B E E H Decoded: the Surprising Truth Behind America's Most Confusing Retail Names
By Chloe Bennett
Over 1,700 miles northeast of San Antonio sits a retailer with a completely different pedigree, customer demographic, and corporate footprint. In 1973, Herman Schreiber and his wife Blimie opened a modest storefront on Tribeca's Warren Street in Lower Manhattan. They named the venture simply using their first initials: B&H.
The business quickly moved to Manhattan's Financial District before settling on West 17th Street, gradually attracting commercial photographers who valued candid technical advice over high-pressure sales pitches. In 1997, B&H relocated to its landmark flagship store at 420 Ninth Avenue near 34th Street and Penn Station. That location expanded into a two-story, 70,000-square-foot superstore equipped with a signature ceiling-mounted motorized roller track system that whizzes customer orders directly from sub-basement stockrooms to the checkout lanes.
B&H remains deeply tied to the Hasidic Jewish community. The retailer famously shuts down all store operations and its entire online checkout system every Friday evening through Saturday night in strict observance of Shabbat, as well as on major Jewish holy days. Despite pausing digital sales for roughly 25% of every calendar week, B&H fulfills millions of domestic and international orders annually, serving as a primary equipment pipeline for major film studios, independent photographers, and university media departments.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
