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{{short description|American department store chain}}
{{about|the Atlanta-based department store chain|the Virginia-based department store chain|Davidson's||Davison (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Davison's
| logo = Davison's Department Store Final Logo.png
| logo_size = 
| logo_alt = 
| logo_caption = 
| image = 200 Peachtree Building, Atlanta, GA (47421493192).jpg
| image_size = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = Exterior of the former [[200 Peachtree|flagship store]] in [[downtown Atlanta]] (2019)
| former_name = {{plain list|
* Davison & Douglas
* Davison–Paxon–Stokes
* Davison Paxon Co.
}}
| type = Division
| industry = [[Retail]]
| genre = [[Department store]]s
| founded = {{Start date and age|1891}} in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States
| founders = 
| defunct = {{End date and age|1985}}
| fate = Rebranded by [[Macy's]]
| successor = Macy's
| hq_location = Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| coordinates      = {{coord|33|45|32|N|84|23|17|W|type:landmark_region:US-GA|display=title}}
| num_locations = 
| num_locations_year = 
| areas_served = {{flat list|
* Georgia
* [[South Carolina]]
}}
| products = {{flat list|
* Clothing
* footwear
* bedding
* furniture
* jewelry
* beauty products
* housewares
}}
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = 
| parent = [[Macy's]] (1925–1985)
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Davison's''' was an American [[department store]] chain founded in 1891 in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. It was a local institution, and competed with [[Rich's (department store)|Rich's]] in the Atlanta market. Davison's expanded throughout Georgia and [[South Carolina]]. It was acquired by [[Macy's]] in 1925, and ultimately converted to Macy's in 1985.

== History ==
=== Establishment ===
[[File:douglasdavison.jpeg|thumb|Douglas & Davison logo]]

Davison's first opened its doors in Atlanta in 1891<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bo9y9O1DwuQC&dq=davison's%20department%20store%20atlanta%20peachtree&pg=PA374| first=Harold H.| last=Martin| title=Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events, 1940s-1970s| date=March 2011 | page=374| isbn=978-0-8203-3907-8| via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> and had its origins in the Davison & Douglas company. In 1901, the store changed its name to Davison-Paxon-Stokes after the retirement of E. Lee Douglas from the business<ref name=ad>{{cite news| title='Davison-Paxon-Stokes' Advertisement| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/26938427/?clipping_id=166941830&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjI2OTM4NDI3LCJpYXQiOjE3NDA4MDg1NDQsImV4cCI6MTc0MDg5NDk0NH0.DpttMNwMZ9vSO4LxJM3Skm4KLoFH2MlIJUVhcAlmzBs| newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|The Atlanta Constitution]]| date=March 17, 1901| page=27| quote=E. Lee Douglas having sold his interest and retired from the organization of Douglas & Davison Company| access-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> and the appointment of Frederic John Paxon as treasurer.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BJ0SAAAAYAAJ&dq=Davison-Paxon-Stokes&pg=PA73| editor1-first=Allen Daniel| editor1-last=Candler| editor2-first=Clement Anselm| editor2-last=Evans| title=Georgia: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events...| year=1906| page=73|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref name=ad/> In early 1927 the company dropped the "Stokes" to become Davison Paxon Co.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/access/108778645.html?dids=108778645:108778645&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+30,+1927&author=&pub=Wall+Street+Journal&desc=MACY+SALES+IN+1926+AT+LARGEST+EVER.&pqatl=google| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714143902/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/access/108778645.html?dids=108778645:108778645&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+30,+1927&author=&pub=Wall+Street+Journal&desc=MACY+SALES+IN+1926+AT+LARGEST+EVER.&pqatl=google| archive-date=July 14, 2012| title=Macy Sales In 1926 At Largest Ever| newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]| date=March 30, 1927| quote=The Davison-Paxon Co., formerly the Davison-Paxon-Stokes Co...| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

=== Acquisition by Macy's ===
While rival [[Rich's (department store)|M. Rich Brothers Dry Goods Company]] remained a family owned store, Davison-Paxon-Stokes was sold to [[Macy's|R.H. Macy & Co]]. in 1925. By 1927, R.H. Macy built the huge [[Peachtree Street]] store, [[200 Peachtree]], which still stands today.

The downtown Davison's store was a classic example of a [[downtown]] shopping experience. The main entrance on Peachtree features a very stately [[marble]]-[[flooring|floored]] [[cosmetics]] and [[jewelry]] area, modelled after Macy's [[flagship store]] on [[Herald Square]] in [[New York (city)|New York]]. There is a mezzanine overlooking the level with [[escalator]]s leading to that floor. A bank of [[elevator]]s in the rear serves floors from the [[basement]] through the sixth floor. The mezzanine and the third floor connected with the [[parking garage]] across Carnegie Way. When the [[Westin Peachtree Plaza]] Hotel opened next door in 1976, an entrance connected the two buildings, although the difference in floor heights required several steps up from Davison's into the hotel.

