Venture Stores T-Shirt
XS / Army
$19.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Celebrate the story of Venture Stores, a discount retailer that helped shape shopping memories across the Midwest. Founded in 1968 by John F. Geisse and Dave Babcock, Venture opened its first store in Overland, Missouri, in 1970 and grew to 20 locations by 1976. It later expanded into Texas, tested Venture Dollar stores, and closed in 1998 after bankruptcy. This design is for former customers, company-history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the rise and upheaval of American discount retail.
Venture Stores, Inc., was a discount department-store chain founded in 1968 by John F. Geisse, formerly of Target Stores, and Dave Babcock, an executive vice president at May Department Stores. May wanted to compete with emerging discount retailers but could not acquire more chains under an antitrust settlement, so Geisse and Babcock started a new retailer. Its first store opened in Overland, Missouri, on January 29, 1970. By 1976, Venture had grown to 20 stores, and in 1978 it purchased 12 Turn Style locations in Illinois and Iowa, reopening them as Venture stores that August. The chain built a strong presence in St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City, and became Chicago's largest discount chain. Venture separated from May and became a private corporation in 1990. It entered Texas in 1993, opening ten stores in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, and tested nine lower-priced Venture Dollar stores in Illinois, Missouri, and Texas in 1996. Venture sold its Texas stores to Kmart in 1997. Facing competition and financial difficulties, it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 20, 1998, announced its closure on April 27, and completed inventory liquidation by July. Former locations were taken over by several retail chains.
Celebrate the story of Venture Stores, a discount retailer that helped shape shopping memories across the Midwest. Founded in 1968 by John F. Geisse and Dave Babcock, Venture opened its first store in Overland, Missouri, in 1970 and grew to 20 locations by 1976. It later expanded into Texas, tested Venture Dollar stores, and closed in 1998 after bankruptcy. This design is for former customers, company-history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the rise and upheaval of American discount retail.
Venture Stores, Inc., was a discount department-store chain founded in 1968 by John F. Geisse, formerly of Target Stores, and Dave Babcock, an executive vice president at May Department Stores. May wanted to compete with emerging discount retailers but could not acquire more chains under an antitrust settlement, so Geisse and Babcock started a new retailer. Its first store opened in Overland, Missouri, on January 29, 1970. By 1976, Venture had grown to 20 stores, and in 1978 it purchased 12 Turn Style locations in Illinois and Iowa, reopening them as Venture stores that August. The chain built a strong presence in St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City, and became Chicago's largest discount chain. Venture separated from May and became a private corporation in 1990. It entered Texas in 1993, opening ten stores in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, and tested nine lower-priced Venture Dollar stores in Illinois, Missouri, and Texas in 1996. Venture sold its Texas stores to Kmart in 1997. Facing competition and financial difficulties, it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 20, 1998, announced its closure on April 27, and completed inventory liquidation by July. Former locations were taken over by several retail chains.
| XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
| Width, in | 16.50 | 18.00 | 20.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 | 30.00 | 32.00 |
| Length, in | 27.00 | 28.00 | 29.00 | 30.00 | 31.00 | 32.00 | 33.00 | 34.00 | 35.00 |
| Sleeve length, in | 8.60 | 8.90 | 9.20 | 9.50 | 9.70 | 10.00 | 10.40 | 10.80 | 11.20 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
Product features
- 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton (lightweight 4.2 oz/yd²) for a soft, breathable feel
- Retail fit with crew neckline — neat, easy to layer
- Structural details: side seams, shoulder tape, and ribbed knit collar to retain shape
- Labeling and prints: tear-away label; DTF or DTG printing used for crisp chest and sleeve designs
- Ethically made blanks (Fair Labor Association, Platinum WRAP), REACH certified
Care instructions
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F)
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Iron, steam or dry: medium heat
- Do not dryclean
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Bella+Canvas 3001, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Warnings, Hazard: For adults
Care instructions: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), Non-chlorine: bleach as needed, Tumble dry: low heat, Iron, steam or dry: medium heat, Do not dryclean