Pic 'N' Save
An American discount department-store chain that operated nationally under the Pic 'N' Save and later MacFrugals names.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Pic 'N' Save was an American closeout and discount department-store chain founded by William Zimmerman in Culver City, California, in 1950. The business developed around the sale of discounted, surplus, and closeout merchandise rather than a conventional full-price department-store assortment. Its format made it part of the rapidly expanding American off-price and value-retailing sector, offering consumers access to general merchandise at reduced prices. The chain grew substantially during the second half of the twentieth century. By 1985, Pic 'N' Save operated approximately 90 stores in California and six other U.S. states, making it one of the largest closeout retail chains in the country. Its stores were associated with broad, opportunistic merchandise assortments typical of closeout retailing, including household goods, apparel, seasonal products, and other general merchandise. Inventory and product selection could vary according to the merchandise available to the chain, a characteristic that distinguished the format from more standardized department stores. In 1991, the company changed its corporate and retail identity to MacFrugals. Under that name, it expanded beyond its original California base into the Southwest and the South. The expansion was ultimately difficult to sustain, and the company withdrew from both regions in the late 1990s. Financial problems led to store closures and weakened the chain's position during a period of increasing competition in discount retail. Consolidated Stores Corporation acquired the remaining MacFrugals stores in 1997 in a stock transaction valued at $995 million at the time. Consolidated Stores subsequently changed its own name to Big Lots. In 2002, the former MacFrugals locations were converted to the Big Lots brand, ending the chain's principal national identity as Pic 'N' Save or MacFrugals. The Pic 'N' Save name was later revived in 2020 for a small bargain-store operation in Southern California. By 2023, the revived business had two reported locations, in Anaheim and Whittier. The Anaheim location closed in 2024, leaving the Whittier store as the reported sole remaining location. The revived operation is therefore much smaller than the historical chain and should not be confused with the unrelated Pic-N-Save chain that operated in northeastern Florida during the 1950s through the 1990s. The original chain also retains a small place in popular culture. Its storefronts, signs, and parking lots appeared in films including 10 to Midnight, Troop Beverly Hills, and Slums of Beverly Hills. These appearances reflect the visibility of the Southern California store network during the brand's earlier period.
History
William Zimmerman established Pic 'N' Save Corporation in Culver City, California, in 1950. The company entered the American retail market with a closeout-oriented discount model, selling general merchandise at reduced prices and relying on the availability of surplus and opportunistically purchased inventory. This format allowed stores to offer changing assortments and bargain prices rather than the stable product ranges associated with traditional department stores. The chain expanded during the following decades and became a significant American closeout retailer. By 1985, it had approximately 90 stores in California and six other states. California remained its principal historical market, but the company's scale gave it a national profile within the discount-retailing sector. The stores carried a broad mix of merchandise, with offerings that could include apparel, household items, seasonal goods, and other general merchandise. In 1991, Pic 'N' Save changed its name to MacFrugals. The rebranding accompanied a broader expansion strategy, taking the chain into the Southwest and the South. Those markets did not become permanent parts of the network: the company later withdrew from both regions in the late 1990s. At the same time, financial difficulties contributed to extensive store closures and reduced the chain's ability to compete in a changing discount-retail environment. In 1997, Consolidated Stores Corporation acquired the remaining MacFrugals stores through a stock transaction valued at $995 million. Consolidated Stores later adopted the Big Lots name. In 2002, it converted the former MacFrugals locations into Big Lots stores, bringing the historical Pic 'N' Save/MacFrugals chain to an end as a major national retail network. The Pic 'N' Save name subsequently returned in 2020 through a smaller bargain-store operation. This revived business was concentrated in Southern California rather than representing a restoration of the former national chain. It reportedly operated stores in Anaheim and Whittier in 2023. The Anaheim store closed in 2024, leaving the Whittier location as the reported remaining location. The historical brand also appeared in Southern California popular culture. Its exterior, signage, and parking lot were featured in the films 10 to Midnight, Troop Beverly Hills, and Slums of Beverly Hills. The brand is separate from an unrelated Pic-N-Save chain that operated in northeastern Florida during the second half of the twentieth century.
