Wanting to find an outlet for their passion and make those great designs available for public consumption, the Segal couple rented an abandoned Wells Street elevator factory and hired an employee named Barbara Turf. They traveled back to Europe to purchase materials from ceramists, glassblowers and some factories that make white bistro dinner wares and French copper pots.
The early goings of the business was financially tough. The Segals had to stack the shipping crates as makeshift shelves for the display. They loaded overseas barrels with great merchandise. This unique style led to the creation of Crate & Barrel. They were set to open their store on that fateful day in December 1962 when they realized they lacked one very important thing – a cash register.
In 1968, Crate & Barrel opened its second store in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1971, the third store opened in Oak Brook, Illinois. The first store outside Chicago opened Boston, Massachusetts in 1977 and Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1979. By the end of 1985, Crate & Barrel has had 17 branches.
Crate & Barrel went international with the opening of its first store outside the US in Toronto, Canada in September 2008. Another opened in Calgary in October 2009. More stores opened in major Canadian cities like Mississauga, Ontario, Edmonton, Alberta, Laval, Quebec and Vancouver, British Columbia. International stores are also operated in Singapore, Dubai and Mexico City.
Since that opening day, a lot has changed in Crate & Barrel. From one employee in 1962, the company now employs more than 8,000 workers. From the humble Wells Street elevator factory, Crate & Barrel operates 105 stores in major cities in North America.