Jacobson's

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Jacobson’s began in 1868, when Abraham Jacobson opened a “fancy goods” store in Reed City, Michigan. The business grew into a polished regional department-store institution, eventually making Jackson its corporate home and carrying the familiar Jacobson’s name across Michigan.

Nathan Rosenfeld acquired the chain in 1939, then hired former Jordan Marsh manager J. Russell Fowler in 1945. Under their stewardship, Jake’s became a destination for upscale apparel, fine jewelry, china, crystal, gifts and home furnishings—the sort of place where a shopping bag could feel like a social credential.

The Jackson-based retailer expanded beyond its Michigan heartland into Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Kansas. By the 1990s, however, bigger rivals, changing shopping habits and weakening sales put the old-school service model under pressure. Even the fancy department store was not immune to the grim march of retail reality.

Jacobson Stores, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection on January 16, 2002. A buyer did not materialize; liquidation followed, and the chain’s remaining stores closed later that year. A separate Florida operator revived the Jacobson’s name for one Winter Park store in 2004, but that later venture closed in 2011.

Our Jacobson's collection celebrates the elegant retail ghost of fitting rooms, bridal registries, gift boxes and the quietly intimidating pleasure of buying something nice because Jake’s said it was nice.