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THE NEW YORK TIMES,
JENSEN TAKE-OVER
BY KENTON LOOMS

Continued From Page 45

replied that it might. "But at this stage," he added, "all that is involved is an opportunity for the stockholders of Jensen and an opportunity for Kenton."

Reached for comment, Mr. Kenmore said that "the major stockholders of Jensen needed some financial guidance and asked us to come on the board. That's all there is to it at this point."

Retail-trade observers, however, believe that there is more than a chance that the new tie-up will result in the acquisition of another old-established retail operation. The latest example was the purchase last week of Bergdorf Goodman by the Broadway-Hale Stores, Inc., a large West Coast chain that also owns Neiman-Marcus.

Jensen's, founded here in 1923 by the late Frederick Lunning to import Scandinavian products, was purchased in 1968 by a group of private investors. These included, in addition to New Court Securities, William Bernbach, chairman of Doyle Dane Bernbach, the advertising agency; and Eli S. Jacobs, a former partner in White, Weld & Co., a stockbroker. Mr. Bernbach and Mr. Jacobs, as well as Mr. Birkelund, remain on the board of the privately held Jensen's.
Jensen's last year moved from 667 Fifth Avenue to smaller quarters at 601 Madison Avenue. While the move has been considered by some retails sources to have been a misjudgment by management, Mr. Horchow said yesterday that he didn't think so. "We have 15,000 square feet of selling space, and are in a good retailing nucleus with interesting neighbors," he observed.

A 1950 Yale University graduate who majored in sociology, Mr. Horchow has about 20 years of home-furnishings and mail-order background. He said that he was convinced that Jensen's, with a main store and five branches, "doesn't need any more expansion but a stronger merchandising program and the installation of good, basic controls."