My-Te-Fine Merchant

by Fred Leeson

"My-Te-Fine Merchant: Fred Meyer's Retail Revolution" is a biography of famed Pacific Northwest entrepreneur Fred G. Meyer, who built a chain of 63 one-stop shopping centers in four states before his death in 1978.

The self-taught Meyer was an aggressive, creative, and abrasive entrepreneur whose remarkable 70-year career took him from horse-drawn, house-to-house coffee routes to bit one-stop shopping centers of 200,000 square feet that included groceries, clothes, drugs, variety, hardware and many other departments.

Meyer led a parsimonious life himself, but left almost his entire estate to a charitable trust that was the largest in Oregon history. The book outlines his thinking and successes, as well as family troubles and business setbacks that he almost never mentioned, either publicly or in private. The book portrays him as a "brilliant but difficult man," who left a lasting imprint on his business and his community.

Genres: Biography

297 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2014

About the author

Fred Leeson is a Portland, Oregon, author and journalist. He was a daily newspaper reporter for three Pacific Northwest newspapers from 1971 to mid 2007. His newest project is a biography of one-stop-shopping innovator Fred G. Meyer. It is due to be published in mid-2014.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am probably giving it an extra star for local interest, but it was interesting; I learned a lot of things about the stores and development in the area, and even whom the Glenn Jackson bridge is named for.

There were some times when the writing dragged a little, often as it got into financial or legal details. Those details did matter in terms of how things worked out, so I can't argue against their inclusion.

The other issue is that sometimes with a biography of someone who has not been previously written about very much, there can be some waffling on committing to any pronouncement on the person. I think the book ends up being overall fair to Fred Meyer.

So, it has its flaws and is not 5 star amazing, but I nonetheless enjoyed the book and am glad I read it.

[Mad Hapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone interested in Portland history will likely enjoy this biography of Fred Meyer.

[Jamie Caulley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing account of a well-known business man who I previously knew very little about. Grade school educated and quite abrasive, Fred Meyer was influential in changing retail practices. An interesting read whether you like local history, business, biographies or simply a well-written book.

[Britt-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Portland history and a long time Fred Meyer shopper, so this book was calling my name. The writing style was narrative enough to keep me turning pages. FM's early competition with local department store Meier & Frank was of particular interest. As were the details about the Fred Meijer's of Indiana (I lived in South Bend for a year, and went from shopping at one FM to another).

[Loren Shultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history for those of us who shop at Fred Meyer, with a generous mixture of the history of grocers and ultimately, department stores. Well written, even through details that I anticipated would be dry and boring.

[Zenbob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Portland, Oregon legend. How could I pass up the opportunity to read about the man himself?

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

great Portland detail, but can use better editing