Two Guys

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Two Guys
IndustryRetail
FoundedHarrison, New Jersey, 1946
Defunct1982
FateLiquidation
SuccessorVornado Realty Trust
HeadquartersHarrison, New Jersey
Key people
Herbert Hubschman, Co-founder
Sidney Hubschman, Co-founder
ProductsClothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, toys, sporting goods, electronics, housewares, hardware, automotive, appliances, and food.

Two Guys was a discount store primarily operating in the New York metropolitan area and headquartered in northern New Jersey until the early 1980s. It was founded in 1946 in Harrison, New Jersey by brothers Sidney and Herbert Hubschman as Two Guys from Harrison. The company originally sold major applicances such as televisions. The chain's advertising jingle was "Two Guys, Two Guys. G u a c c i store."[1]

History

Two Guys store, Middletown, NJ. 1977.

In 1959, the company acquired O.A. Sutton Corp., manufacturers of electric fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. The merged company was renamed Vornado, Inc., after O.A. Sutton's Vornado line of appliances. At its peak, there were more than 100 Two Guys locations nationwide, including Upstate New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and Maryland.[1]

As Vornado's commercial fortunes declined throughout the mid-to-late 1970s, they began selling off Two Guys stores to various companies. In late 1980, Vornado (later renamed to Vornado Realty Trust) was acquired by Interstate Properties, Inc. after Interstate won a proxy fight. Interstate began the process of liquidating its Two Guys outlets, which had posted a loss of $20 million for the first half of 1981.[1]

Many locations originally included a discount store with a supermarket, as well as complete Hardware, Major appliance, and Automotive Service departments. The Two Guys Supermarkets were full sized "stores within a store", and they competed directly with large Supermarket chains like A & P and Shop Rite. Trading Stamps like S & H Green Stamps were popular Supermarket promotions into the early 1980's, and Two Guys Supermarkets had its own private label trading stamps. Completed books of Two Guys trading stamps could then be tuned in for merchandise credit slips that could be used in any non-food Two Guys Department. The Supermarkets used the tag line, "Two Guys, The Super, Supermarket", while the main store used the tag line "We Save Money For You, Naturally". The store in East Hanover, New Jersey even had an attached liquor store with bar. It was succeeded by developer Vornado Realty Trust, which developed – and in many cases still owns – the land on which Two Guys stores once stood. In Middletown, New Jersey, a Two Guys on Highway 35 operated for many years within sight of the "Evil Clown of Middletown"; it later became a Bradlees.

One of the chains more unusual operations was its outlet in downtown Newark, NJ. This location was originally the flagship of the Kresge-Newark department store, and for a brief time Chase-Newark. Two Guys operated on 4 floors of this building (later 3), and operated this store more like a traditional department store. Two Guys continued to maintain display windows, revolving doors and other touches of a traditional downtown department store. This location also included an in-store dining room, The Rainbow Cafeteria. This store opened in 1967, and remained until the chains liquidation.

Bernard Marcus, one of the founders of Home Depot, began his retail career when he convinced the Hubschmans to let him operate the cosmetics concession at a Two Guys store in Totowa, New Jersey. He eventually was put in charge of first sporting goods and the major appliance department for the entire company, controlling over $1 billion dollars in sales. He left the company after it was sold to outside investors following Herbert Hubschman's death.

Former Locations (list in formation):

New Jersey

  • Harrison, original store located within the RCA complex, replaced by Kearny.
  • Kearny, flagship location. Main Store, later TSS Seedmans, now site of Pathmark, Supermarket Building, later Channel Lumber, now Marshalls.
  • Atlantic City, later used as Casino Bus Parking, now site of AC municipal depot.
  • Audobon.
  • Berlin.
  • Bordentown, later Jefferson Ward, then Bradlees (Now empty), now a Shoprite, Fashion Bug and Blockbuster take up only half of the space the once gigantic store held.
  • Brick, later Caldor, now Kohls.
  • Cinanimson, later Jefferson Ward, now Sam's Club.
  • Dover (Morris County), later Jamesway.
  • East Hanover, Route 10 (Morris County), the building was divided into several store, one being Pathmark (now Dick's Sporting Goods) another was a Marshalls and the rest are smaller stores. Home Depot occupies part of adjacent warehouses which were once the site of the Two Guys warehouse sales.
  • Morris Plains, Morris Mall, later Bradlees.,
  • Garfield.
  • Garfield, Corporate HQ Building.
  • Hackensack, next to Riverside Square, later Bradlees.
  • Jersey City, Route 440, later Bradlees.
  • Lodi, former Modells, later NWL, destroyed by fire.
  • Manalapan, later Bradlees.
  • Marlton, later Jefferson Ward, now Kohls.
  • Middletown, later Bradlees.
  • Neptune City.
  • Newark, former Kresge-Newark and Chase-Newark flagship, now mixed use offices.
  • North Brunswick, later Caldor.
  • Toms River, later Caldor, now Super Foodtown and Kohls.
  • Totowa, later Bradlees and other retail.
  • Union City, later TSS Seedmans, now mixed use center.
  • Union Township, later Bradless and other retail.
  • Vineland
  • Watchung - route 22, now a BJ's Wholesale Club
  • Woodbridge, later Bradlees, recently torn down.

New York (additional locations needed):

  • Amherst.
  • Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, later Ceasars Bay Bazzar, now multi tennant reatil.
  • Massapequa, later Flea Market, now Kohls.
  • Riverhead, later Caldor, now Wal-Mart.
  • Rochester (Henrietta)

Connecticut (additional locations needed):

Califorina (additional locations needed):

  • Anaheim Located at Harbor and Chapman. Now a Target Store.

Maryland (additional locations needed):

  • Towson, Eudowood Shopping Center (now Towson Place); currently Staples.
  • Dundalk, Merritt Blvd. Currently broken into Ollie's and other smaller stores.

Massachusetts (additional locations needed)

  • Springfield, Boston Road

Pennsylvania (additional locations needed):

  • Philadelphia-Great Northeast, Red Lion Road at Roosevelt Blvd.
  • Lancaster
  • Levittown PA (then Jefferson/Ward, then Bradlees, now THE DUMP furniture store)
  • Allentown/Whitehall-MacArthur Boulevard

Other states and locations needed.

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c ""Vornado Realty Trust"". Retrieved September 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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