Memco-Bradlees Buyout (1982-3)

Owned by Lucky Stores Inc. of Dublin, California, Memco was a members-only discount store – similar to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s – offering members a variety of both grocery items and general merchandise under one roof, making it among the earliest examples of a modern hypermarket. The brand was originally started as Gemco on the west coast, however as Lucky expanded the brand to the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic region, the name was changed to Memco in order to separate itself from G.E.M, an unrelated members-only retailer that also operated in the region. Memco first entered the Washington D.C. market in the mid-1970s with two stores: one in Annandale, and one in Camp Springs, both of which would operate until Memco’s metro-Washington division was sold off in the 80s^[SOURCE]. The original stores were designed by McDonald-Engelhardt from Arlington, Virginia and featured a distinct arched façade and square physical footprint, which most of Memco’s subsequent Washington stores continued to use. The stores averaged around 90,000 square feet each.