Building 19

The correct title of this article is Building #19. The omission of the # is due to technical restrictions.
Building #19
IndustryDiscount retail
FoundedHingham, Massachusetts (1964 (1964))[1]
FounderJerry Ellis (born Gerald Elovitz)
Harry Andler
Defunct2013
FateBankruptcy; 2 stores reopened as "The Rug Department", assets acquired by Ollie's Bargain Outlet[2]
Headquarters
Hingham, Massachusetts
,
United States
Number of locations
10 stores (2013)[3]
Area served
New England
Key people
William Elovitz (President)[4]
Revenue$79.2m (2013)[4]

Building #19 was a New England chain of discount closeout retailers that operated from 1964 until it declared bankruptcy in 2013.[5] At the time of its bankruptcy, it had thirteen stores. The family that owned the chain later reopened two of the former locations as a part of a new business, The Rug Department, that was limited to rugs and related merchandise.[6] However, these locations in Norwood and Burlington closed in 2014.[7]

The “closeout stores” had been known throughout New England for selling an eclectic assortment of items at drastically discounted prices, as well as self-effacing advertising that made fun of the founder, Jerry Ellis. Many of the items were factory irregulars, discontinued models, post-expiration-date, damaged, or less than perfect in some other way, but some new merchandise was offered as well. The stores capitalized on the quick cash flow needs of other businesses, obtaining most of their merchandise from fire sales, overstocks, customs seizures, liquidations, and bankruptcy courts.

On November 1, 2013, Building #19 Inc. and a number of affiliated companies voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts.[8] Ellis said that the business had been "on a downhill slope for 10 years", and attributed its failure to Internet competition, overseas manufacturing, and improved fire protection of warehouses. The latter two factors reduced the supply of salvage and surplus products to sell.[9][10]

  1. ^ Goodison, Donna L. (2001-05-11). "King of Cheap". Boston Business Journal. Founded in 1964, Building #19 is now a collection of 13 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
  2. ^ https://wbsm.com/ollies-building-19-true-connection/
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference BLDG19ABOUTUS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Profile: Building 19 Inc". Hoover's.
  5. ^ Luna, Taryn (November 5, 2013). "The fun runs out at Building #19". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
  6. ^ Herman, Colman M. (January 25, 2014). "Bankrupt Building 19 reinvents itself as a rug store". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
  7. ^ "Building 19".
  8. ^ "Building #19 – New England Discount Store Chain – Files Bankruptcy, Plans Liquidation and Going-Out-of-Business Sales". Chapter 11 Cases. November 2, 2013. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ramos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Herman, Colman (November 12, 2013). "Building #19 owner looks back, ahead". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2014-09-20.