Davison's was owned by Macy's for sixty years under its own name, and made no effort to disguise its affiliation with Macy's. Advertisements clearly stated "Davison's - a division of R.H. Macy & Co." and [[charge card]]s from Davison's were usable at Macy's and [[Bamberger's]] (and vice versa).

=== Expansion ===
[[File:Davisons1970.jpg|thumb|Previous Davison's logo, in use from 1970 until 1985]]
Over time, the Davison-Paxon Company name was shortened to simply Davison's. Not long after, the company embarked on an aggressive expansion plan across Georgia and [[South Carolina]]. Locations opened in the downtowns of [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], [[Augusta, Georgia|Augusta]], [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]] and [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]], as well as a store in downtown [[Columbia, South Carolina]]. During this time, Rich's remained exclusively in Atlanta. In Augusta, Davison's competed with the [[J.B. White]] chain and in Columbus, Kirven's was its main rival. In 1959, Davison's opened its first suburban location at [[Lenox Square]] mall along with Rich's.

Throughout the 1960s, Rich's began to very aggressively expand in the suburbs while Davison's remained a downtown player for the most part. However, Davison's did open one mall location at the now-[[demolish]]ed Columbia Mall (later known as [[Avondale Mall]]) near [[Avondale Estates, Georgia|Avondale Estates]]. Davison's expanded once again in the 1970s and 1980s with locations at [[Cumberland Mall (Georgia)|Cumberland]], [[Southlake Mall (Atlanta)|Southlake]], [[Gwinnett Place Mall|Gwinnett Place]], [[Shannon Mall|Shannon]], [[Northlake Mall (Atlanta)|Northlake]] and [[Perimeter Mall|Perimeter]] Malls. New locations also replaced the downtown stores in all the other cities mentioned except Columbus, which faced stronger competition from regional chains. The Columbia store continued as the only downtown store (except for the headquarters Peachtree St. store) in the Macy's Atlanta division until it was forced to close in 1992 as part of the Chapter 11 reorganization. Today, it is the site of the Columbia Museum of Art. The new Davison's stores were typically white [[brick]] with small glass [[Atrium (architecture)|atriums]] at the entrance.

Davison's also sponsored the [[Egleston Children’s Hospital|Egleston]] [[Children's Christmas Parade]], whose route still passes the former downtown store location.

=== Conversion to Macy's ===
[[File:Davison's-Macy's Transition Logo.png|thumb|300x300px|Davison's/Macy's division logo, used in 1985]]

In the mid-1980s, Macy's began to consolidate its regional divisions to streamline its corporate structure.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-bambergers-becoming-mac/163376058/| title=Bamberger's becoming Macy's| first=Sherrie| last=Clinton| newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]| date=August 19, 1986| page=B10| access-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> On February 1, 1985, Davison's and Macy's Midwest were combined into one division, Macy's Atlanta.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-times-macy-merger-smart/163371244/| title=Macy merger smart move, analysts say| first=Rod| last=Perlmutter| newspaper=[[Kansas City Times]]| date=December 22, 1984| access-date=February 28, 2025| page=C1}}</ref>

Macy's slowly began to retire the Davison's name. In 1984, the logo was changed to the same thin [[typeface]] of its more famous counterpart in the [[ITC Avant Garde]] font.

By November 1985, all Davison's stores were formally renamed Macy's.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-news-macys/163375173/| title=Bamberger's to Adopt Macy's Name?| page=A10| first=Clifford| last=Glickman| newspaper=[[Courier News]]| location=Bridgewater, New Jersey| date=August 15, 1986| access-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> In February 1986, the first [[metro Atlanta|Atlanta-area]] store to begin under the Macy's name opened at [[Town Center at Cobb]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-macys/163377740/|title=Davison's is now Macy's| first=Beverly Y.| last=Hall| newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution| page=9D| date=October 15, 1986}}</ref>

