B. Forman Co. was a retail store in Rochester, New York, specializing primarily in high-end women's clothing.

Once the largest store of its kind between New York and Chicago, the company, founded by Benjamin Forman in the first decade of the twentieth century, closed in 1994.

His passport application of 1921 lists his birthplace as "Lemburg, Austria" and his father as Abraham Forman.

His birthplace is likely Lviv, now located in the western part of Ukraine but, in the 19th century, in the Austrian Empire.

[1][2][3][4] According to a Democrat and Chronicle story in 2016, Forman moved from New York to Philadelphia, Ithaca and Syracuse before arriving in Rochester in 1902.

[6][7] Benjamin Foreman was associated with the tailor shop at 255 East Main Street, Rochester, by 1903.

Don't be deceived, there is but one place of our name in each city, and that is conducted by the undersigned who guarantee satisfaction or no sale."

[10] He moved his shop, "B. Forman's, Ladies' Tailor", to the second floor of 42 North Clinton Avenue April 1, 1906, next to the new Sibley, Lindsay & Curr department store.

"[14] Later that year, Foreman purchased a building lot next door (46 South Clinton Street) and announced plans to construct a three-story retail store, 38 feet fronting Clinton, and extending back to Cortland Street, 197 feet deep.

Other members included Abraham & Straus of Brooklyn, L. S. Ayers of Indianapolis, L. Bamberger of Newark; Filene's of Boston, Joseph Horne Co. of Pittsburgh, Hudson Company of Detroit, Hutzler Brothers of Baltimore, Rike-Kumler Company of Dayton, Strawbridge & Clothier of Philadelphia, and Wm.

[23][28] B. Forman expanded the South Clinton store again in 1941, taking over half of the lot to the north that was the previous location of the Lyceum Theater.

[31] Benjamin Forman died March 23, 1951, at his apartment in the Sheridan Hotel, 111 East Avenue.

A children's clothing store was created at Monroe Avenue and Glen Ellen Way, in suburban Brighton and a 40,000 sq.

[34] The most bold venture of the B. Forman Co. was the creation of an indoor shopping mall in Downtown Rochester.

Early tenants, in addition to B. Forman Co. and McCurdy's, included Wegmans, Lincoln Rochester Bank (now Chase Bank), the United States Postal Service and Trailways, as well as several national and local chain stores.

[42] His half interest in the company was inherited in trust by his widow, Sally (Bresler) Forman and their son, Jay W. Gilbert.

Differences between Maurice Forman and his brother's widow broke out into the open when she filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the company.

Mrs. Forman contended the value of her husband's interest in the company was $2.2 million[44][45][46] Charges and counter-charges were made between the warring parties, including a hearing at Surrogate's Court April 1967 [47] The bitter dispute was resolved when McCurdy's purchased the stock of the B. Forman Co. in 1968.

[65] B. Forman Co. unsuccessfully attempted to purchase the Bonwit Teller store in Buffalo's Galleria Mall in 1990.

[75] A few months later, the discount store Peebles took over the Midtown space, the location where Benjamin Forman had started his ready-to-ware business in 1911.