About Us

1930s

In 1938, William T. Dillard opened his first store in Nashville, Arkansas.

1940s

Even in the beginning, Mr. Dillard was well aware of the value of effective advertising in building a business. With each move/expansion, the company has stressed value in its advertising. Aside from a short period during World War II, the company continued operating and expanding its Nashville location. In 1948, Dillard, looking for more growth prospects, sold the Nashville store and used the money, along with some outside financing, to buy controlling interest in a Texarkana (AR,TX) store. His competitive strategy was to offer attractively priced national name brand merchandise along with customer credit.

1950s

By 1953, it was the leading store in Texarkana. From Texarkana, William Dillard expanded to Tyler, Texas in 1956 with the purchase of the Mayer and Schmidt store.

1960s

In early 1960 he entered into a similar transaction for a Tulsa, Oklahoma store which was twice the size of the now thriving Tyler operation. Like his other acquisitions, he was quick to make it profitable and to pay down acquisition-related debt.

The department store operator opened his first store in a shopping mall in 1964 in Austin, TX, a decision which proved to have significant implications in the chain's future growth strategy. One of the cornerstones of Dillard's philosophy is that location is the key to success. Meanwhile, the company had established a credit subsidiary, purchased two central Arkansas department store chains, relocated its headquarters to Little Rock, Arkansas, implemented a centralized computer system, realigned its capital structure and used its existing store base as a vehicle for expansion into mall locations. Throughout the late sixties and beyond, this aggressive mall expansion would continue.

In 1969, Dillard Department Stores, Inc. went public, offering its Class A Common Stock to eager investors for the first time on May 9.

1970s

Mr. Dillard continued his strategy of rapid mall expansion throughout the 1970s and 1980s through a series of acquisitions.

By the early 1970's, the chain had moved into Louisiana, Missouri and New Mexico and had expanded its presence in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, thus necessitating a divisional organization within the parent company. In 1974, the purchase of five stores from Tandy's Leonard's Division gave Dillard a strong foothold in the Dallas/Fort Worth market.

1980s

Further consolidation in the department store industry made possible for Dillard's many smaller acquisitions until 1983. Then, just five days after announcing the second two- for-one stock split, Dillard’s announced the acquisition of Stix, Baer & Fuller, consisting of 12 stores located in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas. In 1984, two department store divisions were purchased from Dayton Hudson, adding stores in Oklahoma, Arizona and Nevada. 1986 was marked by the acquisition of 12 stores in the Midwest from R.H. Macy. In 1987, 27 units were purchased from Joske’s and three from Cain-Sloan. In 1988, Dillard’s purchased a ½ interest in 12 Higbee Department Stores located in Ohio. The D.H. Holmes Company was purchased in 1989, consisting of 18 units in the south. The following year the J.B. Ivey chain was purchased, 23 stores spanning North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

1990s

In 1991, the last storewide sales event was eliminated as Dillard’s moved to a more balanced pricing approach. This pricing strategy was designed to help create loyalty and confidence among Dillard’s customers. The year was also marked with the acquisition of 7 Maison Blanche stores in northern and western Florida.

Acquisition activity slowed from 1992 to 1997, as properties became less available. The company turned its focus to construction and expansion, constructing over 60 stores. In 1997, Dillard’s again entered the acquisition arena and purchased ten Mervyn’s stores in Florida, seven Proffitt’s locations in Virginia, and three Macy’s stores in Houston, Texas.

On May 18, 1998, Dillard’s announced a tender offer for the acquisition of Mercantile Stores Company, Inc., a chain of 103 traditional stores based near Cincinnati, Ohio. The acquisition, the largest in the history of the company, was completed on August 18. After strategic sales and swaps of stores, mainly in overlapping markets, the company retained approximately 75 of the former Mercantile locations.

2000s

Store construction continued in the 2000s with 61 stores opened during the first ten years.

On February 8, 2002, William T. Dillard passed away leaving a legacy of tremendous success in retailing. Today, all five of his children remain active with the company in senior management roles.

2010s

Under the leadership of William T. Dillard, II, Chairman & CEO, and Alex Dillard, President, Dillard’s navigated a period of transformation in the 2010s, as the retail landscape rapidly evolved.

The company rebounded from the recession with success, prompted by strategic shifts. Dillard’s streamlined its merchandise by focusing on a curated selection of higher-quality brands tailored to specific customer preferences. At the same time, the company significantly expanded its e-commerce capabilities, investing in mobile technology and embracing an omnichannel approach to create a seamless, integrated shopping experience across both digital and physical storefronts.

2020s

In 2021, Dillard’s launched their first limited-edition capsule collection with influencer, Born On Fifth. Since then, the company continues to partner with top fashion tastemakers, including MG Style in 2024, Dillard’s most successful launch to date.

In 2025 Dillard’s set out to inspire future fashion professionals through the Campus Collective program. Campus Collective is a community of college campus brand ambassadors for Dillard's who are passionate about fashion and style, excited for the opportunity to gain real-life fashion industry experience.

Dillard’s is proud to support a variety of philanthropic initiatives within the communities we serve. One of these initiatives, Fit for the Cure®, focuses on raising awareness and providing critical funding for breast cancer research and support services.Through efforts like these, we remain dedicated to making a positive difference beyond our stores.

In alignment with its ongoing commitment to innovation, Dillard’s has strategically adopted advanced technologies throughout the 2020s to enhance the overall customer experience both in-store and online.

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