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Curacao
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1978 (46 years ago) (1978)
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
USA
Number of locations
12
ProductsConsumer Electronics
Toys
Home Appliances
Furniture
Jewelry
Cosmetics
Number of employees
1050
ParentADIR International, LLC
Websitehttp://www.icuracao.com
Store Locator

Curacao (pronounced Koo-ra-sao), formerly La Curacao, is a large-format retail store chain and finance company with export, travel and money transfer services.[1] Founded in 1978, Curacao is headquartered in Los Angeles with retail locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.[2]

Services

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Curacao serves a diverse array of customers. A large percentage of its credit card holders include Hispanic and Latino American consumers.[3] Every store features English/Spanish-language advertisements and bilingual salesclerks.[4] Curacao sells most of its merchandise on credit, and has opened accounts for over two million private label cardholders.[5][6] The company's services also include Curacao Travel, Curacao Money Transfer, and Curacao Export. The company's mission is said to be to improve people’s lives by providing them access to products and services using Curacao’s proprietary credit while supporting the communities it serves.[7] In 2002, the Curacao Foundation was established with programs focused on providing home goods, free services, financial, health and immigration education and resources.[8]

Mesoamerican themed decor outside the La Curacao store in Los Angeles.
Statues of Aztec warriors at the entrance of La Curacao.

History

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Founding

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Curacao began as a consumer-product door-to-door sales company, in Burbank, California.[9] It became popular among the Latino community who did not have access to credit.[5] Salesmen allowed customers to buy their goods by placing a down payment and then returning to the customer's residence to collect payments on a regular basis.[10] This service eventually evolved into Curacao's proprietary credit business.[2]

Expansion

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In 1983, La Curacao moved to the Pico-Union district in Los Angeles.[9] By 1984, it had opened its export division, which allowed customers to shop for goods and have them shipped to their families in Mexico and Central America.[11] During the Los Angeles Riots in 1992, the original store was burned down and its inventory destroyed. Two weeks later, the business reopened at its flagship location of 1605 W. Olympic Blvd.[9]

In 1995, La Curacao opened its second store, in the Panorama City district of the San Fernando Valley. Inside the Panorama Mall, the new store featured Mesoamerican style decor and child care. The company also purchased the office tower at 1605 West Olympic Boulevard, now the La Curacao Business Center, where its headquarters are now situated.[9]

By 2007, the Curacao stores had ten locations in the Southwestern United States, with nine stores in California and two in Arizona.[11]

In 2012, La Curacao was renamed Curacao, undergoing complete rebranding to cater to the second and third generation millennial Latino consumer.[12]

In 2016, a new store was opened at Meadows Mall in Las Vegas.[13]

Curacao currently has locations in Los Angeles,[14] Panorama City,[14] South Gate,[14] Huntington Park,[14] San Bernardino,[14] Lynwood,[14] Santa Ana,[14] Chino,[14] Phoenix, Anaheim,[14] Tucson[15][16] and Las Vegas.[17][18] A new store will also open in Northridge.[19]

Initiatives

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The retailer is looking to continue adding new store locations across California and expand to more U.S. states by 2022.[20]

Export

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Export is one of Curacao's services. Customers can purchase a product in the United States and have it delivered to countries in Central America and Mexico.[20][9]

Travel

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Curacao’s Travel agency books over 20,000 trips a year on their proprietary credit card for services ranging from airline tickets, hotels, travel packages and cruises to specialized tours and entertainment venues.[21]

Money Transfer

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Curacao’s Money Transfer affiliate makes it possible for customers to send over 175,000 international money transfers per year, on credit, by visiting Curacao stores or using the Curacao Money Transfer app.[22]

Philanthropy

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Curacao Foundation was created in 2002 to advance the communities in which the stores serve, improving the well-being, education and financial success of Latinos. Curacao Foundation has partnered with non-profit organizations like American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club of America, Downtown Women’s Center, P.S. I Love You, One Tree Planted, Susan G. Komen Foundation, American Heart Association, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, El Rescate, and others.[12][8]

References

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  1. ^ "Curacao Debuts Company Transformation". PR Newswire. 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  2. ^ a b "Company Overview of Adir International, LLC". businessweek.com. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  3. ^ "Curacao". Trend Offset Printing. 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  4. ^ Crocker H. Liu (2008). "Location Analysis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  5. ^ a b Miriam Jordan (2004). "Credito Hispano". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  6. ^ Rick Hutton (2012). "Rick Hutton". Trend Offset Printing. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  7. ^ "La Curacao Services". La Curacao. Archived from the original on 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  8. ^ a b Steve Rutledge. "Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Trustees Named "Outstanding Philanthropists" by the Association of Fundraising Professionals". Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  9. ^ a b c d e "La Curacao History". lacuracao.net. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  10. ^ LEE ROMNEY (2000-11-01). "La Curacao a Growing Family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  11. ^ a b "Our History and our Awards". Curacao. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  12. ^ a b "La Curacao Rebranding". icuracao.com. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
  13. ^ "https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/thousands-flock-to-new-curacao-store-at-meadows-mall-in-las-vegas/". www.reviewjournal.com. Las Vegas Review-Journal. 1 October 2016. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ronald D. White (2015-02-01). "How I Made It: Jerry Azarkman". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ^ Patrick McNamara (2012-09-21). "Long delayed Curacao mega-store finally set to open next week". insidetucsonbusiness.com. Inside Tucson Business.
  16. ^ "Curacao finally opens Tucson store". kold.com. KOLD-TV. 2012-09-28.
  17. ^ Tony Garcia (2016-10-02). "California-based Curacao opens first Nevada location at Meadows Mall". news3lv.com. KSNV.
  18. ^ Chris Kudialis (2016-10-01). "Opening draws long lines at Nevada's first Curaçao store". lasvegassun.com. Las Vegas Sun.
  19. ^ Caleb J. Spivak (2020-10-06). "Curacao, Dick's, and Gold's Gym Planning Northridge Fashion Center Stores". whatnowlosangeles.com. What Now Media Group.
  20. ^ a b Russ Gager. "All In The Family". Management Today. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  21. ^ "CURACAO TRAVEL". icuracao.com (in Spanish).
  22. ^ "Money Transfer". icuracao.com.
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