Two Guys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Fate | Liquidation |
|---|---|
| Founded | Harrison, New Jersey, 1946 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Location | Harrison, New Jersey |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, toys, sporting goods, electronics, housewares, hardware, automotive, appliances, and food. |
| Key people | Herbert Hubschman, Co-founder Sidney Hubschman, Co-founder |
| Parent | Vornado, Inc. |
Two Guys was a discount store primarily operating in the New York metropolitan area and headquartered in northern New Jersey until the early 1980s. It was founded in 1946 in Harrison, New Jersey by brothers Sidney and Herbert Hubschman as Two Guys from Harrison. The company originally sold major applicances such as televisions.[1]
In 1959, the company acquired O.A. Sutton Corp., manufacturers of electric fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. The merged company was renamed Vornado, Inc., after O.A. Sutton's Vornado line of appliances. At its peak, there were more than 100 Two Guys locations nationwide, including Upstate New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California.[1]
As Vornado's commercial fortunes declined throughout the mid-to-late 1970s, they began selling off Two Guys stores to various companies. In late 1980, Vornado (later renamed to Vornado Realty Trust) was acquired by Interstate Properties, Inc. after Interstate won a proxy fight. Interstate began the process of liquidating its Two Guys outlets, which had posted a loss of $20 million for the first half of 1981.[1]
Many locations originally included a discount store with a supermarket, as well as complete Hardware, Major appliance, and Automotive Service departments. The store in East Hanover, New Jersey even had an attached liquor store with bar. It was succeeded by developer Vornado Realty Trust, which developed – and in many cases still owns – the land on which Two Guys stores once stood. In Middletown, New Jersey, a Two Guys on Highway 35 operated for many years within sight of the "Evil Clown of Middletown"; it later became a Bradlees.
Bernard Marcus, one of the founders of Home Depot, began his retail career when he convinced the Hubschmans to let him operate the cosmetics concession at a Two Guys store in Totowa, New Jersey. He eventually was put in charge of first sporting goods and the major appliance department for the entire company, controlling over $1 billion dollars in sales. He left the company after it was sold to outside investors following Herbert Hubschman's death.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b c "Vornado Realty Trust". Retrieved on September 21, 2006.
- Sidney Hubschman Obituary New York Times (April 2, 1986)
- Hattwick, Richard E. (Vol. 12, Fall 2003). Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus: The Home Depot Story Journal of Business Leadership
