MSS 1355 AV Big Bear Stores Collection

              MSS 1355 AV
Big Bear Stores Collection
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Manuscripts/Audiovisual Collections
MSS 1355 AV
Big Bear Stores Collection
1930s-1990s
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Number:
MSS 1355 AV
Title:
Big Bear Stores Collection
Creator:
Big Bear
Dates:
1930s-1990s
Media:
Manuscript; Audiovisual
Quantity:
16 cf.
Location:
The Ohio Historical Center
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION
In 1934, toward the end of the Depression, an innovation in food retailing was introduced in Columbus when Wayne E. Brown opened the first self-service supermarket in central Ohio. Brown leased a 70,000 square foot building on Lane Avenue near the Ohio State University campus that had failed as a dance hall and roller rink.
The name “Big Bear” was chosen because Brown felt it was catchy and easy for people, especially children, to remember.
More than 200,000 people visited the store during the first three days it was open…Big Bear was an instant success with consumers who liked the opportunity to select their own items and the convenience of one-stop shopping.
In February of 1935, a second store was opened at 2030 E. Main Street in an old piano factory. By 1939, the company had four stores open and two under construction. Expansion slowed during the war years, but the company again began growing in the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1947, the warehouse was opened at 770 West Goodale Boulevard. There were eleven Big Bear stores then and plans were announced to open ten new stores by the end of 1949.
Big Bear is responsible for many innovations in the supermarket business. They were the first to introduce motorized counters that were controlled by the cashier. Unique store layouts placing perishable departments in the center of the store with low fixtures and a pleasing décor brought international attention to the Columbus chain. The layout of the Graceland store quickly became the industry standard. A leader in technology, Big Bear implemented use of the IBM 305 Ramac accounting machine in the supermarkets.