White Front
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White Front | |
Type of Company | Discount store |
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Founded | 1955 |
Headquarters | San Diego, California |
Industry | Retail |
Products | clothing, footwear, housewares, sporting goods, hardware, toys, electronics |
Website | None |
White Front was a chain of discount stores prevalent throughout Southern California and the western United States from the 1955 through the mid-1970s. They were especially noted for the architecture of their store fronts which was an enormous, sweeping archway with the store name spelled out in individual letters across the top. The chain also ran Topps, a similar discount store with locations in the American Midwest.
Interstate, the parent company of White Front, acquired a small toy store chain - Toys "R" Us - out of Washington D.C., which went on to survive the entire organization.
When parent company White Front Stores, Inc. went out of business, the locations were changed to Two Guys, another discount chain. Two Guys soon failed as well and the stores became relabeled as FedMart stores, the precursor to Target Stores.
The present-day Target store in San Bernardino, California still sports the archway across its façade.