Little Bucks
Encyclopedia
Around 2004, Little Bucks was a short-lived local retail chain of superstore-like dollar store
s around metro Atlanta
, and nearby areas of Georgia
, United States. Founded in 2002, its seven stores began opening in late 2003, and closed in late February 2005 after going bankrupt.
The name derived from the fact that instead of selling items for a full dollar, it sold everything for 99 cent
s. The store mascot
was an anthropomorphic coin of ambiguous denomination, wearing a cowboy hat
and cowboy boot
s. "Little Buck", as he was called, is short for little buckaroo
(slang for cowboy), in turn a pun
on the dollar being called a "buck" in common usage, and 99 cents being a smaller amount than a full dollar.
Unlike other variety stores, each had a produce section, selling fresh fruits and vegetables like a grocery store
, generally one or two pound
s (occasionally three for bananas) for 99¢. Each also sold bread, and even Georgia Lottery
tickets, taking the extra penny from its own profit margin
.
Outside metro Atlanta:
The corporate office was at 611 Interchange Drive in southwest Atlanta, north of Interstate 20
, south of Charlie Brown Field (Fulton County Airport), and immediately west of the intersection
of Fulton Industrial Boulevard (Georgia 70) and Georgia 139.
The failure may have cost its investors five million dollars or more. It also faced a lawsuit
by a vendor alleging it owed 300,000 dollars for merchandise.
Dollar store
A variety store or price-point retailer is a retail store that sells inexpensive items, often with a single price for all items in the store...
s around metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
, and nearby areas of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States. Founded in 2002, its seven stores began opening in late 2003, and closed in late February 2005 after going bankrupt.
The name derived from the fact that instead of selling items for a full dollar, it sold everything for 99 cent
Cent (United States coin)
The United States one-cent coin, commonly known as a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar. The cent's symbol is ¢. Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909, the centennial of his birth. From 1959 to 2008, the reverse...
s. The store mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
was an anthropomorphic coin of ambiguous denomination, wearing a cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
and cowboy boot
Cowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
s. "Little Buck", as he was called, is short for little buckaroo
Buckaroo
A Buckaroo is a cowboy of the vaquero tradition of the Great Basin and California regions of the United States, particularly one skilled in the handling of horses...
(slang for cowboy), in turn a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the dollar being called a "buck" in common usage, and 99 cents being a smaller amount than a full dollar.
Unlike other variety stores, each had a produce section, selling fresh fruits and vegetables like a grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
, generally one or two pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (occasionally three for bananas) for 99¢. Each also sold bread, and even Georgia Lottery
Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and...
tickets, taking the extra penny from its own profit margin
Profit margin
Profit margin, net margin, net profit margin or net profit ratio all refer to a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue.Net profit Margin = x100...
.
Locations
Within metro Atlanta:- MariettaMarietta, GeorgiaMarietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
/Eastlake: Roswell Road (Georgia 120), former supermarketSupermarketA supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, now Dollar TreeDollar TreeDollar Tree, Inc. is an American chain of discount variety stores that sells every item for $1.00 or less. A Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree is headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia and operates 4,010 stores throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Its stores are supported by a nationwide...
and former second location in same center of Seasonal Concepts - Marietta/SmyrnaSmyrna, Georgia-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,999 people, 18,372 households, and 9,498 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,949.9 people per square mile . There were 19,633 housing units at an average density of 1,412.6 per square mile...
: Marietta Plaza, Terrell Mill Road at Cobb ParkwayCobb ParkwayCobb Parkway is a major arterial road which runs northwest and southeast through Cobb County, Georgia. It concurrently carries both U.S. 41, and the much less-recognized Georgia 3...
, between Value CityValue CityValue City was an American discount department store chain with 113 locations. It was founded in 1917 by Ephraim Schottenstein, a travelling salesman in central Ohio. The store was an off-price retailer that sold clothing, jewelry, and home goods below the manufacturer suggested retail price...
and HomeGoodsHomeGoodsHomeGoods is a chain of home furnishing stores operated by TJX Companies and has 270 stores across the US as of February 2007.HomeGoods operates the home furnishings sections of T.J. Maxx 'n More and Marshalls Mega Store stores....
, former Treasure Island building (later Home Depot's first store, paired with a ZayreZayreZayre was a chain of discount stores that operated in the Northeastern, Southern and Midwestern United States from 1956 to 1990. The company's headquarters was in Framingham, Massachusetts. In 1988, the Zayre department stores were sold to the parent company of the competing Ames chain, and Zayre's...
) - RoswellRoswell, GeorgiaRoswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
, Roswell Town Center at Holcomb Bridge Road (opposite Georgia 92) and Alpharetta Highway (Georgia 9) - Stone MountainStone Mountain, GeorgiaStone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, 5567 Memorial Drive
Outside metro Atlanta:
- Warner RobinsWarner Robins, GeorgiaWarner Robins is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located primarily in Houston County with a small portion in Peach County. The city has its own metropolitan statistical area . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 48,804...
, City Crossing Retail Center - GainesvilleGainesville, Georgia-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, Washington Square Shopping Center - unknown location
The corporate office was at 611 Interchange Drive in southwest Atlanta, north of Interstate 20
Interstate 20 in Georgia
In Georgia, Interstate 20 runs from the Alabama border to the Savannah River, which the Georgia-South Carolina border straddles. It passes through the heavily congested Atlanta metropolitan area and exits the state at Augusta...
, south of Charlie Brown Field (Fulton County Airport), and immediately west of the intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
of Fulton Industrial Boulevard (Georgia 70) and Georgia 139.
Officers and investors
- Glenda HatchettGlenda HatchettGlenda A. Hatchett is the former star of the television show, Judge Hatchett.-History:Hatchett was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her B.A...
, star of Judge HatchettJudge HatchettJudge Hatchett is a nationally-syndicated American television program produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It starred The Honorable Glenda Hatchett and was modeled after other "court shows" such as Judge Judy and the long running The People's Court, as well as containing elements...
, was listed as company director for 2004 - Michael Coles, CEO of Caribou CoffeeCaribou CoffeeCaribou Coffee Company is a specialty coffee and espresso retailer, the second largest in the United States after Starbucks. Caribou sells coffee, tea, and bakery goods in 415 company-owned coffeehouses in 16 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 126 franchise locations worldwide.-...
, an investorInvestorAn investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc... - Jay Davis, chairman/CEO of National Distributing, the largest shareholderShareholderA shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
- Ronald M. Brill, former executive at The Home DepotThe Home DepotThe Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
, another shareholder - others
The failure may have cost its investors five million dollars or more. It also faced a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
by a vendor alleging it owed 300,000 dollars for merchandise.