Heck's

[XDeSuEhTX]

It has just come to my attention that, or so I think, that this store hasn't been mentioned on these boards yet...

Heck's was a department store that began, I think, some time in the late 1950's. The chain was based in my home state of West Virginia (which I might add is the only discount chain to come out of WV besides Magic Mart), but it had great success and expanded widely.

According to what I've read, the store, at it's peak had 160+ stores operating in 10 states. The chain filed for chapter 11 backruptcy protection in the mid 80's closing 35 of it's stores, and finally closed down completely in 1987. Fred Haddad was the West Virginian millionare who owned/founded of the chain, and died on Jan 13, 2003.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any photographs of their stores, but luckily there was a bit of information on them. Of course I'd never seen or been in one before, but my parents tell me they have. There is a former Heck's department store in the downtown Beckley, WV area, that is now a Value City. I was also told that when Value City moved into the store, they only used half of the stores origional size, and gave the rest away for stock room, and room for smaller side stores to be added to the plaza.

So has anyone else been inside, or ever seen one of these stores? I'm thinking no because there wasn't a topic on them already... but you never know.

[Jamesway_princess]

There was one in Charlestown, WV in the Charlestown plaza. Once it went out of business, it became LA Joes. Then in 1997, they torn down half the plaza & built a Wal-Mart Supercenter. I'll try to find pictures when I go visit my parents next week.

[tokensafari]

Jamesway_princess what part of WV are you from?

[Jamesway_princess]

I used to live in Harpers Ferry, but I'm originally from Jamesburg & South Brunswick, NJ. Currently stuck in Pittsburgh though :(

[GothicPrincess]

My neck of the woods. hehe sux out here huh?

[Anonymous]

I was inside two Hecks stores. Ironicly  the two I was in were in Richmond KY & Richmond IN. The stores were pretty drab. I kind of gathered these stores nich was in small farming communities. The selection was poor & prices were not that great eiether. The best thing about Hecks was its sign, it was red with each letter in ite own block & a red arrow came from the top & curved under the name to point at the store. I dont remember seeing any of their stores anywhere else.  Thanks, Dwayne