This chain had its beginnings around the year 1960, in Houston, Texas. Bayou City-based United Mercantile, Incorporated built three Globe discount department stores in Greater Houston, with each unit encompassing 100,000 square feet.
The holdings of United Mercantile, which included the three Globe stores and a seven-unit Danburg junior department store division, were acquired by Chicago's Walgreen Drug in March 1962. Walgreen's quickly expanded Globe operations into Louisiana, New Mexico and Arizona. By 1966, there were thirteen Globe stores. Each included a Globe Food supermarket.
Stores in the chain were promoted as either Globe Shopping City or Globe Discount City. The same slogan -Everything Under The Sun Priced Lower- was used in print ads and television commercials for both.
By the mid-1970s, the Globe division was losing money; this due -in part- to competition from Michigan's up-and-coming Kmart. San Diego's FedMart purchased the Globe division from Walgreen's in late 1977. Stores were soon rebranded under the FedMart nameplate.
UNIMART
By the mid-1970s, the Globe division was losing money; this due -in part- to competition from Michigan's up-and-coming Kmart. San Diego's FedMart purchased the Globe division from Walgreen's in late 1977. Stores were soon rebranded under the FedMart nameplate.
UNIMART
One of the most short-lived of the many Southern California discount marts, this chain came into being, in Southern California, in 1960. It had completely vanished by the beginning of the next decade. The first Unimart was located in Chula Vista, a southern suburb of San Diego. Encompassing 93,000 square feet, the mother store opened for business on November 3, 1960.
Unimart was a membership-based chain which served members of organized labor and government associations. The average citizen could not shop at Unimart. Stores carried first-quality, brand-name merchandise. No seconds, irregulars or fire-damaged merchandise was sold. Membership required the payment of 2 dollars and presentation of labor union identification. A "Card Key" was then issued. This was inserted into an electronic device and allowed a shopper to enter the store.
The fledgling chain was acquired by the Los Angeles-based Food Giant conglomerate in May 1961. From this point, it began expanding at a rapid rate and was operating three stores in Greater Los Angeles by November 1961. By November 1962, there were two Greater San Diego stores and five in the Los Angeles suburbs.
Typical Unimart operations encompassed between 100,000 and 120,000 square feet. They housed departments selling apparel, shoes, health & beauty aids, furniture, appliances, electronics, hardware, sporting goods and lawn & garden items. Stores also included full supermarkets and auto service center & filling stations.
Garfield, New Jersey-based Vornado, Incorporated, who also operated the East Coast-based Two Guys chain of discount stores, merged with Food Giant / Unimart in July 1967. There were fifteen Unimarts in Southern California by early 1969.
In March, ten Los Angeles Unimart locations were sold to New York City-based Beck Industries. These were shuttered and remodeled. They re-opened, as Disco Fair stores, in late 1969. Two of the remaining stores were rebranded as Two Guys operations, with those in San Diego retaining the Unimart moniker until being shuttered in 1973.
Beck Industries ended up selling the Unimart / Disco Fair stores back to Vornado in September 1970. They continued to operate as Disco Fair locations until being rebranded, under the Two Guys banner, in October 1973.
UNIMART-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:
*NORTH LOS ALTOS CENTER, Long Beach, CA (1963)
*OXNARD MALL, Oxnard, CA (1966)
