"It was based on a shared heritage of Midwest values and a tradition of high touch service, quality merchandise, and commitment to their respective communities.
"Consumers eventually drove the original Hudson's/Dayton's full-line department store business model [[and its accompanying appreciation & benefits for its employees) into obsolescence--but that's a whole other discussion."
I think the Dayton-Hudson merger was just as described by 405, for a while. By the mid-1970s Hudson's had become a hostile place to work, for the mid-level executives of my father's generation who dated to the Hudson-Webber years. I have the impression of him hanging on to his job by the skin of his teeth, while many others were forced out in favor of young MBA's. I think Dayton-Hudson lost one or more age-discrimination suits in those years. I remember workers referring to the Minneapolis headquarters as, "the mother house," and I got the notion that there were a couple unspoken syllables in there. The community involvement went away rapidly, probably under competitive pressure.
My dad hung on through several demotions to retirement [[which he enjoyed for many years), but in my memory his last working years were not pleasant. But he regarded Joe Hudson, Jr. and the pre-merger Hudson's warmly.
I've got his 15- and 25-year pins, "Manager" floor badge, and one of the blue "Selling is the biggest job we do!" pencils.
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