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Hiram's

Posted: 11 Nov 2006 06:09
by TheStranger
Another Southern California chain that I discovered through my wading into the Chain Store Age archives, in this case, the February 1959 issue (page 19):
Lucky Stores, Inc. acquires Hiram's chain

Lucky Stores Inc., San Leandro, Calif., continued to grow by consolidation last month as it acquired Hiram's, which has been operating six large supermarkets in the Los Angeles area, with an annual sales volume of $25 million. Hiram's will retain its name for the present and will be operated as a division of Lucky Stores under management of Philip Harris, formerly chairman of the board of Hiram's.
That blurb was later repeated in another issue from that year, but I didn't see much else.

Posted: 11 Nov 2006 11:40
by runchadrun
According to a 8/19/1958 LA Times article announcing the acquisition, the Hiram's stires were located in Lynwood, Lakewood, Lakewood Plaza, West Covina, and La Mirada. The chain was founded in 1939.

I found other references to these locations:
La Mirada: Shopping center bounded by Rosecrans, Lutweiler, Satna Gertrudes, and Adelfi
Lakewood: 4501 Silva (?) Ave
Lakewood Park: Spring and Palo Verde Streets
Lynwood: 10721 Atlantic Ave

Posted: 11 Nov 2006 19:59
by Jeff
runchadrun wrote:According to a 8/19/1958 LA Times article announcing the acquisition, the Hiram's stires were located in Lynwood, Lakewood, Lakewood Plaza, West Covina, and La Mirada. The chain was founded in 1939.

I found other references to these locations:
La Mirada: Shopping center bounded by Rosecrans, Lutweiler, Satna Gertrudes, and Adelfi
Lakewood: 4501 Silva (?) Ave
Lakewood Park: Spring and Palo Verde Streets
Lynwood: 10721 Atlantic Ave
Silva St in Lakewood is parallel to Del Amo. 4501 Silva places it right where the JCPenney store is now in the Lakewood Mall. I'm sure its probably the little strip next to JCPenney.

Re: Hiram's

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 22:46
by Larcor
As a store manager for Lucky Stores I was sent to the Lakewood Plaza Lucky #453
(aka Hirams) as its new store manager in 1962. This store when built by the Harris
family was reportedly one of if not the largest grocery store in the country.

Lucky was in the process of changing the names and re-merchandising the 5 Hirams
to the Lucky Stores agenda. Many of us Lucky managers and assistants were asked
to help in this and other transitions. A learning process that would help me greatly in
my many years in the grocery industry.

Lucky Stores at the time was very aggressive in their acquisitions, remodeling older units
and the building of new stores because of their newly developed and highly successful
"Discount Price" program.

As mentioned above by Senior Member "Stranger", Hirams when acquired by Lucky Stores
had annual sales with 5 stores of 25 million. To show how successful Lucky Stores
Discount Program really was, In 1963 the Lucky/Hirams store #454 located in Long Beach
on Spring St. and Palos Verde which was managed by my mentor David Main was the
first supermarket in California and maybe in the country to achieve one million dollars in
sales in one week.

I would love to discuss this and other grocery topics with other Groceteria members.

Larry Corbett

P. S. Years later I heard that the Price Club in Placentia was the first retailer to record
one million dollars in sales in one day.

Re: Hiram's

Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:51
by Jason B.
Mr. Corbett apparently has a wealth of information about supermarket history, going back 50 years. I encourage him to share more of his knowledge and experience in various topics on this message board. I'm curious what he believes would most surprise a person from 1962 who were to be transported into a supermarket of today. Similarly, I'm curious what he thinks would most surprise a person from today who were to be transported into a supermarket of 1962.