The Wiz (store)

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The Wiz, also known as Nobody Beats the Wiz, was a chain of electronics stores in the Northeast United States, mainly in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It was started in 1977 in New York City by four Jemal brothers: Stephen, Lawrence, Marvin, and Douglas. The company became famous for the slogan “Nobody Beats The Wiz.” In the 1990s they sponsored many local sports teams, boosting their visibility.

In 1998 the chain grew quickly from about 20 stores to more than 80, but filed for bankruptcy soon after. Cablevision bought The Wiz for about $80 million and eventually dropped the slogan. At its peak, The Wiz did about $1.4 billion in revenue, employed around 2,000 people, and operated 94 stores across several states, with music-only stores in Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area.

The Wiz closed all stores in 2003 due to a weak retail environment. After the closure, one founder opened The Zone in former Wiz locations, but it failed in under two years. In September 2003, P.C. Richard & Son bought most of The Wiz’s assets, mainly for the name.

The Wiz has appeared in various pop culture references, including Seinfeld, movies, and songs.