Uptons

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Uptons was an Atlanta-area discount department-store chain founded in 1985 by George and Bobby Upton. Its first store opened at Roswell Mall in Roswell, Georgia, then the chain spread through the Southeast with clothing, shoes, accessories and the familiar promise that the price tag had already taken a beating.

The expansion sprint came quickly. In 1987, Uptons acquired 14 former Meyers-Arnold stores in South Carolina. In 1996, 37 surviving J. Byrons stores were converted to Uptons, bringing a substantial Florida presence into the fold and turning the chain into a 75-store regional operation.

Norcross, Georgia, was the company’s long-associated headquarters; in 1997, Uptons moved its headquarters to Technology Park Atlanta in the nearby Peachtree Corners area. American Retail Group, which owned Uptons, announced on July 19, 1999, that it would close the chain. The stores were scheduled to close by year-end, with the final locations gone by 2000. Retail consolidation: the least festive clearance event imaginable.

Our Uptons collection celebrates the bright, practical spirit of a Southeast shopping-trip staple: mall bags, bargain racks, department-store optimism, and a logo built for the era when a new outfit could still count as an afternoon’s entertainment.