Sprouse-Reitz

{{Infobox company

| name = Sprouse-Reitz (Sprouse!)

| logo = Sprouse! Discount Store Logo.png

| type = Public (NASDAQ: STRS)

| fate = Liquidation

| foundation = Portland, Oregon, United States ({{Start date|1909}})

| defunct = {{End date|1994}}

| location_city = Portland, Oregon

| location_country =

| locations = Approx. 320 stores (max.)

| area_served = Western United States

| industry = Retail

| products = General Merchandise

| assets = $80 million (1991)

}}

Sprouse-Reitz is a defunct chain of five-and-dime stores based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The Sprouse-Reitz Company was founded in 1909 in Tacoma, Washington.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2026&dat=19890111&id=xZUrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2dAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6084,1401398 Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Jan 11, 1989 - Sprouse-Reitz Changes Name, Unveils New Look - Google News] At its peak it had more than 470 stores in eleven states in the Western United States.{{cite news|last=Hamburg|first=Ken|title=End nears for Sprouse-Reitz stores|date=February 26, 1994|newspaper=The Oregonian|page=D1}}

Around January 1989, the declining retailer tried to revive its business by rebranding its stores "Sprouse!".{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Nena|title=Tripp hopes to steer Sprouse-Reitz Inc. clear of troubled waters|date=September 22, 1991|newspaper=The Sunday Oregonian|page=K1}} In June 1990, with the store count at 287, CEO Robert Sprouse II, who controlled about 80 percent of the company's voting stock, said that chain would change its focus to six specific areas: toys, housewares, crafts, home furnishings, family apparel, greeting cards, wrapping paper, and other paper products.{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/06/05/Sprouse-Reitz-seeks-buyer-focuses-market-niche/7711644558400/|title=Sprouse-Reitz seeks buyer, focuses market niche|date=June 5, 1990|work=UPI|access-date=May 20, 2018|language=en}} In late 1990, the chain was sold for $22.9 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=22900000|start_year=1990}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) to SR Partners, Inc., a joint venture among realtors TransAction Financial Corp., acquisition specialists First San Francisco Holdings, Ltd., and individual investors.{{cite journal |title=Sprouse Reitz stores sold; Sprouse family members will remain as consultants |journal=Discount Store News |date=December 17, 1990 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n23_v29/ai_9283318/ |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523222243/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n23_v29/ai_9283318/ |archive-date=May 23, 2011 }}

In December 1993, Sprouse-Reitz Inc. liquidated and closed its remaining 84 stores after failing to find a buyer.{{cite news|date=September 3, 1993|title=Sprouse-Reitz Stores to Sell Off All Assets|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/03/business/company-news-sprouse-reitz-stores-to-sell-off-all-assets.html|page=D3}} The company estimated that the last stores would close in February.{{cite news|title=Sprouse-Reitz Decides to Go Out of Business|date=December 22, 1993|newspaper=The Seattle Times|agency=Associated Press|page=D6}} As of late February 1994, the last stores were scheduled to close on March 20.