Webb's City, Historic department store in St. Petersburg, Florida

Webb's City was a vast department store in St. Petersburg that spread across multiple city blocks and housed dozens of specialized departments. The store contained everything from pharmacies and food markets to furniture sections and a salon under one enormous roof.

Founded in 1926 by James Earl "Doc" Webb, Webb's City grew into a 77-department store covering about ten city blocks and was considered a forerunner of the shopping center. In 1939 a court case over discounted Ipana toothpaste reached the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled in Webb's favor. After shopping centers rose, business declined and the store closed on August 18, 1979; the building was demolished in 1984.

Doc Webb's radio jingle promised "no more hoppin' around the town a-shoppin'." The store drew a base of seniors and African Americans with low prices, and its sideshows included talking mermaids and circus acrobats. Black shoppers made up much of the clientele but were barred from the lunch counter and the ready-to-wear and men's suits departments.

Webb's City occupied about ten city blocks along Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, with 77 departments and 1,700 employees at its peak. Its express checkout lane, for ten items or fewer, is credited to Doc Webb's son's account of the store's innovations. A smaller Webb's Outpost stood near the Gandy Bridge end toward Tampa, and a short-lived branch opened in Pinellas Park.

The store featured live entertainment with trained animals including ducks that played baseball and chickens that danced in the aisles. These performances turned ordinary shopping trips into memorable experiences that kept customers returning for more than just merchandise.