B. Dalton - History

History

Dayton's, a department store chain based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, began the B. Dalton chain in 1966. The name B. Dalton was chosen because it "connoted quality, dependability and authority." Dalton was a spelling variation of Dayton. The first store opened in nearby Edina in August of that year, followed by a second in St. Louis, Missouri. Although the chain was originally intended to operate in downtowns and suburban areas, the majority of the stores were opened inside regional shopping malls. By 1969, Dayton's had merged with Hudson's of Detroit and became Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation).

B. Dalton expanded throughout the 1960s and 1970s, going from twelve stores in 1968 to 125 five years later, peaking at 798 locations in 1986. In 1968, the chain acquired Pickwick Books of California, which merged in 1979. B. Dalton had stores in 43 of 50 states in 1978, and was second to Waldenbooks (then the U.S.' largest bookstore) in store numbers, but posted higher profits than its rival. A flagship store opened in Manhattan in December 1978, and between 1983 and 1986, the chain revived the Pickwick name as a discount bookstore.