Henry's Breakfast Book: A new chapter for Belk as the family walks away

The announcement, yesterday, that Belk Stores is being sold to a New York private equity firm for $3bn is the end of an era. Belk is the largest family-owned retail chain in America, and has been a mainstay of Carolinas educational, political, cultural and business life for 127 years. The announcement has been made with the usual reassurances that nothing will change, but the department store market is shrinking, and the sale will leave Belk saddled with acquisition debt. Watch for sale of a big chunk of Belk’s real estate holdings to recoup the investment; in five years, the company will be merged with another regional retailer- or two- rebranded, spun off or put through an IPO, and the headquarters will move to New York.

Henry Bemis Books has a large collection of Carolinas business and social history works, including these two volumes tracing the history the Belk stores chain since 1888:

Blythe, LeGette, William Henry Belk: Merchant of the South (University of North Carolina Press, 1950; enlarged edition 1958). LOC 58-14574. A life of the founder of the department store chain. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. Octavo, 271 pp. HBB price: $75.

Covington, Howard E. Jr., Belk Inc.: The Company and the Family That Built It (Belk Inc, 2002). LOC 2002104825. An new, half-century-later version of LeGette Blyth’s history of the family, their stores, and their philanthropies. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, fine condition. Octavo, 282 pp. HBB price: $50.

We are happy to sell these as a set or individually. Make Henry an offer!

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Henry Bemis Books is one man’s attempt to bring more diversity and quality to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg market of devoted readers starved for choices. Our website is at www.henrybemisbookseller.blogspot.com. For more information about any listed book, or more photos, please contact Lindsay at henrybemisbookseller@gmail.com. Henry Bemis Books is also happy to entertain reasonable offers on items in inventory. Shipping is always free; local buyers are welcome to drop by and pick up their purchases at our location off Peachtree Road in Northwest Charlotte if they like. #RareBooks #HenryBemisBooks #BelkStoresSale #BelkBooks