Our Story

Manatee County was growing fast with new farms and groves springing up and more visitors filling the few wooden boarding houses and hotels each winter season. The Dollar Limit Store thrived. Due to post World War I inflation, R.M. renamed his store the "5 Dollar Limit" in 1920. The Florida Boom of the 1920's transformed Bradentown. Tall luxury hotels, new homes and offices sprang up almost overnight. An avid baseball fan, R.M. was responsible for bringing major league baseball to the city. In 1923 the St. Louis Cardinals arrived at what is now McKechnie Field for spring training. In 1924 Bradentown renamed itself Bradenton, and the "5 Dollar Limit" moved into a fine new brick store across from the courthouse. Construction and land speculation reached a fever pitch, only to crash in 1926.

In the 1940's America was at War. R.M.'s son Egbert (E.R.) joined the Army shortly after Pearl Harbor and his daughter Betty Beall sold war bonds. Goods were scarce, but the war stimulated the economy. Bealls ads of the period reflect Home Front patriotism. R.M.’s dedication and hard work paid off and in 1944 he paid the bank and regained his family business. In 1946, E.R. returned from the army to join his father as junior partner and, for the first time, the store took on the family name as Beall’s Department Store.

In the 60s, Bealls took off like a rocket at Cape Canaveral. Retirees were flocking to Southwest Florida, and Bealls had the merchandise they wanted. In 1962, sales topped $1 million for the first time following the opening of Bealls in Venice. Store number 4 opened in Punta Gorda in 1966, and by 1967 sales had grown to $3 million. A year later with the opening of Bealls in Melbourne on the east coast, the new tagline became "Serving Florida Coast to Coast." The decade ended with more growth driven changes including the opening of the first distribution center and the first import program. In 1969, R.M. was named Distinguished Citizen of Manatee County. His footprints were added to the walk at the courthouse where they can be seen today.

Bob Beall became President and CEO upon the retirement of E.R. in 1980, and E.R. became Chairman of the Board. Bealls expanded in size and scope as the decade progressed with seven new stores opening in 1981-82 to double the selling square footage of the chain, which now had 30 stores. In 1982, leadership began upgrading brands from “budget” to what was then known as "main floor" to reach more customers. Bealls also seized the off-price shopping format trend and opened the first Bealls Outlet in 1987. Other landmark achievements of the 80s included the opening of the Bealls Corporate Center and DC in Bradenton and the introduction of a 401K plan for associates. By the end of the decade sales had grown from $38 to $110 million, and the R.M. Beall, Sr. Foundation was established.

Bealls lost an iconic presence with the death of E.R. Beall on March 22, 2000 but continued to honor his legacy by overcoming challenges with innovation and growth. With invaluable customer loyalty and word of mouth advertising, the company redirected millions of dollars in traditional advertising spend to fund an explosion of Bealls and Burkes Outlets in 17 states. In 2004 Bealls Department Stores opened its own design studio to develop Florida friendly private labels. A new tagline captured it all: "Live the Florida Lifestyle." Matt Beall joined the Outlet division and became the fourth generation of Bealls to work in the family enterprise. When six hurricanes ravaged Florida and the Gulf Coast in 2004-2005, The R.M. Beall, Sr. Foundation responded by assisting 580 employees with relief amounting to $410,000. Bealls employees raised an additional $109,000 to help their coworkers. In 2007, the Tropicana office building was acquired and christened as the "E.R. Beall Center." When recession struck the nation in 2008, impacting Florida in a particularly significant way, Bealls fiscal conservatism allowed the company to retire its long-term debt and weather the storm.

The most recent chapters of the great Bealls story demonstrate our passion for honoring the past while continuing to innovate. In 2020, Matt Beall was named Chief Executive Officer of the company his great grandfather founded. Leveraging his vast experience working throughout the business, Matt introduced the One Bealls initiative which consolidated business unit leadership to build unity and improve efficiencies. Soon after, Bealls acquired Stage Stores, Inc. which added 87 new stores, a distribution center in Texas and, importantly, the rights to use the Bealls name in all 50 states. In 2021, the first Rugged Earth Outfitters stores opened, introducing a new shopping experience featuring fishing, hiking, hunting and workwear.