On February 1, 2006, the former May Company divisions were all dissolved, and operating control of the remaining Strawbridge's stores was assumed by Macy's East.

Strawbridge & Clothier purchased the 3-story brick building on the northwest corner of Market and 8th Streets in Center City Philadelphia that had been Thomas Jefferson's office from 1790 to 1793 while he served as Secretary of State,[4] and opened their first store.

"[6] After successfully fighting off a hostile takeover attempt by Ronald S. Baron in 1986, Strawbridge & Clothier survived as an independent, locally owned department store into the 1990s.

[7] In 1995, in an attempt to become the dominant retailer in the Philadelphia region, S&C partnered with Federated Department Stores, Pomeroys, and the Rubin Brothers real estate development company to acquire their rival Wanamaker's,[8] but were outbid in bankruptcy court by May Department Stores Company.

However, the Strawbridge & Clothier head office was closed and its operations were consolidated with Hecht's in Arlington, Virginia.

[11] In 1935, the station merged with WLIT, owned by the Lit Brothers store across the street, to form WFIL, an NBC Blue network affiliate.

[9] In 1931, it followed with its second suburban "satellite" store at Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, the building for which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

By the 1970s, Strawbridge's had nearly a dozen branch stores in malls across eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware.

In the center of the flagship store was a large bronze statue of a wild boar, a replica of Pietro Tacca's Il Porcellino.

In July 2006, PREIT, owners of The Gallery at Market East, agreed to purchase the lower floors of the flagship Strawbridge's store.

PREIT sought retail tenants for the areas of the building closest to street level and converted some higher floors to office space.

The uppermost floors had previously been sold and converted to offices; they are currently owned by American Financial Realty Trust of Jenkintown.

[17] In July 2012, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News relocated to the third floor of the building from their former headquarters at 400 North Broad Street.On October 23, 2014, the Century 21 Department Stores company of New York City opened its first location outside of the greater New York City area on a portion of the street level, and the entire second level of the Strawbridge's building.