August is here, and it’s time for students to do their back-to-school shopping. If you grew up in the Louisville area, this time of year is familiar — but also different. You may have memories of doing your school shopping, but they likely include visits to these five former local department + mall anchor stores.
Ayr-Way
When the Bashford Manor Mall opened in 1973, it included this department store as one of its anchors (as well as a Bacon’s). The store sold general merchandise, including children’s clothing + school supplies, but it rebranded as a Target in 1981. That Target location lasted until the mall closed in 2003.
Bacon’s
This department store began as a smaller shop in Louisville in 1845, but it later expanded into a chain with multiple Louisville locations — including a flagship store on 4th + Market streets that opened in 1901. If you shopped at Bacon’s in the 1990s you may remember the “Midnight Madness” sales, but the chain was bought by Dillard’s in 1998. Its final location at the Bashford Manor Mall closed in 2003.
Kmart
Attention Louisville shoppers — if your back-to-school shopping included clothing from Route 66 and “Blue Light Specials,” you have memories of visiting a Kmart store. The brand had multiple Derby City locations, and it first arrived in 1967. Kmart had a presence in the city for over five decades, but the final location on Outer Loop closed in 2023.
If you needed a raincoat, Kaufman-Straus had you covered.
Photo courtesy ASC, UofL
Kaufman-Straus
You may not have done all of your back-to-school-shopping at this “fine” department store, but Kaufman-Straus is literally a part of Louisville’s history. It was open from 1879 to 1969, spending most of its life at the South 4th Street location, and if you bought an item here you likely saved it for a special occasion.
The Stewart Dry Goods Company
This department store had a selection of fabrics, yarns, and ready-to-wear clothing — especially for women. It had multiple locations in the Louisville area, but it may be best remembered for its flagship store on 4th + Walnut streets. That location was sold to L.S. Ayres in 1985, and after a few transfers in ownership, it permanently closed in 1990.
