The History Of Gemco

Gemco was an American chain of membership department stores that was owned by San Leandro-based Lucky Stores, a California supermarket company which eventually became part of Albertsons. Gemco operated from 1959 until closing in late 1986. A number of the west coast stores leases were sold to Target which fueled their entry into California. Gemco had a version called Memco, also owned by Lucky Stores, that operated stores in the Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., areas.

[@surfghost9121]

Worked at a Gemco for a year up to the liquidation. It was a cool store and there was a union, so benefits, overtime, holidays, etc. Good place and people.

[@58sylvia]

Me too. I'm Houston Texas.

[@ATOMICROBOT667]

Gemco, Fedco, The Tresury and Best loved shopping those stores with my parents in the 70s and 80s. Especially at Christmas time! As a kid it was magical.. all the toys and decorations!

[@LynetteFromme-fi8um]

GEMCO in Dublin California turned into the 1st Target I’d ever seen. I think it’s still there.

[@ahole1362]

“Toy Pricing Policy” No wonder my parents got 90% of my toys from Gemco. They did have a great toy section. My mom would shop there weekly and always took me, and most of the time, my brother. Our Gemco was on Yorba Linda Blvd right off the 57 in Placentia, Ca. too! Thanks for the video, brought back a lot of memories.

[@echang1976]

that's the Gemco that I would go too. Good times my friend.

[@albtckl]

I miss Gemco 😭

[@58sylvia]

I worked at Gemco's pharmacy in Houston, Texas around 1985-86. There's now a Fiesta there. It was a great place to work. 4711 airline drive.

[@freespirit21newyork]

I don't remember this store in New York growing up in the late 1960s & 70s but love these older stores and times

[@Ciborium]

When I grew up in the SF Bay Area, I remember going to the Gemco. It was across the street from the Mervyn's. I think I still kind of vaguely remember the store layout. But then, as you described, it suddenly turned into a Target.

[@jseger9000]

I used to love going to the Gemco in Torrence. It's where I got my first G.I. Joe and Masters of the Universe toys.

[@jons.6216]

I really loved ours in San Jose! It was a good walk to it from home, but we would make it and borrow my mom's membership card from her purse if we needed to get in! When I moved to Santa Clara I still went back there to shop for as long as it was open! It became an enormous Target and has remained that ever since. On the side of the building where the loading docks were is now planted areas and most of the doors have been sealed. Now I vaguely remember the Gemco Courier Catalogs since you mentioned them and I guess I just tuned them out when they came in the mail! Haha!

[@OddTimeMan]

I used to shop at the Gemco in Santa Ana and I continued shopping there when it became a Target.

[@BowlerEd300]

My first job was at Gemco in Cerritos (corner of Bloomfield and Del Amo. I worked in various departments before being moved to the Credit Office. I worked at the Downey store for about a year before being promoted to the Credit Office Manager at the Torrance Store. After 2 years, I was transferred to the Bellflower store. I worked there until Gemco's closing in 1986.

[@jeffsilverman6104]

Granada Hills, California was our Gemco fifty years ago. It's the first, and maybe only store where you could buy a .44 Magnum and do your grocery shopping. They had everything, including that gun section.

[@joesmith201212]

I have a Star wars action figure from 1986 and its still in the package and what makes it even more valuable... it has a Gemco price sticker on it.

[@dankrowpman1201]

My family store was in Pacoima, CA. While my Mom grocery shopped I would play the latest Atari and Intellivision games.

[@LPM147]

Anyone go to the one in La Habra at Imperial Hwy & Harbor Blvd? Got my first bike there! Even remember riding it out of the store. What a thrill!

[@juanserrano5629]

Do you love going to the Birch Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🦈🐘👍

[@echang1976]

Of course, I really like San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

[@bobbazoid909]

I went to one on brookherst in Anaheim or garden Grove

[@Bluettes-cm7wo]

Do you remember the one on Del Amo and Bloomfield? That was my own beloved Gemco

[@xtremefight]

I remember the Gemco in Northridge. The girl working sporting goods sold a friend of mine a gun without checking his ID. She just had him fill out the paperwork himself.

[@jeffsilverman6104]

That was our store - Balboa/S.F. Mission.