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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 8, 2007

Burdines Wasn't Local

Regarding 'Macy's Doesn't Fit; Bring Back Burdines' (Our Opinion, Sept. 4):

Actually to be correct it was Maas Brothers that was first with a family department store, not Burdines. Burdines started in South Florida's Miami area. When Abe Maas and his brothers started their store, South Florida was still mainly nothing but swamp. The west coast of Florida belonged to Maas Brothers. In Tampa there also was O'Falks department store that was a friendly rival of Maas Brothers.

C. DONALD PROSSER

Tampa

Macy's Smart Marketing
I thought the Tribune and its editors had progressed light years from its narrow-minded days of a decade ago. Alas, I was wrong. How can you be so parochial in your thinking to cry for the return of the Burdines name instead of the Macy's name? Why not moan, also, over the loss of the Maas Brothers name; it's the same thing.

Times change; people in the early years of the last century still wanted to buy buggy whips. It certainly makes much more sense, economically, to advertise in one name than in the panoply of names of the subsidiaries of Macy's.

There is a big parade on Thanksgiving that millions of families watch from New York City to Podunk. What makes better sense than to use the power generated in that event all across the country? Face it, Target/Penny's is the new Burdines/Maas Brothers/Macy's, and Wal-Mart is grabbing all of the rest of the business.

JIM TESKE

Tampa

Please Come Back

Kudos to the editorial board for not giving up on a local treasure. Most die-hards who enjoy shopping don't do it just for the thrill of a sale or the sport of it. For us, shopping is an overall experience. Walking into Burdines was like entering Doak Campbell Stadium on game day or visiting Krispy Kreme with the hot sign blinking in the window or like pulling into my driveway at the end of a difficult day - it was warm, welcoming and, most importantly, it was the Florida store.

Come back home, Burdines, we're ready and waiting.

NATALIE D. PRESTON

Brandon

It's Not Going To Happen
Burdines indeed! Bring back Maas Brothers. Bring back Wolf Brothers. And bring back the Rowdies, Boneshakers, Judy Hill and Tom McEwen. Bring back discipline in the classroom, chivalry and common courtesy.

Alas, we should get over it 'cause it ain't gonna happen.

JOHN PHILIPS

Tampa

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