ST. LOUIS -- Edison Brothers Stores Inc. said Thursday it has agreed in principle to buy the 218-store J. Riggins men's apparel chain from United States Shoe Corp. for an undisclosed sum.
Edison Brothers, a footwear and apparel retailer, operates more than 500 men's clothing stores in its Jeans West/Oak Tree division. J. Riggins stores are located in 30 states.
Edison Chairman Andrew Newman said his company does not plan to change J. Riggins' format or store design. 'We're pleased with their positioning and the way they operate and we expect the addition of their executive group will further strengthen our organization,' he said.
J. Riggins employs about 1,700 people. The headquarters will be moved from Atlanta to St. Louis sometime after the deal is completed in June.
Newman said he did not know how many of the company's headquarter personnel would be offered jobs in St. Louis.
Among U.S. Shoe's divisons are Precision Lenscrafters, Casual Corner and T.H Mandy. U.S. Shoe is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
