Cost Plus, Inc. - Oakland, CA - Publicly Held Corporation Headquarters on Waymarking.com

"Cost Plus, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPWM) is the owner and operator of the chain of Cost Plus World Market specialty/import retail stores. The name originated from the initial concept, since abandoned, of selling items for "cost plus 10%".

Cost Plus opened its first store at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California in 1958. Founder William Amthor did not intend to create a discount import retail chain--or even to open a single store--but he discovered San Franciscans loved that sort of merchandise. His discovery occurred by chance in 1958 when he sold some extra rattan furniture. Amthor operated a small family-owned furniture store in San Francisco at the time, but instead of displaying the rattan furniture in his store, he rented 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of warehouse space in the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco. The rattan furniture sold quickly, convincing Amthor to start importing merchandise as a new business. He opened his first store devoted exclusively to imported merchandise later in 1958 and began importing wicker by the shipload.

After the success of this store, they quickly spread across the Bay Area and later into other states. There are currently almost 300 stores spread across 35 states.

In the early 1990s, "Cost Plus" shifted the branding of its stores to either Cost Plus World Market, or simply World Market in developing markets. In 1996, Cost Plus went public and began trading on the NASDAQ stock market.

In February, 2006, Cost Plus reported quarterly earnings of $125 million with $367 million in revenue for the 4th fiscal quarter of 2006. Their annual earnings were $280 million with over $800 million in revenue, though most employees are only paid minimum wage, with minimal increases in pay over a long period of time." (visit link)

Address: 200 Fourth Street Oakland, CA USA 94607 Stock Ticker Symbol: CPWM Stock Market: Nasdaq

Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the building to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   04/22/2009 saopaulo1 visited it

View all visits/logs