Curacao (retail store)

Curacao

File:Curacao logo.jpg
Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1978 (1978)
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , USA
Number of locations	13
Website	http://www.icuracao.com

Curacao (pronounced Koo-ra-sao), previously known as La Curacao, is a major retail and financial services firm providing export, travel, and money transfer solutions. Established in 1978, its main office is located in Los Angeles, with retail outlets throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. The business is officially registered as Adir International, LLC.

Services

Curacao’s core business revolves around merchandise sales on credit, boasting a customer base of more than two million private label cardholders. Its service portfolio extends to include Curacao Travel, Curacao Money Transfer, and Curacao Export.

Origins

The company began as a door-to-door sales enterprise in Burbank, California. It quickly found favor within the Latino community, which often lacked access to conventional credit options. Sales representatives collected payments directly at customers’ residences following an initial down payment, establishing the groundwork for its proprietary credit system.

Growth

In 1983, La Curacao moved its operations to the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. By 1995, it launched a second store located inside Panorama Mall in Panorama City; this store ceased operations permanently in February 2025 due to mall redevelopment. The retail locations were noted for their Mesoamerican-inspired design and on-site childcare amenities. In 2012, the company transitioned from the La Curacao brand to simply Curacao, signaling a strategic business evolution.

Curacao maintains numerous branches across pivotal markets such as Los Angeles, South Gate, Huntington Park, San Bernardino, Lynwood, Santa Ana, Chino, Phoenix, Anaheim, Tucson, Las Vegas, and Northridge. This expansion strategy supports continued growth and strengthens its position within the retail sector.

Legal Issues

In October 2017, Adir International, Inc. (operating as Curacao) and CEO Ron Azarkman faced litigation from The People of California over allegations of deceptive practices. The suit accused them of marketing unnecessary insurance products bundled with high-interest financing to low-income and non-English-speaking clients. Evidence indicated that Curacao misrepresented these insurance offerings to consumers—often without proper paperwork—hindering customers’ ability to recognize or claim these policies.

In April 2023, the court ruled that Curacao committed 318,807 violations of the California Insurance Code, resulting in a $7.97 million fine and a permanent injunction against further deceptive conduct. The judgment emphasized a prolonged pattern of unethical behavior designed to boost profits at the cost of consumers since January 2014. The defendants’ attempt to invoke the statute of limitations was dismissed due to a pre-trial agreement extending the allowable claim period.

Internal communications and consumer grievances revealed that senior executives at Curacao—including Azarkman—were fully aware of and endorsed these misleading tactics. The amended complaint characterized this as an intentional plan prioritizing financial gain over ethical standards and consumer protection.

Furthermore, the California Attorney General prohibited Curacao from utilizing insurance coverage from Starr Indemnity for legal defense costs under California Insurance Code § 533.5(b), which restricts coverage in certain state consumer protection lawsuits. Adir International contested this ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court, but the petition was denied. Subsequently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision affirming that Starr Indemnity had no duty to defend or indemnify Adir based on policy terms.

References

leading money transfer providers