- 2024
Anaheim store closes
[1]The Anaheim location of the revived operation closed, leaving Whittier as the reported remaining location.
- 2020
Brand name is revived
[1]Pic 'N' Save returned as a small bargain-store operation in Southern California.
- 2002
Stores are converted to Big Lots
[1]The former MacFrugals locations were converted to the Big Lots brand.
- 1997
Consolidated Stores acquires MacFrugals
[1]Consolidated Stores Corporation acquired the remaining MacFrugals stores in a stock transaction valued at $995 million.
- 1991
Corporate identity changes to MacFrugals
[1]The company changed its name from Pic 'N' Save to MacFrugals.
- 1985
Chain reaches approximately 90 stores
[1]Pic 'N' Save operated about 90 stores in California and six other U.S. states.
- 1950
Pic 'N' Save is founded
[1]William Zimmerman founded Pic 'N' Save Corporation in Culver City, California.
Products and positioning
Value-oriented closeout and discount department-store retailing, centered on opportunistic merchandise purchases and low prices.
Discount retail · 1950
Closeout merchandise
Closeout merchandise was the defining category of Pic 'N' Save's historical business model. The chain used discounted, surplus, and opportunistically sourced goods to maintain low prices. Because inventory depended on closeout availability, the selection was changeable rather than built around a fixed catalog.
Department-store retail · 1950
General merchandise
Pic 'N' Save stores sold a broad range of general merchandise. Reported categories included apparel, household goods, seasonal products, and other everyday consumer items. The assortment reflected the chain's discount department-store format and varied according to available inventory.
Brand decisions
2020
Revival of the Pic 'N' Save nameStrategyBackground
After the historical chain had disappeared through acquisition and rebranding, the name returned in a smaller Southern California retail operation.
Action taken
The Pic 'N' Save name was revived for a bargain-store business.
Aftermath
The revived operation reportedly had two stores in 2023, with the Anaheim location closing in 2024.
2002
Conversion of former stores to Big LotsStrategyBackground
Consolidated Stores Corporation had adopted the Big Lots name after acquiring the MacFrugals business.
Action taken
The former MacFrugals locations were converted to the Big Lots brand.
Aftermath
The historical Pic 'N' Save and MacFrugals chain ceased operating as a major branded network.
1997
Sale of the remaining chain to Consolidated StoresM&ABackground
Financial problems and store closures had reduced the scale of the MacFrugals business.
Action taken
Consolidated Stores Corporation bought the remaining MacFrugals stores through a stock transaction valued at $995 million.
Aftermath
The acquiring company later converted the former MacFrugals stores to Big Lots locations.
Transaction value. 995 million US dollars (1997)
1991
Rebrand as MacFrugalsStrategyBackground
The established Pic 'N' Save chain adopted the MacFrugals name during a period of geographic expansion.
Action taken
The company changed its name and used the MacFrugals identity as it expanded into the Southwest and South.
Aftermath
The company later withdrew from both regions and encountered financial difficulties before its remaining stores were acquired.
Recent events
- 2024
Anaheim location closes[1]
Other
The revived Pic 'N' Save operation's Anaheim location closed, leaving the Whittier location as the reported sole remaining store.
- 2020
Pic 'N' Save name revived in Southern California[1]
Other
The Pic 'N' Save name was revived as a small bargain-store operation in Southern California.
- 2002
Former MacFrugals locations become Big Lots stores[1]
M&A
Big Lots, the new name of Consolidated Stores Corporation, converted the former MacFrugals locations to the Big Lots brand.
- 1997
Consolidated Stores acquires the remaining MacFrugals stores[1]
M&A
Consolidated Stores Corporation bought the remaining MacFrugals stores in a stock transaction valued at $995 million.
Sources1 sources
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