Dear Store: An Affectionate Portrait of Rich's

by Celestine Sibley

Celestine Sibley wrote a beautiful tribute to one of Atlanta's favorite department stores. Sure to bring back wonderful memories of the early days of Rich's Department Store in Atlanta.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

143 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

A renowned southern author, journalist, and syndicated columnist, reported for the Atlanta Constitution from 1941 to 1999. Over her long career, she wrote more than 10,000 columns and many news stories of astonishing range, dealing with such varied topics as politics and key lime pie. Sibley was one of the most popular and long-running columnists for the Constitution, and her well-written and poignant essays on southern culture made her an icon in the South. Regarded by her colleagues as a reporting legend, Sibley was also the accomplished author of nearly thirty books published between 1958 and 1997.

Reviews

[Randy Elster · Rating 4 out of 5]

For longtime Atlantans like myself, the Rich's department store holds a special place in our history. This loving look at the history of the store by the late author and Atlanta Constitution journalist is a little dated (written in 1967) yet interesting to those who recall the glory days of the Rich's Great Tree on top of the Crystal Bridge. Some good leadership lessons in customer service here as well, as Rich's was the leader in that era in its heyday. This book is hard to buy as it is out of print; I checked out the only copy the Cobb County Library system had, and it's pretty beat up. The cover shows the Christmas tree, but don't be fooled: the info on the Great Tree only takes up a few pages at the end. The majority is about its beginnings after the turn of the 20th century and its legendary customer service, which is sadly missing in practically every department store today.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nostalgic read for me. I remember going to Decatur, Georgia, to visit my aunt and two cousins. Decatur is right outside of Atlanta. One day we took the bus...just my aunt and I. We went to Rich's to shop and eat at the Tea Room. I was in high school at the time. I thought it the most magical experience of my life. And, it probably was up to that time!