White Front
Encyclopedia
White Front was a chain of discount store
s in Southern California
and the western United States from 1959 through the mid-1970s. They were noted for the architecture of their store fronts which was an enormous, sweeping archway with the store name spelled out in individual letters fanned across the top. The chain also ran Topps, a similar discount store with locations in the American Midwest.
The company was founded in 1929 in Los Angeles. In April 1959, the then two stores were acquired by Interstate Department Stores, Inc., which expanded the chain to other California locations and broadened its retail mix beyond the original housewares. In September 1960, Interstate also acquired Topps, which at the time had ten stores. For several years, White Front was the leading discount store in the United States.
In 1973 the company made an abortive attempt to expand into the Northwest at the Mall 205
in Portland, Oregon. A television ad campaign to introduce the store featured Allen Ludden
of Password fame (most store openings were promoted by Hollywood stars). The Portland store failed largely due to complications with coordinating sale ads printed in Southern California with deliveries of the advertised merchandise to Portland. Frustrated by being unable to get advertised specials after a long drive to the suburban store, customers stopped coming, numerous complaints were filed, and the store finally closed.
White Front entered the Seattle/Tacoma market of Washington State in 1969. Five stores were built in high-traffic areas in Burien, Tacoma, north Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett, but were all closed by about 1972. White Front was said to have left the Seattle market "while the paint was still drying in the parking lot stalls." The local media as well as businesses, government agencies, and community leaders would play on that as well as calling the stores eyesores and a waste of space since each store had a large footprint (150,000 square feet). Some also pointed it out as a flawed attempt to "Californianize" the area, which might have led some local residents not to shop at the stores. Due to the struggling economy of the "Boeing Bust" of the late 1960s and early 1970s and the exodus of people leaving the area, it would take some time before new ownership was found for some of these vacant buildings. The Tacoma White Front store has seen many ownership changes: first as a Valu-Mart/Leslie's
store, later a Jafco
and then a Best
store (currently Michael's). The Burien store became the flagship store for Valu-Mart/Leslie's
(currently Fred Meyer
). The north Seattle store became a Kmart
. The Everett store was integrated into Everett Mall
in 1977 to become a Bon Marché
and then Macy's
. The Bellevue store became a Fred Meyer
as well. The towering roadside store signs used for their locations can still be seen at the Shoreline and Tacoma sites.
Another cause for their failure in the area could have been that the stores were too close to competing discount chains such as Gov-Mart/Baza'r, House of Values, and Valu-Mart
which had a stronger presence in the area and were locally owned. The Shoreline White Front was built across the street from Gov-Mart. Having another discount retailer could have been overkill at the time and it would take a long time for another discount retailer to come into the Puget Sound area due to the "White Front Curse." Target
was next to enter the Puget Sound market, in 1988, 16 years after White Front was closed.
Each of the stores contained a "Discount Foods" grocery store department. People complained of high prices in the grocery section (probably caused by the lack of a local distribution center, poor purchasing, and other logistics problems). Safeway Inc.
took ownership of the grocery section in some markets, while newer-design stores such as those in Everett and Bellevue that were built without the arch also did not have a grocery store.
, another discount chain. Two Guys soon failed as well and the stores became relabeled as FedMart
stores, which eventually were purchased by Target. The Target store in San Bernardino, California
sported the archway across its facade for many years until a recent remodeling.
The White Front store on California Avenue in Bakersfield, California
, was taken over by Zody's
. Later it was purchased and remodeled by Mervyns
, which also soon went out of business.
A number of independent local pharmacies continue to carry the White Front name in Costa Mesa and elsewhere, having inherited it from their former host stores, but are otherwise unrelated.
Discount store
A discount store is a type of department store, which sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances...
s in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and the western United States from 1959 through the mid-1970s. They were noted for the architecture of their store fronts which was an enormous, sweeping archway with the store name spelled out in individual letters fanned across the top. The chain also ran Topps, a similar discount store with locations in the American Midwest.
History
The name White Front was said to refer to the practice of lining up appliances like washers, dryers and stoves in front of the store, giving it a "White Front." Another feature of each store was that each had a separate key booth located in the parking lot.The company was founded in 1929 in Los Angeles. In April 1959, the then two stores were acquired by Interstate Department Stores, Inc., which expanded the chain to other California locations and broadened its retail mix beyond the original housewares. In September 1960, Interstate also acquired Topps, which at the time had ten stores. For several years, White Front was the leading discount store in the United States.
In 1973 the company made an abortive attempt to expand into the Northwest at the Mall 205
Mall 205
Mall 205 is an enclosed shopping mall located at the junction of Interstate 205 and S.E. Washington Street in Portland, Oregon, United States. The mall features over 40 stores and a food court; anchor stores include Bed Bath & Beyond, The Home Depot, Target, and 24 Hour Fitness...
in Portland, Oregon. A television ad campaign to introduce the store featured Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
of Password fame (most store openings were promoted by Hollywood stars). The Portland store failed largely due to complications with coordinating sale ads printed in Southern California with deliveries of the advertised merchandise to Portland. Frustrated by being unable to get advertised specials after a long drive to the suburban store, customers stopped coming, numerous complaints were filed, and the store finally closed.
