Gordmans

Gordmans was a value-focused department store chain that began in Omaha, Nebraska in 1915, when Sam Richman opened a small clothing store. The company’s identity took shape in 1975 after merging with the Gordman family’s local chain, creating the Gordmans brand that would become familiar across the Midwest. Over the following decades, Gordmans steadily grew its presence, eventually operating around 100 stores in 22 states at its peak in the mid-2010s. The stores were known for their off-price model, offering brand-name apparel, home décor, and accessories at discounted prices.

A notable milestone in Gordmans’ history came in 2010, when the company went public on the NASDAQ. This move supported further expansion and increased its visibility as an anchor tenant in shopping centers, particularly in secondary and tertiary markets. However, changing consumer habits and heightened competition led to financial difficulties, and Gordmans filed for bankruptcy in March 2017. Stage Stores, a Texas-based retailer, acquired the brand shortly thereafter and began converting many of its own department stores to the Gordmans format. This strategy briefly expanded the Gordmans banner, with hundreds of locations rebranded between 2018 and 2020.

Despite these efforts, Stage Stores itself entered bankruptcy in May 2020, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader retail challenges. By August 2020, all remaining Gordmans and Stage Stores locations were closed and liquidated. As of November 2025, Gordmans does not operate any physical stores and the brand is considered defunct. Its former locations have since been repurposed or re-tenanted by other retailers.

For commercial real estate professionals, Gordmans played a significant role as an anchor in power centers and regional shopping centers, often occupying large footprints. The chain’s rapid growth and subsequent closures created both leasing opportunities and challenges for property owners and developers, especially in markets outside major metropolitan areas. Today, Gordmans remains a reference point in retail history, illustrating the shifting landscape for mid-tier department stores and the impact of retail consolidation and liquidation on commercial properties.