G. E. M. Membership Department Stores
Encyclopedia
G. E. M. Membership Department Stores, also known as G.E.X. or G.E.S., was a chain of discount store
s in the United States and Canada. The chain extended membership to direct and indirect government employeeshttp://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/; the name was an acronym for "Government Employees Mart."
Appliance and electronics departments in G.E.M. stores were operated by Wards Company, which later changed its name to Circuit City.
The stores closed during the discount store shakeout
of 1973.
Canadian pharmacist Murray Koffler
was an investor in the G.E.M. chain, bringing the first G.E.M. store to Toronto in 1959. He eventually subleased the G.E.M. drug department in several Toronto area stores. Following the G.E.M. discount model, Koffler later opened one of the first "big box" store chains, Shoppers Drug Mart
.
In the Buffalo, New York
area, the SuperFlea fleamarket on Walden Avenue is housed in a former GEX building. Locations extended at least as far south as Birmingham, Alabama
. In the Washington, DC area in 1970, there were stores in Alexandria, Virginia Beach, Bethesda, Tysons Corner, Suitland, Hyattsville, and Baltimore East and West.
The G.E.M. Store at 9495 W. 75th Street in Overland Park, Kansas, closed in January, 1973. The original building now houses a JC Penney outlet store.
Discount store
A discount store is a type of department store, which sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances...
s in the United States and Canada. The chain extended membership to direct and indirect government employeeshttp://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/; the name was an acronym for "Government Employees Mart."
Appliance and electronics departments in G.E.M. stores were operated by Wards Company, which later changed its name to Circuit City.
The stores closed during the discount store shakeout
Shakeout
Shakeout is a term used in business and economics to describe the consolidation of an industry or sector, in which businesses are eliminated or acquired through competition...
of 1973.
Canadian pharmacist Murray Koffler
Murray Koffler
Murray Bernard Koffler, is a Canadian pharmacist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for creating the Canadian pharmacy retailer, Shoppers Drug Mart....
was an investor in the G.E.M. chain, bringing the first G.E.M. store to Toronto in 1959. He eventually subleased the G.E.M. drug department in several Toronto area stores. Following the G.E.M. discount model, Koffler later opened one of the first "big box" store chains, Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
.
In the Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
area, the SuperFlea fleamarket on Walden Avenue is housed in a former GEX building. Locations extended at least as far south as Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. In the Washington, DC area in 1970, there were stores in Alexandria, Virginia Beach, Bethesda, Tysons Corner, Suitland, Hyattsville, and Baltimore East and West.
The G.E.M. Store at 9495 W. 75th Street in Overland Park, Kansas, closed in January, 1973. The original building now houses a JC Penney outlet store.