L.A. Joe Department Store
| File:Heck's Discount Store Final Logo.png | |
| Company type | Discount department store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Defunct | Template:End date and age |
| Fate | Dissolved |
Number of locations | 170 (at its height) |
Area served | West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, North Carolina |
| Products | Apparel, garden/seasonal items, sporting goods, hardware, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. |
Heck's was a discount department store chain headquartered in West Virginia. It was created by Boone County natives and entrepreneurs Fred Haddad, Tom Ellis, Lester Ellis, along with wholesale distributor Douglas Cook. The brand name "Heck's" was derived from the initials of the founders' surnames: Haddad, Ellis, and Cook. Fred Haddad held the position of president, Lester Ellis served as vice-president, and Tom Ellis acted as Secretary-Treasurer.
History
Founded in 1959 by Fred Haddad, Tom and Lester Ellis, and Doug Cook, Heck's operated its main headquarters at 1012 Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston, West Virginia.
The stores were standalone discount department outlets located primarily in smaller towns across West Virginia, Virginia, western Maryland, the Ohio Valley region, and portions of Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Their business model and merchandise assortment closely resembled those of competitors such as Fisher's Big Wheel, Hills Department Stores, G.C. Murphy's Mart, Tempo and Buckeye Mart Stores, and Walmart.
Heck's expanded into the Midwest market through acquisitions including T-Way Stores (Tradeway) based in Indianapolis. Additionally, in 1981 it purchased Mr. Wiggs stores operating in Indiana and Ohio.
During its peak in the 1980s, Heck's managed approximately 170 locations spanning West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. In 1980, Forbes ranked Heck's third nationally for profitability and growth—surpassing even Kmart.
Fred Haddad stepped down as president in 1983 and divested his shares; the Ellis brothers had exited ownership during the previous decade.
Following this leadership transition, sales declined in 1984 leading to the company’s first financial losses. Workforce reductions commenced in 1985 amid continuing deficits.
Several factors contributed to Heck's downturn: notably the early 1980s U.S. recession which severely impacted West Virginia’s economy and intensified competition from rival retail chains.
In February 1987 a proposed $125 million merger with New York-based Toussie-Viner Group was abandoned due to Heck’s poor performance at the close of 1986. Subsequently, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while operating 140 stores.
By 1989 Heck’s emerged from bankruptcy with a reduced footprint of 55 stores under a rebranded concept named Take 10 Discount Club—a membership program requiring a $10 fee (approximately $in Template:Inflation/year dollars).
Soon after restructuring, all retail assets were sold to Retail Acquisition Corporation, Inc., which rebranded them as L.A. Joe Department Stores. Two former locations were acquired by Fisher's Big Wheel, while another was transferred to Gabriel Brothers.
A 1991 article from The Philadelphia Inquirer analyzed factors behind Heck’s collapse under new owner Russell Isaacs. The report attributed failure largely to Isaacs’ extensive alterations to store layouts and product offerings.
Specifically highlighted were customer dissatisfaction caused by frequent store redesigns and removal of popular inventory items. Additionally, costly errors stemming from a newly implemented computer accounting system significantly undermined operations.