Zody's

Zodys

Former type	Department store
Industry	Retail
Fate	Bankruptcy; sold to Ralphs
Founded	1960, Los Angeles, California
Defunct	1986
Headquarters	Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico
Key people	Samuel S. Wurtzel, Alan Wurtzel (founders)
Products	Clothing, foodwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares.

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.

The first store in this Southern California–based discount chain opened June 13, 1960, in Garden Grove, California. By 1969, there were 19 stores. In 1972, the Hartfield-Zodys parent company acquired the Yankee Stores chain of Flint, Michigan, briefly re-branding the stores as Yankee-Zodys, and later as Zodys.^[1] The Michigan stores were unprofitable, and were sold in 1974 when Hartfield-Zodys filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.^[1] A brief period of prosperity brought expansions into Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. In 1979 there were 37 stores.

Bankrupt again by the early 1980s, the parent company, now known as HRT Industries, began closing stores in 1984. The remaining Zodys stores in California were shuttered in March 1986,^[2][3] with many locations being sold to Federated Stores, the parent company of Ralphs, a supermarket chain.^[4][5][6]

References

1. Flinn, Gary (2004-02-20). "Hamady Sacks and Yankee Hats". Flinn's Journal. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
2. Groves, Martha (February 5, 1986). "HRT Denies It Has Decided to Shut Zodys : Says Some Retailers Have Shown Interest in Buying Ailing Unit". Los Angeles Times.
3. Groves, Martha (February 10, 1986). "HRT Appears Likely to Shut Zodys Stores". Los Angeles Times.
4. Groves, Martha (February 26, 1986). "14 Zodys Stores Will Become Ralphs Markets". Los Angeles Times.
5. "HomeClub Acquires Four Former Zody's Locations". Los Angeles Times. March 14, 1986.
6. "Zody's Stores Converted for Ralphs Giants". Los Angeles Times. December 21, 1986.

External links

• L.A. things that aren't around anymore
• Article discussing replacements for Zody's and Gemco
• May 14, 1984
• Article regarding closing of Zody's stores March 17, 1986
• The Girl From Zody's, from The Miranda Complex"