Rainbow USA Inc. (commonly referred to as Rainbow Shops or simply Rainbow) is a privately held, moderately priced American retail apparel chain comprising several lifestyle brands primarily targeting teenagers and young women. The company is headquartered in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York, United States.
History
Rainbow Shops was founded in 1935
in New York City by Irving Arthur Swarzman,
[ Brooklyn Eagle: "DINNER DANCE" July 10, 1938 | "The employes of the Rainbow Shops of New York will give a testimonial dinner-dance in honor of Irving A. Swarzman, founder of the Rainbow Shops, and his brothers, Nathan, Ira, Herman and Oscar Swarzman."] an Austrian native who was raised in Brooklyn. Swarzman chose the name “Rainbow” to reflect the vibrant and diverse range of affordable fashion options sold at the store. Swarzman brought his four brothers (Herman, Oscar, Ira, and Nat) into the business as they reached working age. They built the business from one shop to a high of eighty-two stores before selling the business in the 1980s, according to Mr. Swarzman's granddaughter. Rainbow Shops is now owned by the
Syrian Jewish Chehebar family.
[ The Real Deal: "Dominating Deal - Mapping out just how many properties NYC’s Syrian Jewish real estate moguls own in this Jersey Shore hamlet" By Ariel Stulberg August 01, 2015][ New York Times: "Deal on Citigroup Tower Puts Buyer in the Real Estate Big Leagues" By CHARLES V. BAGLI February 8, 2001] Today, along with sister brands 5-7-9 and Marianne, Rainbow operates 1,300 stores in United States,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Rainbow's holding company, A.I.J.J. Enterprises Inc., purchased the 5-7-9 brand in 1999 from the bankrupt Edison Brothers Stores. It's operated through a company division named The New 5-7-9 and Beyond, Inc.
Rainbow stores are an average of 5,000 square ft. Each store’s merchandise varies by location, depending upon demographics and the size of the location. Larger stores usually carry juniors, plus, lingerie, shoes and kids departments.
E-commerce
In November 2017, Rainbow launched its online store which offers a cultivated selection of Junior and Plus fashion, shoes, accessories, discounts, offers and promotions. Its online assortment of styles gets updated daily.
In popular culture
-
Rainbow is mentioned in the film Night School, directed by Malcolm D. Lee, in which Tiffany Haddish character erroneously refers to it as "Rainbow's".
External links
