Watson's Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet
gray / 2" x 2" / Square
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Add a small, memorable piece of Southeastern retail history to a kitchen, office, or collection. This Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet honors Watson's, the Ira A. Watson Co. department-store chain founded in Knoxville in 1907. From downtown stores and county-seat towns to larger shopping centers, Watson's became part of everyday life across the region before its stores were converted to Peebles in 1999. A compact keepsake for former shoppers, local-history fans, and retail collectors.
Ira A. Watson Co., commonly known as Watson's, was a department store chain based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1907, it expanded from one Knoxville operation into a regional network serving county-seat towns across the Southeast. The company first developed downtown stores and later opened substantially larger locations in shopping centers and malls. Its operations extended into Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. Merchandise for the stores was purchased and distributed through a centralized warehouse at the Knoxville corporate offices. Watson's experienced financial difficulty in the late 1980s and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 1992 after it could not renew bank financing. At filing, it operated 31 stores in nine states. Profitability improved, and the company emerged from Chapter 11 in about half the expected six-year period, but it did not fully recover. Peebles purchased Watson's for $4.45 million in a transaction completed June 29, 1998, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1999, all Watson's stores were converted to Peebles. Peebles was purchased by Specialty Retailers in 2003 and is now part of the Gordman's chain.
Watson's Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
Add a small, memorable piece of Southeastern retail history to a kitchen, office, or collection. This Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet honors Watson's, the Ira A. Watson Co. department-store chain founded in Knoxville in 1907. From downtown stores and county-seat towns to larger shopping centers, Watson's became part of everyday life across the region before its stores were converted to Peebles in 1999. A compact keepsake for former shoppers, local-history fans, and retail collectors.
Ira A. Watson Co., commonly known as Watson's, was a department store chain based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1907, it expanded from one Knoxville operation into a regional network serving county-seat towns across the Southeast. The company first developed downtown stores and later opened substantially larger locations in shopping centers and malls. Its operations extended into Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. Merchandise for the stores was purchased and distributed through a centralized warehouse at the Knoxville corporate offices. Watson's experienced financial difficulty in the late 1980s and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 1992 after it could not renew bank financing. At filing, it operated 31 stores in nine states. Profitability improved, and the company emerged from Chapter 11 in about half the expected six-year period, but it did not fully recover. Peebles purchased Watson's for $4.45 million in a transaction completed June 29, 1998, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1999, all Watson's stores were converted to Peebles. Peebles was purchased by Specialty Retailers in 2003 and is now part of the Gordman's chain.
| 2" x 2" | |
| Width, in | 2.00 |
| Height, in | 2.00 |
| Depth, in | 0.25 |
Product features
- 2" square porcelain tile with glossy finish
- Superior coating for bright, true-to-design color reproduction
- Vibrant, crisp printing using modern techniques
- Strong magnet mounted on the backside for secure hold
- Durable glossy surface that highlights fine details and contrasts
Care instructions
- Gently wipe the dirt or dust off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Care instructions: Gently wipe the dirt or dust off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth