White Front

White Front

File:White Front Discount Store Final Logo.png
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Discount store, Retail
Founded	1929 (1929) in Los Angeles
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Parent company's bankruptcy
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Area served	California, Oregon, Washington
Products	clothing, footwear, housewares, sporting goods, hardware, toys, electronics, groceries
Parent	Interstate Department Stores

White Front operated as a discount department store chain primarily throughout California and other western states from 1959 until the mid-1970s. The retail locations were distinguished by their distinctive architectural feature: a massive archway spanning the storefront with the store’s name displayed in individual letters arranged in a fan shape along the top. During its peak years, White Front held the position of the foremost discount retailer in the United States.

History

The enterprise was established in 1929 with its inaugural location opening at 7651 S. Central Avenue in the Florence neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The original outlet underwent enlargement in 1950. A tongue-in-cheek advertisement from that year humorously noted that the sole store was situated in what was considered a "low rent area".

Founding and Early Expansion

White Front began as a modest self-service grocery outlet in Los Angeles, located on Central Avenue near 77th Street, established by Harry Blackman, a 23-year-old redhead, just weeks prior to the 1929 stock market crash. Having gained extensive experience in the food retail sector through various roles culminating in store management, Blackman decided to launch his own enterprise. He named it White Front Market after the distinctive color of the storefront and started operations with $200 in cash alongside $10,000 credit from wholesalers. Blackman aimed to stock products that met his customers' needs and supported them by offering grocery purchases on credit until their relief checks arrived.

A 1934 report from the Los Angeles Evening Post-Record identified the White Front Market at 7710 South Central Avenue, a location it maintained at least until 1940 according to advertisements in the Los Angeles Times.

Initially, the store did not stock non-food products such as small radios. The introduction of these items was accidental: a radio salesman acquaintance proposed displaying portable radios priced at $9.95 near the cash register. Sales were sluggish until a customer agreed to buy one on credit with a $0.50 down payment followed by weekly installments of $0.50. This credit arrangement enabled Blackman to sell the remaining radios similarly. Subsequently, when another buyer offered $8 cash for a radio, Blackman realized that cash sales at a lower price could accelerate turnover while still yielding modest profits. This insight led him to expand into selling small household appliances like toasters and steam irons within the grocery store. This supplementary business persisted until 1941 when production of consumer goods ceased due to wartime manufacturing shifts following Pearl Harbor. Blackman was drafted into the army in 1943, and during his service, his wife Lillian managed the grocery operations.

Upon returning from military duty, Blackman inaugurated a large appliance store across from the original market at 7657 S. Central Avenue named White Front Household Appliance. This new venture offered major appliances including refrigerators, washers, and televisions, alongside smaller devices such as mixers, toasters, and radios. Over time, the store expanded along the block, occupying multiple adjacent storefronts on Central Avenue. When expansion reached the block’s end, the company shortened its name to White Front Appliance and updated its official address to 7651 S. Central Avenue. By 1954, White Front Stores broadened its merchandise beyond appliances to include furniture, jewelry, carpeting, luggage, cameras, and silverware.

White Front launched its second location in October 1957 at 16040 Sherman Way in Van Nuys. This new facility was a 50,000-square-foot space surpassing the size of the original Central Avenue store. The grand opening attracted notable figures such as Bozo the Clown and Engineer Bill. At that time, Harry Blackman served as president; Sam Nassi held the vice-president role; and Lillian Blackman was secretary-treasurer. Interestingly, Nassi would later assist in liquidating White Front’s inventory during its closure phase in 1973.

In April 1959, Interstate Department Stores, Inc., acquired White Front’s two-store chain for $1,650,000 in cash and stock—a sum equivalent to a significantly larger amount today when adjusted for inflation. Following this acquisition, Interstate expanded White Front’s presence across California and diversified its product offerings beyond household goods. Concurrently, Interstate had also purchased Topps Discount Stores in the eastern United States but maintained separate operations for both chains throughout their tenure under Interstate’s ownership.

Accelerated Expansion in California under Interstate Ownership

Following a substantial capital injection from its new parent company, Interstate, White Front experienced swift growth across the Los Angeles metropolitan region and extended its presence throughout California. The retailer gained recognition for its lavish grand opening events, which often featured prominent government figures and Hollywood stars.

In November 1960, White Front inaugurated the third outlet in its chain at the intersection of Harbor and Wilken Way in Anaheim. The grand opening attracted notable personalities including California Attorney General Stanley Mosk and actress Marilyn Maxwell.

The fourth location was launched in October 1961 on Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles by repurposing a building formerly used as corporate offices and warehouse space.

