Fishers Big Wheel

Fishers Big Wheel

Company type	Discount department store
Industry	Retail
Founded	1939 (1939)
Defunct	1994 (1994)
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	New Castle, Pennsylvania , United States
Number of locations	100+
Area served	Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia
Key people	Peter H. Hollis
Products	Clothing, photography, garden/seasonal, sporting goods, large appliances, records, hardware, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares.
Divisions	Buy Smart

Fishers Big Wheel, often shortened to Big Wheel, was a discount department store chain headquartered in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States. The retailer operated under both the Fisher's Big Wheel and Buy Smart banners. At its height, the company managed over 100 outlets across the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 1993, resulting in the sale of certain stores to Pamida and the closure of others. The business ceased operations entirely in 1994.

History

The origins of Fisher's Big Wheel trace back to 1939 when it was formed through the merger of the Fisher Dry Goods firm in New Castle, Pennsylvania and a hardware retailer named Big Wheel.

Although its roots were tied to New Castle, the corporate headquarters were situated in Neshannock Township, Pennsylvania, just north of the city. Adjacent to the headquarters stood the company's main store, which served as a model for other locations. Following the company's shutdown, the headquarters building was repurposed into medical office spaces, while supermarket chain Giant Eagle consolidated two nearby stores into the former flagship location.

Fishers Big Wheel strategically focused on smaller communities that lacked presence from other discount retailers. In markets where competition existed, it contended with prominent discounters such as Zayre, Kmart, Walmart, and Hills Department Store.

In 1978, Fisher's expanded by acquiring several outlets from Tempo and Buckeye Mart—two discount chains owned by Gamble-Skogmo. These acquired stores operated under the combined Fisher's Buckeye-Tempo brand.

File:Fishers big wheel logo.svg

Classic logo

In 1986, Peter H. Hollis departed as president of Fishers Big Wheel to assume the role of CEO at Ames Department Stores. He held that position for four years before moving on to become executive vice president at Jamesway.

The year 1989 saw Big Wheel grow by purchasing ten former locations from two Midwestern discount chains: eight from Danner's and two from Heck's Department Store.

Facing financial difficulties, Fisher's Big Wheel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1993 and shuttered ten stores during this process. The following year, an additional fifty-five outlets were closed as part of liquidation efforts. Several stores were also sold to Omaha-based discount retailer Pamida. On January 6, 1994, layoffs commenced alongside liquidation activities under bankruptcy proceedings, culminating with the closure of all remaining operations by year's end.