Gadzooks (retailer)

Gadzooks, Inc. was a mall-based clothing retailer aimed at teenagers based in Carrollton, Texas. It was founded in 1983 as a T-shirt business owned by Texas businessmen, Jerry Szczepanski and Larry Titus. After achieving success, Gadzooks expanded its product line to sell a broader assortment of clothing aimed at teenagers. The company logo included the Volkswagen Beetle and all stores had a life-size version of part of a Beetle inside. In 2003, it dropped its shrinking male clothing line to focus exclusively on female clothing. The store promoted this with ill-received ads with statements like "Proud to be Sexist" and "Stop Equality". Eventually, Gadzooks filed for bankruptcy twice. In March 2005, Forever 21 purchased the chain and closed underperforming stores, reducing the number of locations from 243 to about 150 before being phased out entirely.

References

• "Forever 21 to Buy Gadzooks," Dallas Business Journal, February 17, 2005.
• Forever 21 press release on Gadzooks acquisition
• Forever 21 acquisition of Gadzooks
• Where Are They Now: The Great Suburban Mall Store Demise