== Notable real estate ==
=== Flagship store ===
{{Main|200 Peachtree}}
The downtown location no longer functions as a department store. Most of the building ({{convert|338000|ft2|m2}}), with the address 180 Peachtree, is as of 2012 used as a data center.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/real_talk/2012/01/180-peachtree-sells-for-947-million.html|title=180 Peachtree sells for $94.7 million| first=Douglas| last=Sams| newspaper=[[Atlanta Business Chronicle]]| date=January 12, 2012| url-access=subscription}}</ref> Another part, owned by 200 Peachtree Retail, a group of [[investor]]s embarked on a major effort to transform part of the historic building — which had remained mostly vacant since Macy’s closed in 2003 — into an event center called [https://www.southernexchangeatl.com Southern Exchange Ballrooms], that hosts conferences, weddings, parties and other special events. The group invested more than $30 million into the project. The building now features an over-{{convert|11000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[ballroom|Whitehall ballroom]], {{convert|7000|sqft|m2|-1}} of [[balcony]] space, {{convert|15000|sqft|m2|-2}} of  The Davison Ballroom, The Cellar & The 155 event space with over 43,000 square feet, {{convert|20000|sqft|m2|-1}} of [[conference center]] space, and a {{convert|4000|sqft|m2|-1|adj=on}} [[kitchen]] which is home to Rosendale Events, a catering company exclusive located at Southern Exchange Ballroom led by Certified Master Chef [[Richard Rosendale|Rich Rosendale]]. Additionally the venue is also home to famed Event Planner & Designer [[Brian Worley]] and his company B. Worley Productions. The historic building also features five [[restaurant]]s, and recently hosted large parties from the 2019 NFL Super Bowl, Major League Soccer Digital Headquarters, SEC Championship party and will soon be host to the Golf Channel's live broadcast of the Payne Stewart Awards among many other events.

=== Branch redevelopments ===
By spring 2003, most all former Davison's stores were closed when Rich's and Macy's were consolidated under the "Rich's-Macy's" [[nameplate]]. That same year, the historic downtown Davison's/Macy's store on Peachtree Street was also closed.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-downtown-macys/163378856/| title=Downtown Macy's era concludes today| first=Renée| last=DeGross| newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution| page=F1| date=April 12, 2003}}</ref> This ended the era of department-store shopping in downtown Atlanta.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-macys-fades-fr/163434986/| title=Macy's fades from scene| first=David| last=Pendered| newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution| date=January 17, 2003| page=F1| access-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> All of the old Davison's mall stores in Atlanta were left vacant except for three locations. The Perimeter Mall and Lenox Square locations were closed, renovated, and reopened several months later as [[Bloomingdale's]] in late 2003 and the Perimeter Mall location closed in March 2012 and became [[Von Maur]] and the Lenox Square location is still open as of 2021. The Northlake location was re-branded as Rich's-Macy's before changing back to simply Macy's two years later. One floor of the Town Center location, which had originally opened as Macy's, became a Rich's-Macy's Furniture Gallery location. It is now a Macy's Furniture Gallery location and a Macy's Furniture Clearance Center on the upper level, and now has a Macy's Men's Store on the lower level. And Macy's Furniture Gallery on the middle level.

The remainder of Davison's former locations remain vacant except for the locations at Cumberland Mall, Avondale/Columbia Mall, Gwinnett Place and Augusta Mall. The Cumberland Mall location was torn down in late 2005 for a major overhaul at the 32-year-old center, a detached [[Costco]] now sits just to the west of the Davison's footprint The Cumberland Mall location is now a courtyard/lifestyle center containing Ted's Montana Grill closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 financial restraints, Cheesecake Factory, Pf Changs, and Maggiano's Little Italy. The Avondale/Columbia Mall location was completely demolished with the rest of the mall for a Wal-Mart SuperCenter. The Gwinnett Place location is now home to Korean chain Mega Mart. The Augusta Mall location was open till 2006 as a Macy's Furniture Showroom. It has closed to make way for a [[Lifestyle center (retail)|lifestyle center]] similar to Cumberland Mall, another [[General Growth Properties]] mall.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Winecoff Hotel 1984 GA1.jpg|Davison's flagship store, [[Atlanta]], 1984
File:Davison-Paxon-Stokes, Atlanta, 1926.png|Davison-Paxon-Stokes, 1926
File:Old Macy's in Downtown Atlanta.jpg|Davison's building, 2006
File:davisonspeachtreest.jpg|Davison's building, 2004
File:athensdavison'sdtwn.jpg|Athens downtown Davison's
File:athensdavison'small.jpg|Georgia Square Mall Davison's This location closed in 2017
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of defunct department stores of the United States]]
* [[List of department stores converted to Macy's]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Macy's history}}
{{Atlanta landmarks}}
{{Atlanta history}}

[[Category:Defunct department stores based in Atlanta]]
[[Category:History of Atlanta]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Macy's]]
[[Category:1891 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]