New Belk Logo Goes South

CHARLOTTE – The department store chain Belk has a new logo being slowly rolled out across the South. The sans serif, lower case Belk replaces a 196os scripty logo that was familiar across the South in various incarnations including Belk, Parks-Belk, Hudson-Belk and Leggett. The old logo design was a fixture of many downtowns across the south, including Tryon Street in Charlotte, pictured in Steven Swain’s excellent architecture blog Livemalls.

The company announced the changes last fall, saying that the changes would cost approximately $70 million, which includes $25 million for new signs in 305 Belk stores over the next 12 months. The company was founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., and is in the third generation of Belk family leadership. Today, it is the largest privately owned department store chain in the nation.

It’s an improvement on the old; I never thought the 1967 version was that good. Actually, it dates only a few years later than the novel The Help, which makes it actually seem terribly antique. Not sure if it the new one is great, but it does try to show customers that Belk is, well, fashionable, and since that’s the business they are in, it makes sense to make a change. In addition, Belk has been going upscale as many competitors in the South, such as Macy’s, have moved downscale. Consumers know and trust a family-run company, and that gracious, small-town spirit is still a part of the Belk “brand.”

It’s also odd that they waited to long to update the logo; department stores seem to be addicted to these changes. Bravo to Belk for keeping it around so long.

Author

  • Garland Pollard

    J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

1 Comment

  1. Nice to meet you belk
    i’m so happy to the organisation it’s very older company in the world, now leading it the 3rd generation so i’m appreciate them who is leading the business, they will long live with good healthy and god bless them always

    Thank you team member of the organisation and family!

    Best regards
    Jony

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