The store Belk.

[Megabox]

I hear people call it Belk's. Why is this? The stores name is Belk, not Belk's. There was a time someone said Belk's, and I thought they were referring to Bealls.

[thekillingwax]

I think it's just habit. So many department stores used a plural or possessive in the name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_department_stores_of_the_United_States

Look at JC Penney- Everyone I know calls it Penney's, which I guess they had changed their name to at some point because my aunt talked about having worked for them during that period and I don't think they've had signage that used that name in decades. I don't really know enough about Belk, but with department stores folding into each other and changing names so much over the years, it might be possible they were called Belk's or something like that at some point.

[remc86007]

I've always thought of it in my head as Belk's department store; as in Belk being the proprietor who operates the department store. I don't know if it was ever referred to as such, but so many other old stores were named similarly that I had assumed the same applied to Belk.

[KenFSU]

You see it a lot with restaurants too for whatever reason.

You hear "Paneras" a lot.

And, "I'm going to Outbacks for dinner."

[TimmyB]

Not localized, by any means.  Up north here, people say "Meijer's" and "WalMart's" all the time, as well as "Penney's".

[coredumped]

I thought the full name was Belk Lindsay, at least that's what it was called in central Florida.

[vicupstate]

I thought the full name was Belk Lindsay, at least that's what it was called in central Florida.

The Belk company grew by investing in various partnerships with local merchandisers in nearby markets.

examples: Belk Simpson and Belk Beery 

[Megabox]

"Penney's" for JCPenney makes sense. It's two syllables less than JCPenney which is why people prefer to call the store "Penney's".

[thelakelander]

Penney's was their name during the 60s and early 70s...



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Penney


The store at Gateway Mall. This is the one that is now closing at Dunn and Lem Turner.

Btw, here's a bunch of pics of Gateway Mall back during its heyday: http://beta.spotted.jacksonville.com/mediadetail/25729298?gId=656651

[thelakelander]

I thought the full name was Belk Lindsay, at least that's what it was called in central Florida.

Belk-Lindsey was a 35-store chain based out of Orlando.  It was founded in 1935 by E. Colin Lindsey in Ocala. To get the department store started, Lindsey borrowed $6,000 and William Henry Belk invested $12,000. It was one of many partnerships Belk formed in the south. The partner families (Lindsey in Central Florida's case) would manage regional stores under the direction of the Belk corporation. Prior to Lindsey's death in 1993, he was known as a pioneer of anchoring strip malls with department stores. 

Evidently, Lindsey and Belk never really got along (chains had different visions), leading to Belk buying out the Lindsey family after his death in 1993.  I PMed a complete streets planning  project in downtown Ocala two years ago. The block where the original store was is a surface parking lot now.


The original Belk-Lindsey in Ocala

[Megabox]

There's the old video rental store Blockbuster. People frequently called it Blockbuster's, likewise the drug store Eckerd was called Eckerd's.

[TimmyB]

Enough of this.  I'm heading down to buy my groceries at Public's. 

[Glenn VL]

  This thread just tickles me pink! Reminds me of Tad. "Hey Glenn, we going to meet at Subways for a hot sandwich?". Every single time lol.

[Adam White]

The store at Gateway Mall. This is the one that is now closing at Dunn and Lem Turner.

Growing up, I frequently heard that referred to as "Dunn's Avenue".

[I-10east]

^^^That's some true, or "out Dunns". Just like "Mearl Ave" (Myrtle Ave).