Rise of National Chain Stores and Decline of Locally-Owned Businesses Activity #3:

Gimbels Comes to Appleton

Developed by the Outagamie County Historical Society with funding from Cooperative Education Service Agency 6, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and the U.S. Department of Education. © 2006 OCHS.

Goal:  Students will recognize that nationally owned chain stores can have both a positive and negative impact on local communities.    

Objectives:

1)  Students will analyze a primary source (newspaper article from Nov. 18, 1968).

2)  Students will made observations about the article’s content in questions 1, 3, and 4.

3)  Students will infer the impact of the chain store’s opening based upon a statement made by the author.

4)  Students will consider the pros and cons of shopping at a chain store vs. local businesses and will defend their choice.

Read the article, “Downtown Appleton to Get Gimbels Store” from the November 18, 1968 Post-Crescent.

1)  When is the Gimbels store scheduled to open in downtown Appleton?

2)  According to the article, “An estimated dozen properties had to be acquired, resulting in some smaller retail stores having to relocate while a few may discontinue business.”  What does this statement tell you about how large chain stores can affect local communities?

3)  What are some benefits to the local community that the opening of the new Gimbels store will bring?

4)  What preparations will the city make to welcome the store and ensure its success?

5)  If you lived in Appleton in 1968, would you continue to shop at the local businesses that moved out of downtown, or would you become a customer at Gimbels?  Keep in mind that as a department store, Gimbels could be a “one-stop shopping place,” but you might have to go to several local businesses and pay more to get all you could buy at Gimbels.  However, you should also consider that you might know the owners of local stores and the money you spend there is more likely to stay in the community.  Explain your answer.

This activity uses the primary source document:

Newspaper Article "Downtown Appleton to Get Gimbels Store," Appleton Post-Crescent, November 18, 1968.

Click here for a printable worksheet for this activity (PDF file)
Click here for a printable worksheet for this activity (PDF file)