Curacao (retail store)

Curacao (pronounced Koo-ra-sao), formerly La Curacao, is a large-format retail store chain. Founded in 1978, Curacao is headquartered in Los Angeles with retail locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.

Services
The company is said to be uniquely positioned to serve Hispanic and Latino Americans. The stores feature Spanish-language signs and bilingual salesclerks. Curacao sells most of its merchandise on credit to over two million private label cardholders. The company's services also include Curacao Travel, Curacao Money Transfer, Pasito (Internet service provider) and CuraTel (long-distance calling services).



Founding
Jerry Azarkman opened La Curacao, a consumer-product door-to-door sales company, in Burbank, California. It became popular among Hispanic people who did not have access to credit. 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. This service eventually evolved into Curacao's credi-card business. Azarkman's brother, Ron Azarkman, joined the company in 1980.

Expansion
In 1983, La Curacao moved to the Pico-Union district in Los Angeles. 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. During the Los Angeles Riots in 1992, the store was burned down and its inventory destroyed. Two weeks later, the business reopened near its previous location.

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.

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

In 2012, La Curacao was renamed Curacao, with a new logo.

Initiatives
The retailer has expressed plans to further expand into Nevada and Texas and market toward the English speaking communities as well.

Export
Export is one of Curacao's services. Customers can purchase a product in the United States and have it delivered to Latin American countries. The company has its own warehouses in Mexico and Central America and operates a home-delivery program.

Philanthropy
Curacao philanthropies include relief after the 1994 Northridge earthquake and an annual Children’s Fair.

The La Curacao Foundation
The La Curacao Foundation, or Fundacion La Curacao Para Los Niños, was established in 2002 to provide assistance to needy children by donating basic home products. It also gives to non-profit organizations.