Federal's Spiral Notebook

$19.99

GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Make room for notes inspired by a distinctive chapter of Detroit retail history with this Federal's Spiral Notebook. Federal Department Store was founded in 1929, merged with Columbus-based Kobacker's in 1961, and bought Shifrin-Willens Jewelers in 1969. It filed for bankruptcy in 1972 and was liquidated in 1980 after a later change in ownership. This notebook suits everyday writing, research, or collecting, while connecting its use to the history of department stores across Detroit and nearby communities.

Federal Department Store, commonly known as Federal's, was a department store chain based in Detroit and founded in 1929. Its history includes expansion through a merger and a separate jewelry acquisition. In 1961, Federal's merged with Kobacker's, a department store company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 1969, Federal's bought Shifrin-Willens Jewelers. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 1972; that same year, its stores in Lansing and Kalamazoo closed. One of Federal's holdings at the time of the bankruptcy was the Hoffritz for Cutlery chain, which was sold in 1975 through a leveraged buyout. In 1978, Steven Watstein, also known as Steven West, purchased Federal's. The chain was liquidated in 1980. These milestones trace Federal's from its 1929 founding through a merger, an acquisition, financial difficulty, a change in ownership, and eventual liquidation. The documented locations connect its story to Detroit, Columbus, Lansing, and Kalamazoo.