McRae's was a mid-range regional department store chain founded and based in Jackson, Mississippi, with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. The nameplate was in existence for more than a century. Samuel P. McRae founded the store in Jackson, Mississippi in 1902 as a dry goods store. It remained a family-owned business through the ensuing decades, while continuing to grow. Sales increased from only $1 million in 1955 to $10 million in 1970. In 1987, McRae's acquired 13 stores in Alabama from Pizitz. With strengths in home furnishings, men's apparel, and cosmetics, the... chain was considered one of the most successful family-owned businesses in the country. McRae's was acquired by Tennessee-based Proffitt's in 1994 in a transaction that The New York Times called "a case of a little fish swallowing a bigger one." McRae's had 28 stores with combined annual sales of $419 million and Proffitt's had 25 stores with annual sales of only $201 million. After the sale, McRae's stores retained their name and were operated as a separate subsidiary. After 1998, when Proffitt's merged with Saks Holdings Inc.
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