National Stores Inc., was a family-owned company headquartered in the
Harbor Gateway
The Harbor Gateway, sometimes informally known as the L.A. Strip due to its shape, is a in the South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, in the southern part of the City of Los Angeles. The neighborhood is narrow and long, running along a nor ...
area of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
that had as many as 88 locations in 5 states including
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, and employed 2200 people nationwide in January 2022. As of 2023 National Stores Inc. no longer has any operating stores within the continental U.S.
National Stores Inc. had done business as: Fallas, Fallas Paredes, Fallas Discount Stores, Factory 2-U, Conway,
Weiner's
Weiner's Stores, Inc., was a clothing retailer with its headquarters in Spring Branch and in Houston, Texas.Anna's Linen's by Fallas, and offers brand name and private label clothing for men, ladies, boys, girls, juniors, infants and toddlers along with lingerie, shoes and household items.About Our Company " National Stores. Retrieved on February 24, 2010. Fallas Paredes had catered to the
Hispanic American
Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to the ...
community.
History
National Stores was started in 1962 by Joseph Fallas in a single downtown Los Angeles store as Fallas Paredes.
The most recent CEO and owner of National Stores is Joseph's son, Michael Fallas, who started working as a stock boy at age five.
Expansion
National Stores acquired 31 of the 97 Houston-area Weiner's store locations in 2001 when Weiner's began liquidation after filing for bankruptcy for the second time within five years.
National Stores acquired San Diego, California-based Factory 2-U Stores, Inc. when it filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2004 and arranged for the sale of 172 stores to National Stores. In August 2004, Factory 2-U stores liquidated, receiving $28.5 million from the sale to Factory 2-U Liquidation LLC, a consortium headed by National Stores.
National Stores acquired the Conway Stores chain in January 2014.
On August 27, 2015, National Stores performed a store lease takeover auction of 41
Anna's Linens
Anna's Linens was an American retailer. It was based in Costa Mesa, California.
History
The company was founded in 1987 by Alan Gladstone, who named the store after his mother. The first location opened in Los Angeles, California.
In 1993, the c ...
store leases out of a debtor's sale. Some previously Anna's Linens stores in certain locations will be branded ''"Anna's Linens by Fallas"'' according to the intellectual property rights acquired by National Stores and will continue the basic Anna's Linen product offering.
Closings
In the second quarter of 2016, National Stores leaves a 600,000-square-foot regional distribution center in Otay Mesa, California and moves to a building development by Sares-Regis (SRG) in Perris, California, signing a $26 million 10-year lease, in an effort to realize a more centralized logistic location.
In August 2018, National Stores filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to close 74 of its 344 stores under a reorganization plan. The liquidation sales expanded to 184 Fallas and Factory 2-U stores starting in October 2018.
National Stores began to close more Fallas Paredes stores in early 2022.
The COVID epidemic was cited as the cause of some of the closings.
On August 31, 2022, National Stores closed all remaining locations throughout Puerto Rico and the contiguous United States as a result of further restructuring and liquidation of remaining assets.
Celebrity Endorsement
In November 2014, National Stores partnered with Latin American actress / musical artist
Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni Beorlegui (born 9 March 1983) is a Mexican actress, singer, songwriter and producer. She gained international fame in 2004 after starring in the Mexican youth telenovela ''Rebelde'', which launched the pop-rock and Latin Grammy-nom ...
to introduce her ''Coleccion Maite Perroni'', a contemporary fashion line inspired by her favorite designers reflecting her own personal taste.