Defunct electronics chain based in Baltimore, Maryland, US
Luskin's was an electronics chain based in Baltimore, Maryland, that was founded in 1948 and ceased operation in October 1996.
Beginnings.
Luskin's began as an ice supply company founded by Jack Luskin and his brother Joe in 1948, growing into a chain of electronics stores that later reached a total of 60 in Maryland; Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The chain of Luskin stores would later be known as "the cheapest guys in town", a phrase that would be used for many years in Luskin's advertisements. Another catchphrase the brothers adopted for their local advertising and promotion was "Jack and Joe will save you dough."
In 1985, Luskin's went public, though by 1996 the stock was selling from nine to twenty-one cents.
Controversies.
In 1981, the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division took Luskin's to court over deceptive advertising prices on three occasions. A settlement would be reached; though Luskin's was still in court for a separate incident at the time the closing was announced.
Other controversies included a July 1992 promotion of certificates for free airfare and discounted hotel rates that the Attorney General's office claimed were deceptive. A later version that was slightly modified (removing the word "free") was submitted for approval and began airing in September. When the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division protested; contending that in order to qualify, one would have to buy at least $200 (~$ in 2023) worth of merchandise; followed by making hotel and other arrangements through a Florida-based firm named Vacation Ventures; on December 11, 1992, Harford County judge Cypert O. Whitfill wrote in an opinion that Luskin's planned advertisements were "neither deceptive nor unfair".
Aftermath.
At the time Luskin's closing was made public, Cary Luskin (the son of company founder Jack) also announced plans to launch a separate chain of electronics stores called "The Big Screen Store". Jack Luskin died on December 1, 2017, in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 89. Daughter Jamie was a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2004 to 2012 before the team was sold following a divorce from ex-husband Frank McCourt.
References.
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