White Front entered the Seattle/Tacoma market of Washington State in 1969. Five stores were built in high-traffic areas in Burien, Tacoma, north Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett, but were all closed by about 1972. White Front was said to have left the Seattle market "while the paint was still drying in the parking lot stalls." The local media as well as businesses, government agencies, and community leaders would play on that as well as calling the stores eyesores and a waste of space since each store had a large footprint (150,000 square feet). Some also pointed it out as a flawed attempt to "Californianize" the area, which might have led some local residents not to shop at the stores. Due to the struggling economy of the "Boeing Bust" of the late 1960s and early 1970s and the exodus of people leaving the area, it would take some time before new ownership was found for some of these vacant buildings. The Tacoma White Front store has seen many ownership changes: first as a Valu-Mart/Leslie's
Valu-Mart
Valu-Mart was a chain of discount stores founded in Seattle in the 1950s. Its parent company was Weisfield's Jewelers. For many years Weisfield's was a store that carried jewelry, as well as televisions , radios, stereos, and other consumer electronics products...
store, later a Jafco
Jafco
Jafco Co. is a defunct chain of catalog showroom retail stores founded by Sidney Jaffe in 1957 in Seattle, Washington. Jafco was acquired by Modern Merchandising in 1972, then Best Products acquired all 17 stores in Washington and Oregon in 1982. By 1986 all the Jafco stores were converted to...
and then a Best
Best Products
Best Products is a defunct chain of American catalog showroom retail stores founded by Sydney and Frances Lewis, formerly headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.- History :...
store (currently Michael's). The Burien store became the flagship store for Valu-Mart/Leslie's
Valu-Mart
Valu-Mart was a chain of discount stores founded in Seattle in the 1950s. Its parent company was Weisfield's Jewelers. For many years Weisfield's was a store that carried jewelry, as well as televisions , radios, stereos, and other consumer electronics products...
(currently Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...
). The north Seattle store became a Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
. The Everett store was integrated into Everett Mall
Everett Mall
Everett Mall is a indoor/outdoor shopping mall located in Everett, Washington, USA. Planned in the late 1960s, the mall began with the construction of two anchor stores, Sears in 1969 and White Front in 1971. The mall was originally built and opened in 1974 after the Boeing bust stalled...
in 1977 to become a Bon Marché
The Bon Marché
The Bon Marché, whose name means "the good deal" or "the good market", was the name chosen for a department store launched in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1890 by Edward Nordhoff. The name comes from Le Bon Marché, a noted Paris retailer and one of the world's first department stores,...
and then Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. The Bellevue store became a Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...
as well. The towering roadside store signs used for their locations can still be seen at the Shoreline and Tacoma sites.
Another cause for their failure in the area could have been that the stores were too close to competing discount chains such as Gov-Mart/Baza'r, House of Values, and Valu-Mart
Valu-Mart
Valu-Mart was a chain of discount stores founded in Seattle in the 1950s. Its parent company was Weisfield's Jewelers. For many years Weisfield's was a store that carried jewelry, as well as televisions , radios, stereos, and other consumer electronics products...
which had a stronger presence in the area and were locally owned. The Shoreline White Front was built across the street from Gov-Mart. Having another discount retailer could have been overkill at the time and it would take a long time for another discount retailer to come into the Puget Sound area due to the "White Front Curse." Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
was next to enter the Puget Sound market, in 1988, 16 years after White Front was closed.
Each of the stores contained a "Discount Foods" grocery store department. People complained of high prices in the grocery section (probably caused by the lack of a local distribution center, poor purchasing, and other logistics problems). Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
took ownership of the grocery section in some markets, while newer-design stores such as those in Everett and Bellevue that were built without the arch also did not have a grocery store.
Bankruptcy
In 1966, Interstate acquired the four-store Washington D.C. toy store chain Children's Supermart, predecessor of Toys "R" Us, which is the only survivor of the company. White Front filed for bankruptcy in 1975 and then went out of business; the locations were changed to Two GuysTwo Guys
Two Guys was a discount store primarily operating in the New York City metropolitan area and headquartered in northern New Jersey until the early 1980s. It was founded in 1946 in Harrison, New Jersey by brothers Sidney Hubschman and Herbert Hubschman as Two Guys from Harrison...
, another discount chain. Two Guys soon failed as well and the stores became relabeled as FedMart
FedMart
FedMart was a chain of discount department stores started by Sol Price, who later founded Price Club. His first location in San Diego, California was in a converted airport hangar. It was originally a discount department store open to government employees, who paid a membership fee of $2 per...
stores, which eventually were purchased by Target. The Target store in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
sported the archway across its facade for many years until a recent remodeling.
The White Front store on California Avenue in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, was taken over by Zody's
Zody's
Zodys was a chain of discount retail stores that operated in the United States from 1960 to 1986. The chain operated locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Michigan....
. Later it was purchased and remodeled by Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
, which also soon went out of business.
A number of independent local pharmacies continue to carry the White Front name in Costa Mesa and elsewhere, having inherited it from their former host stores, but are otherwise unrelated.