By March 1962, White Front had opened its fifth store on Azusa Avenue in Covina, with celebrity attendees such as actors Keenan Wynn, Mark Stevens, Gail Davis, and Greta Thyssen gracing the occasion.

October 1962 saw the opening of the sixth store on Orange Show Road in San Bernardino, where actors Johnny Weissmuller, Greta Thyssen, Alan Mowbray, and Gail Davis were present.

The seventh store commenced operations in November 1962 at Jefferson and Hauser Boulevards in West Los Angeles, featuring appearances by Greta Thyssen, Alan Mowbray, Keenan Wynn, and Gail Davis.

In March 1963, the eighth outlet opened on Torrance Boulevard in Torrance. The grand opening was attended by actor Ricardo Montalbán, comedian Soupy Sales, actresses Gail Davis and Mala Powers, as well as Johnny Weissmuller.

May 1963 marked the debut of the ninth store on Roscoe Boulevard in Canoga Park. Celebrities included comedians Pinky Lee and Bill Dana, actress Gail Davis, rock duo Jan and Dean, and jazz pianist Big Tiny Little.

The tenth White Front location opened in early October 1963 on Hegenberger Road in Oakland—its first venture into Northern California. Dignitaries such as Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr., Lieutenant Governor Glenn M. Anderson, and Attorney General Stanley Mosk attended alongside celebrities Jayne Mansfield, George Jessel, Marvin Miller, Troy Donahue, and Gail Davis.

Later that month, the eleventh store was unveiled on Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Pacoima with actors Troy Donahue, Rick Jason, and Gail Davis participating.

In November 1963, the twelfth store began operations on Moorpark Avenue in San Jose—the second Northern California location.

May 1964 witnessed the opening of the thirteenth store along El Camino Real in Sunnyvale, marking White Front’s third Northern California establishment.

The fourteenth outlet launched in August 1964 on Arden Way in Sacramento—its fourth Northern California site—with Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Hargitay, Gail Davis, and Marvin Miller attending the ceremony.

In early November 1964, the fifteenth store opened on Contra Costa Boulevard in Pleasant Hill. This represented the chain’s fifth Northern California location. Celebrities at this event included Mamie Van Doren, Marvin Miller, Rick Jason, and Gail Davis.

Late November 1964 saw the sixteenth store open on Mountain Avenue in Ontario with actress Gail Davis present.

May 1965 brought the seventeenth store to Blackstone Avenue in Fresno—White Front’s sixth Northern California outlet—with appearances by Gail Davis, Marvin Miller, and Rick Jason.

The original Central Avenue store was destroyed by fire during the Watts riots of August 1965. This loss reduced the total number of stores to sixteen.

September 1965 marked the opening of the seventeenth store at Florin Road and Stockton Boulevard in South Sacramento—the chain’s seventh Northern California location and second within Sacramento proper. Attendees included Marvin Miller and rock group The Turtles.

November 1965 saw the eighteenth store open on El Camino Real in South San Francisco—White Front’s eighth Northern California establishment—with celebrities Carol Channing, Jayne Mansfield, Marvin Miller, Rick Jason, Gail Davis, and musical group Liverpool Five participating.

Two additional stores—the nineteenth and twentieth—were inaugurated late November 1965 in San Diego County at La Mesa and San Diego respectively. Celebrity guests included Jayne Mansfield, Rick Jason, Marvin Miller, Gail Davis along with the Jerry Gray Orchestra.

September 1966 brought forth the twenty-first store on Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. The grand opening featured actors Jayne Mansfield, Quinn O'Hara, Joanie Sommers, Mark Miller, Chris Robinson, Marvin Miller, and Rick Jason.

The twenty-second location opened on Woodruff Avenue in Downey during November 1966 with Joanie Sommers, Lori Saunders, and Marvin Miller among those attending.

In March 1967, White Front rebuilt its Central Avenue store—destroyed during previous riots—on the same site. Comedian Bill Cosby alongside actors Carole Cole and Rick Jason were present for this reopening.

The first two stores outside California were launched in Washington state during October and November 1967.

April 1968 saw White Front announce closure of its Van Nuys location—the oldest store predating Interstate’s acquisition—with liquidation sales conducted exclusively there. This closure decreased total outlets by one.

October 1968 marked the debut of White Front’s twenty-seventh national store (twenty-fourth within California) on Sixteenth Street at the former Seals Stadium site in San Francisco. The event featured singer John Gary; comedian Pat Paulsen; actors Rose Marie and Lainie Kazan.

A December 1968 advertisement listed twelve Los Angeles-area stores—including eight within Los Angeles County—though notably excluded were both Central Avenue (reopened but later closed) and Van Nuys locations. The ad also mentioned three TV & Appliance Marts situated in Temple City, Glendale, and Whittier. Precise closure dates for some stores remain unverified.

