Do You Remember Max 10 Family Fashion? Grand Rapids’ Original Discount Store

I'm a big time thrift shopper (before it was cool). I can't tell you the last time I bought an article of clothing new or full price. Goodwill and I are best friends. Am I a cheapskate? Perhaps, but maybe things don't need to be expensive to be quality.

Get our free mobile app

In a day and age where everything, including eggs, has seen prices soar through the roof and Dollar Tree isn't even a dollar anymore, people are looking to save where they can more than ever. This has led me to reminisce about a store that locals will remember from throughout the 2000s, a place that was true to its name: Max 10 Family Fashion, where all items in the store were priced at a maximum of $10. 

Max 10 Family Fashion's Legacy

While most people went to Sears and Macy's to get their clothing, there was an affordable option that featured brand names like Levi and Lee. The way Max 10 was able to sell big names for such low prices was because it would purchase clothing items that clothing designers and manufacturers had made over or that department stores had bought in large quantities.

READ MORE: The Meijer Members-Only Store That No One Remembers

These businesses would then sell these items to Max 10 at a discount, and Max 10 would resell them to consumers at a lower price. When the store was at its peak around 2008, it had approximately 24 stores throughout the state, in addition to locations in Illinois and Indiana. The stores were a hit...until they weren't.

Max 10's Demise

Citing competition from online retailers and changing consumer habits, Bermo Enterprises, the owner of Max 10, ceased operations for the Max 10 brand in 2014. 7 locations remained in Michigan at the time of closing, with the Kalamazoo location being the last to close. Though it's gone, Max 10 still lives on in our hearts (and the internet).