Krown Kredit

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Krown Kredit logo.jpg

Krown Kredit (later King Kredit) was a clothing store which opened in the Spring of 1961 in the former R. C. Brown shop at 1812 3rd Avenue North. It was owned by brothers Morris and Frank Sher. Morris got into the clothing business by buying wares on credit that he sold to customers on his newspaper route. He established his clothing business in 1941.

Once the 3rd Avenue shop opened, Frank, who had trained as a commercial artist, drew a mascot, "Mr K", a small mustachioed man wearing a crown and cape and holding a scepter. They wrote a jingle, "King Credit Don’t Care," patterned after Big John’s Car Lot in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In the wake of the Birmingham Campaign, Morris Sher was one of the first downtown retailers to hire an African-American manager when, at his wife's suggestion, he offered a job to Bunny Stokes, later CEO of Citizens Federal Bank.

Renovations to the facade were undertaken in collaboration with Engel Realty and the property owner. Carroll Harmon designed the new shopfront and the Bari Corporation performed the construction. The shop suffered minor smoke damage in a major fire that broke out on the upper floor of the adjacent Graves Building on December 17, 1970.

Morris Sher's sons, David and Martin, took over when he died and continued adding furniture and home appliances to the shop. After changes in tax law in 1986 the business evolved into a "rent-to-own" store, out of which the AmSher Collection Agency emerged.

Other member of the Sher family later opened Mr King Furniture nearby.

  • Krown Kredit storefront

    Krown Kredit storefront

  • Mr K

    Mr K

  • King Kredit storefront

    King Kredit storefront

References

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