Parisian Department Store

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Parisian began in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, in 1877 as the Parisian Dry Goods and Millinery Company, founded by sisters Estella and Bertha Sommers. The original shop at 2030 First Avenue North moved repeatedly during its tough early years, but it eventually became a hometown institution with serious fashion ambitions.

Carl Hess and William Holiner acquired the business in the early 1920s. In 1950, Emil Hess and Leonard Salit introduced a six-month, interest-free credit program while competitors charged interest—an unusually civilized move for retail. Free gift wrapping, shipping, and forgiving returns helped make Parisian the polished department store with manners.

The chain followed Birmingham shoppers to the suburbs, then spread across Alabama and the Southeast. It went public in 1983, passed through Australian owner LJ Hooker in 1988–1989, and was sold to Proffitt’s, Inc. in 1996. Proffitt’s acquired Saks Fifth Avenue in 1998 and adopted the Saks Incorporated name, keeping Parisian as a distinct upscale banner.

Our Parisian Department Store collection celebrates Birmingham retail grandeur: gift boxes, credit counters, designer racks, and the glamorous belief that a department store could know your name. Belk purchased the 38-store Parisian business from Saks on October 2, 2006, then converted most locations to Belk in 2007; four stores continued under a Bon-Ton Parisian arrangement until the name’s marketing rights expired in 2013.