1951–1986
Valley Plaza & the Discount Stores
Valley Plaza opened at Laurel Canyon and Victory in North Hollywood on August 12, 1951, and by the mid-1950s it was called the largest shopping center on the West Coast. It declined after the 1970s, and demolition began on October 29, 2025.
Out on the boulevards the Valley shopped at the discount stores. White Front opened its ninth store at 21300 Roscoe in Canoga Park in May 1963; the chain closed in 1974. Zodys opened at 8201 Topanga Canyon on September 27, 1962, under five hexagon letter boxes, and its California stores closed in March 1986. GEMCO, the members-only department store and supermarket, closed all 80 of its stores that same year.
The signs are redrawn from photos and the membership card, with the old lettering traced wherever the photos hold it.
- Valley Plaza opened
- Aug. 12, 1951
- Zodys Canoga Park
- Sept. 27, 1962
- White Front Canoga Park
- May 1963
- GEMCO and Zodys closed
- 1986
The Valley Plaza & the Discount Stores collection
Not affiliated with any current business using the Valley Plaza, GEMCO, Zodys or White Front names.
