Frieda Loehmann (1873–1962) was an American businesswoman who founded the off-price department store chain

Loehmann's Loehmann's was an American retail company which started as a single store in Brooklyn, New York and grew to a chain of off-price department stores in the United States. The chain was best known for its "Back Room", where women interested in fashio ...

. Frieda Mueller was born in October 1873. When she was young, her family moved from

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. She met flautist Charles Loehmann at the age of 19 and the pair married in the early 1890s. After his flute-playing career ended due to lip paralysis, he opened a haberdashery and Frieda had her first experience merchandising. The business did well at first, but went into bankruptcy following a move. In 1916, Frieda took a buying job in New York and the family moved to Brooklyn. She got the idea to sell samples and surplus apparel at discount prices and in 1920 started the first Loehmann's store in their Brooklyn home. Loehmann purchased odd lots, samples, and overstock from fashion houses on Seventh Avenue. The business eventually earned $3 million per year. Loehmann had three children, Charles, Marjorie, and William.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Loehmann, Frieda 1873 births 1962 deaths American businesspeople