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Sebastian Spering Kresge (July 31, 1867 – October 18, 1966) was an American businessman. He created and owned two chains of department stores, the S. S. Kresge Company, one of the 20th century's largest discount retail organizations, and the Kresge-Newark traditional department store chain.
Learn about the history and legacy of the S.S. Kresge Company, a Detroit-based variety store chain that was founded in 1899 and became a pioneer of discount retailing. Find out how it evolved from a dime store to a checkout-free format, and how it influenced the city's architecture and culture.
Mar 19, 2024 · S.S. Kresge was an American merchant who established a chain of nearly 1,000 variety and discount stores throughout the United States. Kresge worked as a traveling salesman before going into business with one of his customers, John G. McCrory, the owner of several department and five-and-ten-cent.
Retail chain founder Sebastian Spering Kresge was born in Bald Mount, Pennsylvania on July 31, 1867. His parents, Sebastian Sr. and Catherine Kunkle Kresge were Pennsylvania Dutch farmers.
Founded by retailer Sebastian S. Kresge in 1924, The Kresge Foundation continues to fulfill his mandate: To promote human progress.
The S.S. Kresge Co. grew to be the second-largest variety chain in the U.S. The stores changed as retail trends matured over the years. The company battled anti-chain store sentiment in the 1920s and 30s.
The foundation made a splash in 1926 when S.S. Kresge made additional contributions and publicly annouced the creation of the foundation. “I have donated to the foundation real estate, leaseholds and securities valued at approximately $2 million,” he wrote.
