Builders Emporium

Builder's Emporium was a chain of home improvement stores based in Irvine, California. At the time of its closing in 1993, it had 82 stores in Southern California and a further 15 in Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas; 4,300 employees in total.[1]

Builder's Emporium
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryHome improvement centers
FateClosed due to financial problems of parent
Founded1946 (1946) in Van Nuys, California
FounderSi L. Bercutt
Defunct1993 (1993)
Headquarters
Irvine, California
,
U.S.
Number of locations
96 (1993)
Areas served
California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas
ProductsHardware, lumber
Parent
  • Food Giant (1962–1967)
  • Two Guys (1967–1978)
  • Wickes Companies (1978–1993)

The chain had a fictional human character, "Pops" Larsen that, in brochures and other media, was portrayed as helping customers with do-it-yourself tasks such as hanging a door.[2]

Builder's Emporium was owned by the Santa Monica-based Wickes Companies, and an ad campaign from 1982–1988 features the slogan "We got the message, Mr. Sigoloff", referring to former Wickes chairman and CEO Sanford C. Sigoloff, in a campaign to restore credibility, consumer confidence and sales to the chain after Wickes' bankruptcy. The advertising campaign was a huge hit credited with helping the chain increase sales by 25% the first year it was launched.[3] In 1988 the chain had sales of about 675 million U.S. dollars.[4]

History

The Builder's Emporium chain was started in 1946 in the San Fernando Valley community of Van Nuys by Si L. Bercutt.[5][6][7] The store's motto was "Everything to build anything."[5][8]

Victor M. Carter[9] bought the ailing Van Nuys hardware store in 1949.[10] He introduced the concept of a self-service hardware store with a "do it yourself" training component that became the model for The Home Depot. Carter built Builder’s Emporium into a leading self-serve retail operation and the largest hardware store in the United States, selling it in 1956, to acquire controlling interest in Republic Pictures just a few years later.[10]

In 1962, Builder's Emporium was acquired by Food Giant Markets, Inc.[11]

In 1967, Builder's Emporium was acquired by Two Guys when Two Guys purchased its parent company Food Giant Markets, Inc. At the time of acquisition, Builder's Emporium had 14 locations throughout Southern California.[12][13][14][15] Two Guys later renamed itself Vornado.

The chain was sold by Vornado to Wickes in two installment in 1978. In January of that year, Vornado sold 47 Builder's Emporium centers in California to Wickes. In the following month, Vornado sold 12 Builder's Emporium home improvement centers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Wickes.[16]

Builder's Emporium was forced to close in 1993 after its former parent had a number of financial problems during the previous decade.[6]

References
  1. "O.C.'s Builder's Emporium Will Close Its Stores". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 1993. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  2. "The Marketplace". Crescenta Valley Weekly. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  3. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32894192/
  4. "McKitrick in new CEO of Builder's Emporium". Los Angeles Times. June 30, 1989. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  5. "Si L. Bercutt; Builders Emporium Founder". Los Angeles Times. July 26, 1991. Si L. Bercutt, who opened the first Builders Emporium store 45 years ago in Van Nuys, has died at an Encino hospital... Bercutt opened Builders Emporium on Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys in August, 1946. The motto of the store, a forerunner of the modern do-it-yourself hardware store, was "Everything to build anything."... In the early 1950s, Bercutt sold the store, yet continued to attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies for many new stores at the invitation of the new owners. Builders Emporium is now a division of the Wickes Corp., with 108 stores in four states.
  6. Myers, David W. (August 25, 1993). "O.C.'s Builder's Emporium Will Close Its Stores". Los Angeles Times.
  7. "Builders Emporium To Shutter All Its Stores". Associated Press. August 25, 1993.
  8. "Early Views of the San Fernando Valley". Water and Power Associates.
  9. Tugend, Tom (April 1, 2004). "Victor M. Carter Dies at 94". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2013-12-17. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  10. Oliver, Myrna (April 2, 2004). "Victor Carter, 94; Businessman Gave Time, Money to Southland Charities". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  11. "Food Giant to Acquire Hard Goods Company". Los Angeles Times. January 23, 1962. p. 26. ProQuest 168025977 – via Newspapers.com. Food Giant Markets, Inc. has an entered into an agreement to acquire B.E. Enterprises as a wholly owned subsidiary. B. E. Enterprises, Inc., operates the "Builder Emporium Stores," merchandisers of hardware and hard goods in California.
  12. "Merger Planned With Vornado by Food Giant". Los Angeles Times. July 11, 1967. p. b7. ProQuest 155754551 – via Newspapers.com. Food Giant operates 70 supermarkets, 14 Unimart discount stores, 14 Builders Emporium do-it-yourself hardware stores, and six package liquor stores in Southern California. It also operates Meyenberg Milk Products, which serves the 200 franchised Fosters Freeze outlets, and Golden Creme Farms, which operates a milk plant, bakery and ice cream distributorship. Vornado operates 33 "Two Guys" self-service discount department stores on the Eastern Seaboard. Twenty-two of the stores have food retailing departments.
  13. "Vornado and Food Giant Terms OKd". Los Angeles Times. July 28, 1967. p. c12. ProQuest 155757248 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Vornado Agrees To Buy Food Giant in Swap of Stock: Plan Is Subject to Approval By Both Firms' Holders, Final Vote of Directors Cost Put at $52.5 Million". The Wall Street Journal. July 11, 1967. p. 5. ProQuest 133194053.
  15. Gilbert, Les (July 10, 1967). "Vornado Tie To Food Giant Seen in Week: Vornado, Food Giant Merger". Women's Wear Daily. 115 (132). pp. 1, 15. ProQuest 1523631475. Vornado operates a chain of 33 Two Guys From Harrison discount department stores in New York and five neighboring States plus an appliance producing firm Food Giant has 14 Unimart Discount Stores and an equal number of Builder's Emporium outlets, plus 70 supermartets in Southern California.
  16. "Wickes Profit Up 33.3%". The New York Times. May 23, 1978.
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