Titche-Goettinger

Titche-Goettinger (later known as Titche's) was a department store chain based in Dallas, Texas (USA). It was established in 1902 and was a major player in the Dallas retail market until its merger with Joske's, which was later absorbed by Dillard's.

History

The Wilson Building at Main and Ervay Streets in downtown Dallas housed Titche-Goettinger between 1904 and 1929. Today it is a luxury-apartment building.

The Titche-Goettinger Department Store, formed in 1902 by Max Goettinger and Edward Titche,^[1] opened on the southeast corner of Elm and Murphy streets. Two years later, they moved to the relatively new Wilson Building, between Main and Elm, along Ervay. In 1928 the company began construction on a new location between Main and Elm streets at St. Paul Street to house increased depth in their merchandise, such as ready-to-wear apparel.

In December 1928, before the new building was complete, Titche-Goettinger was sold to Hahn Department Stores. (Hahn would also purchase the San Antonio, Texas, retailer Joske's the same year.) The Great Depression affected the breadth of the retail market during Hahn's ownership, changing the market from an upper-income clientele to a middle-income one. The store's competitive edge was largely lost to hometown rivals Neiman Marcus and Sanger-Harris. In 1932, Hahn Department Stores changed its name to Allied Stores Corporation. The change in ownership and shifting clientele probably prevented the company from opening branch locations between 1930 and 1960. The company continued its support for and commitment to downtown retailing until the 1960s.

The department store eventually expanded to the suburbs in the 1950s, and the store name was shortened to Titche's. Allied would merge the Titche-Goettinger stores with Joske's in 1979, which was eventually purchased by Dillard's in 1987.

Flagship store

The Titche-Goettinger Building between Elm and Main at St. Paul in downtown Dallas was the department store's flagship between 1929 and 1979.

The downtown Dallas flagship store is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a key contributing structure in Dallas' Harwood Historic District and Main Street District. It opened in 1929 and closed in 1987 and now houses loft-style apartments and the Universities Center at Dallas.

References

External links

• Dallas Public Library images of flagship store
• The Department Store Museum: Titche-Goettinger
• 1900 Elm (apartment building now occupying former Titche's downtown store, includes historic store photos)