In January 1965, Joske's purchased rival Wolff and Marx with its downtown flagship and North Star Mall locations. Joske's stated that there would be no immediate changes in operation of Wolff and Marx, however, in less than a month the seven-story downtown Wolff and Marx store was closed because the store did not have escalators and the building had passed its useful life as a modern department store.
In January 1965, Joske's acquired rival Wolff and Marx with its central flagship and North Star Mall locations. Joske's declared that there would be no immediate changes in operation, but within a short time, the seven-story downtown Wolff and Marx store was closed because it lacked modern amenities and had become outdated.