Bloomingdale's began with a 19th century fad, the hoop skirt, and the extraordinary vision of two brothers:  Lyman and Joseph Bloomingdale. The first retail endeavor of the Bloomingdale's brothers was a Ladies' Notion Shop in New York.  In 1872, Bloomingdale's expanded and opened their East Side Bazaar, selling a variety of women's fashions. This was a bold move in the era of specialty shops, and the Bazaar became a harbinger of the true "department store."  From the beginning, the Bloomingdale's brothers catered to America's love of international goods, and by the 1880's, their European selection was dazzling.  A buying office in Paris in 1886 was the beginning of a network that now spans the globe.

By 1929, Bloomingdale's covered an entire city block.  Two years later, the glamorous Art Deco edifice that still houses today's store on Lexington Avenue was completed.  In 1949, Bloomingdale's began its real expansion, opening its first satellite store in Fresh Meadows, Queens and by 1959, Bloomingdale's had created a complete circle of stores around the flagship, in New Jersey, Westchester County and Long Island.  This dramatic growth continued in the 70's and 80's with the opening of stores in the Northeast, Florida, and Chicago.  Bloomingdale's was on its way to becoming a true national entity.