson-Little". Local 10 News. WPLG. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Classic Blue Blazer". Anderson–Little website. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  27. ↑ Kevin P. O'Connor (April 29, 2013). "Fall River classic men's clothing store Anderson-Little is reborn". The Herald News. Fall River, Massachusetts. Retrieved August 26, 2016.

Notes

  1. ↑ According to the company website the company was founded in Fall River, in 1933, but other sources contradict this
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