page_title: Circuit City
section_title: Early history and growth
hierarchical_section_title: Circuit City / History / Early history and growth
caption_attribution_description: Circuit City in Los Angeles, California
context_page_description: Circuit City Corporation is an American consumer electronics retail company, established by Ronny Shmoel in 2016 as part of his acquisition of the brand name and trademark rights sold by Systemax, which formerly operated the CircuitCity.com website from 2009 until 2012, when it was consolidated into the TigerDirect brand.
  Founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, the original company operated stores across the United States and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After multiple purchases and a successful run on the NYSE, it changed its name to Circuit City Stores Inc.
context_section_description: In early 1949 Wurtzel was on vacation in Richmond, Virginia when, while at a local barber shop, he was witness to the start of television in the South. Imagining the opportunities, in late 1949, he moved his family to Richmond and opened the first Wards Company retail store. Later, Abraham L. Hecht joined him as a partner in the business.
  By 1959, Wards Company operated four television and home appliance stores in Richmond. The company continued to grow and acquired stores in other locations including Albany, New York; Mobile, Alabama; Washington, D.C.; and Costa Mesa, California. During the 1970s and early 1980s, it also sold mail-order under the name "Dixie Hi Fi", advertising in hi-fi magazines. Wards experimented with several retail formats in Richmond, including smaller mall outlets branded "Sight-n-Sound" and "Circuit City".
  Wards Company officially changed its name to Circuit City and became listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1984. One of the company's early slogans was "Circuit City — Where the Streets are Paved with Bargains". The company, which had leased floor space from the Zody's department stores as well as other department stores, began acquiring retail stores and turning them into Circuit City Superstores. The first of these replacements occurred in Knoxville, Tennessee; Charleston, South Carolina; and Hampton, Virginia.
  In 1981, Circuit City entered the New York City market by acquiring the six remaining stores of the bankrupt Lafayette Radio chain. They operated the stores under the "Lafayette/Circuit City" name and expanded to 15 locations, but the stores were not profitable and were closed in 1986 after spending US$20 million to enter the market. Wurtzel served as president of the company until 1970. He remained the chairman until 1984. When he stepped down, his son Alan served as chairman until 1994.
  Wards purchased a new headquarters building at 2040 Thalbro Street (named after Thalhimer Bros. Department Store) in Richmond, Virginia and in the extra space opened "Wards Loading Dock", its first big-box format in 1974. The large-format store was very popular with customers. The company continued to expand with the new format modeled after "Wards Loading Dock" and renamed it Circuit City Superstore in 1981.
  In 1988, the company began constructing the new "plug" design Superstore formats. During this era, Circuit City became known for its exceptional service, going so far as to have many of its staff factory-trained. Its slogan, likewise, was "Welcome to Circuit City, Where Service Is State of the Art". Later, Circuit City returned to New York City opening a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m²) superstore in Union Square, the first of two planned Manhattan locations.
caption: Variation on older "Half Plug" Circuit City Superstore format in Los Angeles, California, using the "Horizon"-era logo.
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