Retail & Distribution
Crown Books
Once one of the largest retail bookstore chains in the United States, Crown Books Corporation operated almost 200 stores in clusters in and around seven major metropolitan areas ranging from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, California. Crown Books was founded in the Washington, D.C. metro area in 1977 by Robert Haft and organized under the umbrella of the Dart Group, which also included Trak Auto, Shoppers Food Warehouse, Total Beverage, and Dart Drug. In and out of bankruptcy beginning in 1994, the company’s core retail operations were acquired by Books-a-Million in 2001 with remaining assets acquired A&S Booksellers in 2005.