William Smith opened his first store in Oakland California in 1886 and called it The Famous Clothing Company. It became the largest clothing store in Oakland, and the largest shop exclusively for men and boys west of Chicago. As the business grew, it also became well known for its policy of “money refunded if goods are not satisfactory”, and was renamed Smith Money-Back Store, and eventually in 1912, just Money-Back Smith. The store also became well known for its generous Charge It! policy, begun in 1940, that required no down payment, no interest, and no carrying charge for 90 days. The business did well for many years, becoming Smith’s Clothiers, enlarging its size in Oakland, and opening a total of 24 stores in Northern California and Nevada. In 1987, Smith’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and went out of business in 1988.
Written by MagsRags Vintage