March 1969 introduced the twenty-sixth nationwide outlet on Mowry Avenue in Newark—the tenth Northern California venue—with performances by singer Bill Medley (of The Righteous Brothers), comedian Charles Nelson Reilly; plus actors Richard X. Slattery, Barbara Stuart, Dick Gautier, Warren Berlinger, Elizabeth Allen, Ann B. Davis, Bill Mumy, Susan Saint James, and Jay Silverheels attending festivities.

The twenty-seventh store opened later that year within Washington’s Puget Sound region.

December 1969 witnessed opening of White Front’s twenty-eighth national (twenty-fifth California) location on Ventu Park Road in Thousand Oaks with Lainie Kazan and Darby Hinton appearing at celebrations.

March 1970 saw launch of the twenty-ninth national (twenty-sixth California) outlet along Imperial Highway at Normandie Avenue in southwestern Los Angeles County. This was among the first "new look" stores lacking the signature arched entranceway. Guests included NBA player/coach Bill Russell; Los Angeles Rams defensive back Ron Smith; actor Don Mitchell; singers Abbe Lane and Della Reese.

April 1970 introduced White Front’s thirtieth national (twenty-seventh California) location at Pierce and Central Avenues in Richmond-El Cerrito—the eleventh Northern California site.

May 1970 brought forth the thirty-first national (twenty-eighth California) store on National Avenue in Chula Vista—the third within San Diego County. Grand opening guests comprised NFL quarterback John Hadl; NBA player John Block; talk show host Regis Philbin; along with actors Dennis Cole, Burt Ward and Lee Meriwether. Pantry Pride operated discount food supermarkets within this location as well as other San Diego County outlets.

Plans indicated a thirty-second national store would open around August 1970 in San Carlos; however no verifiable records confirm its actual grand opening date.

Similarly for Bakersfield—a land purchase for a future large White Front outlet within Bakersfield Plaza was reported April 1970—but no concrete evidence exists regarding its official opening date. It is presumed to have launched between mid-1970 (post-San Carlos) and May 1971 (pre-Riverside). This represented White Front’s second Central California presence after Fresno.

The chain’s sole Oregon location opened September 1970.

May 1971 marked opening of White Front’s thirty-sixth national outlet on Magnolia Avenue in Riverside.

September 1971 saw launch of the thirty-seventh national location on Cherry Avenue in Long Beach.

At its peak around mid-1972, White Front operated thirty-seven stores across three states.

A June 1972 advertisement listed fifteen Southern California locations: nine within Los Angeles County; two each in San Bernardino and Orange Counties; one each located in Riverside and Ventura Counties. Notably absent were Central Avenue (closed), Van Nuys (closed), along with some newer stores like Torrance or Long Beach locations. The ad also referenced three TV & Appliance Marts based respectively in Temple City, Glendale and Whittier.

By October 1972 another advertisement showed sixteen Southern California stores: seven Los Angeles County sites; three San Diego County; two each San Bernardino and Orange Counties; one Riverside; one Ventura County. Again missing were Central Avenue (closed), Van Nuys (closed), Torrance (closed), plus Long Beach opened just a year prior.

Expansion into the Puget Sound region

White Front made its debut in the Seattle/Tacoma area on October 19, 1967, launching its North Seattle store within a 155,000-square-foot facility that included parking for approximately 1,000 vehicles. The opening ceremony featured appearances by Petticoat Junction stars Howard Duff and Sharon Vaughn, who was crowned Miss Washington in 1958 and honored as Miss White Front for the event. This grand opening was broadcast live for three hours on KING-TV. Subsequently, four more outlets were established in prominent locations including Burien, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Everett.

Just two weeks following the North Seattle launch, the chain inaugurated its second Washington store in Tacoma on November 1, 1967. Despite thorough searches, no contemporary press coverage has been found documenting the Burien store’s opening. In November 1969, the fourth Washington location commenced operations on 148th Avenue in Bellevue.

The fifth and final White Front store in Washington opened at Everett Mall in May 1971. By January 19, 1973, all stores except the Everett branch had ceased operations. The final White Front advertisement appeared in The Seattle Times on December 9, 1972. While the Everett and Portland stores remained functioning—the only two outlets outside California still open—inventory from other stores was liquidated through February 1973. According to a December 14 article in The Seattle Times, company officials acknowledged that none of the five stores had yet achieved profitability. Although the company provided limited commentary on these closures, regional economic challenges such as the "Boeing Bust" may have contributed to the chain’s decline locally. Additionally, archival records do not indicate a distribution center serving the Northwest market.

