Specialties
Home of Economy is where busy people get what they need at the Guaranteed Lowest Price! Our stores have a wide variety of merchandise that is organized to make your shopping experience as quick, efficient and pleasant as possible.
Some of our top brands include:
Work Wear clothing - Carhartt (including FR and Extreme), Under Armour
Work boots - Ariat, Caterpillar, Wolverine
Power Equipment - Honda (Generators, Outboards, Trimmers), Husqvarna
Hand Tools - Dewalt, Stanley, Channellock
Sporting Goods - Traeger, Weber, Coleman, Ion
Amish Furniture - Country View Woodworking, Smith Brothers, Ort
History
Established in 1939.
Founded in 1939 in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, by M.W. "Bob" Kiesau and his wife, Jean, Home of Economy was originally an auto parts wholesale business. In February 1940, Bob started a store in Grand Forks, North Dakota, recapping used tires at night and selling them during the day.
In 1950, Bob Kiesau sent his employees to every county seat in the trade area to copy names and addresses of each taxpayer who had listed three or more tractors or combines. He assumed each farmer would have at least additional one car and one truck that would not be listed on the tax report. From this list, a fleet identification card was mailed to every farmer, enabling them to buy at fleet discounts.
This event is considered by many to mark Home of Economy as the first discount retailer in the USA. Prior to Home of Economy's discount program, free-trade laws required retailers to sell at high, fixed prices, and only fleet operators with five or more machines could receive discounts.
