Lechters Housewares

Lechters Housewares was a national chain of kitchen-supply stores in the United States, based in Harrison, New Jersey.^[1] Many of its stores were in malls. Its store-brand products used the name Cooks Club. It owned the Costless Home Store and Famous Brands Housewares Outlet chains.

In 1975, the firm was started by Albert Lechter as a company that ran housewares departments located in leased space within New Jersey discount stores. Two years later, Lechter teamed up with Donald Jonas to change the business by opening a single stand-alone kitchenware speciality store in a Rockaway, New Jersey, shopping mall.^[1] By 1988, the firm had 234 stores. The company went public in 1989.^[1] In 1992, the firm grew to 455 stores in 37 states^[1] and finally 490 stores in 41 states by the end of 2000.^[2][3] In later years, the company tried to compete with houseware superstores such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens 'n Things by expanding rapidly beyond its original kitchenware specialty, a move which created a cash flow problem and contributed to company's downfall.^[4]

In 2000, it renamed its stores Lechters Thinkkitchen in advertising, but it was not able to convert its stores to the brand when it declared bankruptcy. It went out of business in 2001.^[2][5][6]