In a June 16, 1972 article from The Seattle Times, General Manager Walter Craig discussed plans to enhance store appeal to local customers by investing $250,000 in upgrades including improved lighting, widened aisles for better customer flow, exterior repainting, and parking lot re-striping. Additionally, a customer service initiative called the "Friedlee" program was introduced, featuring an elf-like mascot designed to boost shopper engagement.

By late 1973, three of the four shuttered stores were acquired by Weisfields and converted into Valu-Mart/Leslie's outlets. Associated Grocers leased the grocery departments within these locations. The Tacoma store underwent multiple ownership transitions: initially becoming a Valu-Mart/Leslie's store after acquisition in February 1973, later transforming into a Jafco outlet, followed by Best Products (currently occupied by Michael’s). The Burien location was taken over by Valu-Mart/Leslie's in February 1973 and served as their flagship store; it remains one of Fred Meyer’s larger retail sites today. The North Seattle store was repurposed as a Kmart until its closure in January 2013. The Everett Mall location appears to have stayed open until White Front’s full liquidation in 1974 and was later incorporated into Everett Mall as a Bon Marché store in 1977 before becoming Macy’s (which has since closed). The Bellevue store was acquired by Valu-Mart/Leslie's in November 1973 and subsequently converted to a Fred Meyer outlet as well. Notably, the large signage from White Front remains visible at both the North Seattle and Tacoma properties.

Stores constructed prior to 1970 featured an integrated "Discount Foods" grocery section. In certain markets, Safeway Inc. assumed control of these grocery components. Newer facilities built without distinctive architectural arches—such as those in Everett and Bellevue—did not include grocery departments.

Expansion into the Portland market

In 1970, the company sought to enter the Oregon market by opening a store at Mall 205 in Portland, Oregon. The store officially launched on September 19, 1970. The grand opening event included appearances by game show host Allen Ludden from Password, actress Ann B. Davis known for The Brady Bunch, singer John Gary, and a then-emerging artist Neil Diamond performing alongside Seattle’s rock band Springfield Rifle (celebrity participation was typical for store inaugurations). There were intentions to develop further locations in Beaverton and Oak Grove, but these expansions never came to fruition. The Portland location struggled primarily due to strong competition from other retailers.Template:OpinionTemplate:Fix/category

Decline and bankruptcy

In early November 1972, White Front shuttered its Thousand Oaks location. Shortly thereafter, within a fortnight, the Riverside store—operating for just about eighteen months—was quietly closed, with its merchandise transferred to a nearby San Bernardino outlet.

On December 13, 1972, Sol Canter, chairman of Interstate, revealed plans to close 21 out of the chain’s total of 37 White Front stores—these were all situated in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington—in an effort to cut losses estimated between $10 and $11 million and safeguard the remaining outlets concentrated in Southern California.

Following a further seventeen months attempting to stabilize operations, Interstate ultimately shut down the final fifteen White Front discount stores alongside six White Front appliance centers after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May of 1974.

In an effort to curb financial losses during this period, the company introduced smaller "TV & Appliance Marts" which offered a reduced selection and inventory size. These outlets appeared briefly starting in advertisements from 1972 and peaked at no more than six locations by 1974—all situated within Los Angeles County.

Aftermath

Several former White Front locations were rapidly taken over by different retailers, while others stayed empty for extended periods before being demolished and replaced with modern developments. Efforts to find new tenants in certain areas were complicated by the surplus of vacant large retail spaces resulting from the Recession of 1969–1970. During this time, other major chains such as G.E.M. also shuttered stores.

In early 1974, J.C. Penney acquired four unoccupied White Front properties in Concord, Fremont, South San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, along with two former G. E. M. Membership Department Stores sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, to launch their The Treasury discount chain on the West Coast.

Within San Diego County, FedMart took over the lease of one former White Front location, while Two Guys secured leases for two additional stores in November 1974. Around the same period, Two Guys also acquired the former Pacoima store site in Los Angeles County, alongside the San Diego-area properties.

In Sacramento, two empty store locations underwent renovations and reopened as Gold Circle outlets during Spring 1976.

The White Front outlet on California Avenue in Bakersfield ceased operations in 1973 and remained unused for three years until Mervyn's purchased and refurbished the building ahead of opening its 36th store there in March 1977. Shortly thereafter, Mervyn's launched another store within a previously vacant White Front site in Fresno, located in the San Joaquin Valley.

Several independent pharmacies in Costa Mesa and other regions still operate under the White Front name, having inherited it from their original host stores; however, they have no direct affiliation with the former chain.

See also

• List of defunct department stores of the United States

External links

• Image of the White Front location at 2222 Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, California — an early example of a White Front outlet.
• Photograph of the White Front store at Everett Mall, Everett, Washington — featuring its transformation into a Bon Marche store while preserving the 1970 modern White Front facade (minus the arch).