Rike's Department Store - Dayton, Ohio

[partsguy]

All, I care to open a discussion about another possible Ohio bicycle brand. AMC

I had taken possession of a large box full of old newspaper from my step-dad's house. Most of it in poor condition. I was saving some nice vintage ads and using the rest for packing material. I was using a worn copy of the Dayton Daily News from Nov 24, 1963 (yes, it was packed with JFK tributes). I came across an ad for Rike's Department Store in downtown Dayton, advertising the AMC bicycles on sale and a mention of the Huffy Avanti going on clearance. I suspect it was because Studebaker had phased out the Avanti sportscar, and Huffy did not want an orphan car's name on their bike.

Anyway, I have never come across any advertising for the AMC brand. I have owned AMC bicycles and some AMC appliances. I think Rike's may have been the home for the AMC brand bike, sold on the eighth floor of the old store in Dayton. According to Wikipedia, Rike's Dept Store was in business from March 9, 1853 - 1982.

Does anyone have any info on this little-known Ohio brand? When was it first used and when was it defunct?

Note: I will upload the bicycle ads in good time

 

[hoofhearted]

Am not good for any historical-info today ..... but ...
peep the badge attachment. Badge image via Dave S.
site.

Rike's, (The Rike-Kumler Co.) was a wonderful store
to visit. For what it's worth, Rike's was a Federated
Department Store ... and the AMC aspect may have
a meaning more broadly-used than applied-only to
Rike's.

If you didn't have your driver's license yet ... hop on the
cross-town bus ( 25-cents ) at what is now Links and
Kinks in Fairborn. Roll in to Dayton ... depart the bus
at Rike's. Toy's and so much more on the eighth floor.

Thank you for bringing-up this topic, partsguy !!

....... patric

 

[partsguy]

Am not good for any historical-info today ..... but ...
peep the badge attachment. Badge image via Dave S.
site.

Rike's, (The Rike-Kumler Co.) was a wonderful store
to visit. For what it's worth, Rike's was a Federated
Department Store ... and the AMC aspect may have
a meaning more broadly-used than applied-only to
Rike's.

If you didn't have your driver's license yet ... hop on the
cross-town bus ( 25-cents ) at what is now Links and
Kinks in Fairborn. Roll in to Dayton ... depart the bus
at Rike's. Toy's and so much more on the eighth floor.

Thank you for bringing-up this topic, partsguy !!

....... patric


View attachment 700259

Thank you, Patric!! You are welcome. I enjoy researching local history. Knowing that Rike's was a Federated Store is actually helpful. According to the Wall Street Journal, as posted on Wikipedia, Rike-Kumler was acquired by Federated on July 27, 1959 for 580,000 shares.

https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/doc/132527650.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul 27, 1959&author=&pub=Wall Street Journal&edition=&startpage=&desc=Federated Stores Acquires Rike-Kumler For 580,000 Shares

So, I now suspect the badge you posted from Dave S. is circa 1930's-1940's. At that time, as far as my digging goes, Rike's was independent. I now believe that Rike's was the home for AMC bicycles. I am tempted to keep the '60 Huffman I have for sale now.

 

[Andrew Gorman]

in a nutshell, AMC was the house brand for the Associated Merchandising Corporation, which was a buyers club of smaller, regional department stores. They would make huge buys of various products to get a good price, and dole them out to their member stores. You have to remember the 20th century had LOTS of middlemen, and LOTS of local markets. Almost any town had a local, or sub-regional department store and a lot of them were part of the AMC. Seems kinda convoluted in this era of global markets and just-in-time delivery, but it's how it was done. There is some information at:
https://corporate.target.com/about/history/Target-through-the-years
AMC lasted up into the 1970's. It's an interesting bit of history.

 

[barneyguey]

Hudson's Department Store along with many others belonged to the American Merchandising Company and sold A.M.C. Flash bicycles.

 

[partsguy]

in a nutshell, AMC was the house brand for the Associated Merchandising Corporation, which was a buyers club of smaller, regional department stores. They would make huge buys of various products to get a good price, and dole them out to their member stores. You have to remember the 20th century had LOTS of middlemen, and LOTS of local markets. Almost any town had a local, or sub-regional department store and a lot of them were part of the AMC. Seems kinda convoluted in this era of global markets and just-in-time delivery, but it's how it was done. There is some information at:
https://corporate.target.com/about/history/Target-through-the-years
AMC lasted up into the 1970's. It's an interesting bit of history.

That is an interesting bit of info, Mr. Gorman! I am surprised that stores like Belknap Bluegrass, W.T. Grant, and Otasco were not part of the AMC as they all had their own brand names.

 

[barneyguey]

Depending on the era the bikes could be Schwinn or any of the other brand.
Here's another style badge.

 

[barneyguey]

That is an interesting bit of info, Mr. Gorman! I am surprised that stores like Belknap Bluegrass, W.T. Grant, and Otasco were not part of the AMC as they all had their own brand names.

Those Companies belonged to their own "clubs" or purchasing Companies. By belonging to these "Co-ops" it gave them more purchasing power when buying products. They got a better price by all of them buying the products together.

 

[partsguy]

Those Companies belonged to their own "clubs" or purchasing Companies. By belonging to these "Co-ops" it gave them more purchasing power when buying products. They got a better price by all of them buying the products together.

It definitely helped, especially since Montgomery Ward, Sears, JC Penny, K-Mart (SS Krege), and Western Auto all had a tight grip on retail at the time.