John F. Geisse

(Sept. 1, 1920-Feb. 22, 1992). A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Geisse was a leader in the emerging high-volume discount store industry and cofounder of several discount chains. In 1962, Geisse joined with Douglas Dayton of the Dayton Hudson Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, to found Target stores, which has become one of the largest department and discount stores in the world. (In 2019, it ranked 13^th in size.) In 1968, Geisse cofounded Venture Stores, a discount chain for the May Department Stores located in St. Louis.

After retiring from May Company to establish his own consulting business, Geisse invested in Ayr-Way Stores, the discount arm of L. S. Ayres And Company. He moved to Indianapolis in 1976 and served as chief executive officer of Ayr-Way from 1976 to 1978.

In 1982, following another brief retirement, Geisse founded the Indianapolis-based Wholesale Club, a no-frills, members-only discount store. By 1990, it had grown to 27 stores in six states. The next year, the Wholesale Club, valued at over $160 million, merged with Wal-Mart stores and reopened as Sam’s Clubs. Geisse was inducted into the Discount Hall of Fame in 1984.

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