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In Idaho, up until the late 1980s, there was a department store chain by the name of Falk's ID (the ID I assume meant Idaho) There was a store in downtown Boise, which had a large sign on the side of the building. However, this store I believe was closed for many years, but the sign was left up. I do know that Falk's operated a couple of stores in strip malls in Boise, and I believe the chain had folded by the late 80s. Boise did not gain a major enclosed mall until around 1988-89.

I remeember a TV jingle which went like this, "Falk's ID is your neighborhood department store"

I am curious if this chain was spread across the state, or concentrated in southern Idaho. Also, I would be interested if they ever had any locations in enclosed malls. The only mall that comes to mind here is Nampa's Karcher Mall, which we visited rarely. I have my doubts though. I do remember that the mall had Penney's (the old blue P sign) The Bon, Skaggs Drug, Woolworth, and a Buttrey grocery store, but don't vividly remember Falk's.

Falk's ID was a division of the PN Hirsch Company. Here in Seattle, PN Hirsch owned Wigwam stores. They were very low cost department stores. I thought the stores were cheap and where kind of like dime stores with cheap clothing. When Wigwam stores were closed here, I do remember seeing a sign for Falk's ID in a former Wigwam location in Puyallup, WA. I had never been inside there. So while I don't know how extensively there were here in Washington, they did at least have one location here.

I would have never guessed they operated with that name outside of Idaho. Interesting.

Definitely not in Karcher ca 1978-1983. The layout of Karcher at that time (haven't been there in a gazillion years) was pretty limited in terms of anchor options - thus, Bon Marche at one end, JC Penney midfield and the grocery store at the other (or was Ernst/Malmo connected, and the grocery store adjacent? memory fades).

Falks was VERY low rent.

And I hate you. *JUST* when I might have been able to reclaim those neurons for higher purposes, I can hear that bleeping jingle in my head. ;0)

E

VibeGuy wrote:Definitely not in Karcher ca 1978-1983. The layout of Karcher at that time (haven't been there in a gazillion years) was pretty limited in terms of anchor options - thus, Bon Marche at one end, JC Penney midfield and the grocery store at the other (or was Ernst/Malmo connected, and the grocery store adjacent? memory fades).

Falks was VERY low rent.

And I hate you. *JUST* when I might have been able to reclaim those neurons for higher purposes, I can hear that bleeping jingle in my head. ;0)

E

The Karcher Mall layout I remember is much like you mentioned. The Bon was at the east end, Buttrey at the west (and it did have entrances into the mall) JCPenney was midfield, and somewhere in between I also remember a Skaggs, and a Woolworth.

The funny thing about that jingle...it seems to me that the audio always sounded old and scratchy, like a tape was worn out. I actually somehow managed to get it stuck in my head one day, which is what made me come up with this thread.