E. J. Korvette
American chain of discount department stores dissolved in 1980
E. J. Korvette, also known as Korvette’s, was an American chain of discount department stores, founded in 1948 in New York City. It was one of the first department stores to challenge the suggested retail price provisions of anti-discounting statutes. Founded by World War II veteran Eugene Ferkauf and his friend, Joe Zwillenberg, E. J. Korvette did much to define the idea of a discount department store. It displaced earlier five and dime retailers and preceded later discount stores, like Walmart, and warehouse clubs such as Costco.
The company failed to properly manage its business success, which led to decline and its 1980 bankruptcy and closure.
Innovations
E.J. Korvette's founder, Eugene Ferkauf, began his discounting career in a 400-square-foot (37 m2) loft in mid-Manhattan, New York City. Inventory consisted of well-known brands of luggage, household appliances, and some jewelry. Discounts were one-third off regular prices. Sales were more than $2,500 per square foot. Ferkauf retired in 1968.
The public source identifies “E. J. Korvette” as american chain of discount department stores dissolved in 1980. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Korvette, American and chain.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “E. J. Korvette”, the useful work is to connect “american chain of discount department stores dissolved in 1980” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5321953. VIAF identifies the subject as 134889293. The Library of Congress control number is n82070040. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1948, 1980 and 1968.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “E. J. Korvette”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow E. J. Korvette primary sources, E. J. Korvette archive and Korvette research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “E. J. Korvette”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “E. J. Korvette” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.