A few days ago, my friend Dylan sent me a link to a social media post announcing that the Richmond Bargain Outlet on National Road East would be closing soon. His message was short and to the point: “Former Roberds.” I’d never heard of Roberds before, but with a trip to Richmond already on my calendar, his offhand comment sent me down a rabbit hole.
The story of the building at 4741 National Road East began in 1969, when Cleveland-based discount retailer Mr. Wiggs set its sights on Richmond1. The chain announced plans for a $500,000 store next to the Gateway Shopping Center. Measuring 220 by 250 feet, the new location would be the largest Mr. Wiggs in Indiana2! Joining a growing regional footprint that already included four locations in Ohio; two in Fort Wayne; and two more in Lexington, Kentucky; the Richmond outpost was set to become the company’s ninth.
Richmond’s Mr. Wiggs was designed to be a one-stop destination in the truest sense of the word. Plans called for a full lawn and garden center, a dedicated sports department, and expansive sections for men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. Just when it seemed the lineup couldn’t get any broader, though, Mr. Wiggs went even further by stocking everything from hardware, lumber, and plywood to paint, plumbing, and electrical supplies3. Shoppers could pick up automotive parts, browse through recordings, and even load up on yard goods, all under one enormous roof.
Mr. Wiggs officially opened its doors on November 19, 1969, and the debut came with the kind of door-busting bargains designed to pull crowds in from across the region. Shoppers could snag Big Wheels or Krazy Cars for just $8.93, Jupiter 2.5-pound sleeping bags for $3.93, and full-size Beacon blankets for a mere $2. Toastmaster table broilers were marked at $7.93, while Westley’s Windshield Washer Anti-Freeze was nearly given away at 49 cents a gallon4. That’s about $5.21 today, if my inflation calculator can be trusted- still, quite a bargain!
Mr. Wiggs remained a Richmond favorite for a dozen years, but the retail landscape was shifting by the early 1980s. The entire chain -by then grown to fourteen stores- was purchased by Charleston-based Heck’s Discount Department Stores in 19815. The outlet was reborn as a Heck’s with a grand opening on February 12, 1982, along with four other Indiana locations in Fort Wayne, Marion, and Auburn6.
Heck’s promised to maintain Mr. Wiggs’ comprehensive product offerings while adding an extensive food line and a new layaway policy7. The store’s grand opening was marked with deals: Clairol Mist hair setters were $24.99, Spartus Carlisle quartz mantle clocks sold for $17.77, Zebco spincast rod-and-reel combos were $9.88, and Igloo Lunchmate coolers were priced at $10.66. Perhaps the most eye-catching deal of all was a G.E. Personal HELP CB radio for $84.96 – $15 off the regular price8.
Despite posting one of the strongest after-tax profit margins in the discount retail industry -3.6 percent in 19809– Heck’s fortunes unraveled with surprising speed. Just a few years after the Richmond operation opened, the nine-state chain, then sprawling across 158 locations, found itself in serious trouble. By 1987, Heck’s hadn’t turned an annual profit in four years. That spring, the company announced a “sweeping restructuring10.” Richmond’s Heck’s was one of twenty-nine casualties, and the store went dark in May 198711.
Fortunately, the building didn’t stay idle for long. After a $500,000 renovation12, West Carrolton-based Roberds Furniture opened in the Mr. Wiggs and Heck’s space on March 25, 198813. The store, which sold furniture, electronics, and appliances, was the company’s first in Indiana14. Among its opening-day offerings were 12” black-and-white portable TVs for $39, Sharp Munchkin compact microwaves for $78, RCA Small Wonder Compact Camcorders for $799, and G.E. Cable-remote VCRs for $22615.
Roberds’ arrival along National Road East sparked something the area hadn’t seen in years: a small but noticeable wave of new businesses clustering nearby16. For a while, the momentum held. The store settled in, found its footing, and ultimately matched Mr. Wiggs’ twelve-year run at the site! Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last: After spending five months operating under bankruptcy court protection in 2000, Roberds closed its Richmond store along with its thirteen other locations in the Dayton and Atlanta markets17.
Most recently, the old Mr. Wiggs–Heck’s–Roberds building found new life as the Richmond Bargain Center, a sprawling flea market that brought together more than sixty vendors under one roof. That chapter is nearing its end, though: on December 31, 2025, owner Roger Richert plans to close the Bargain Center and begin transforming the long-adaptable structure into Richmond Furniture East18. The move represents the next evolution of a building that, ironically, has never really stood still. It’s repeatedly reinvented itself to meet Richmond’s changing retail needs, decade after decade.
I was surprised to learn that the history of 4741 National Road East spanned so many storefronts. What started as a casual message from a friend turned into a reminder of how much history can hide behind a familiar facade! For more than half a century, the structure has mirrored the rise, reinvention, and retreat of Midwestern retail. Each name on the sign came with its own promises, its own opening-day bargains, and its own loyal customers who made memories inside those walls.
As the Richmond Bargain Center prepares to close and the space transitions once again, it’s worth pausing to appreciate the quiet resilience of the structure itself.
Sources Cited
1 Mr. Wiggs Announces Record Sales, Earnings For Quarter (1970, August 18). The Fremont News-Messenger. p. 8.
2 A Site For Mr. Wiggs (1969, July 27). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 32.
3 Richmond To Have State’s Largest Mr. Wiggs Store (1969, July 23). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 1.
4 Grand Opening (1969, November 18). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 11.
5 Heck’s has proven it’s no curse (1981, December 13). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 35.
6 (See footnote 5).
7 Heck’s in Richmond Celebrates Grand Opening (1982, February 12). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 12.
8 Heck’s Grand Opening (1982, February 17). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 17.
9 (See footnote 5).
10 Oh, Heck! (1987, February 19). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 1.
11 (See footnote 10).
12 Renovations begin at Roberds location (1988, January 11). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 3.
13 Finishing touches on new store (1988, March 25). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 3.
14 Roberds will open doors on March 25 (1988, March 11). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 3.
15 Roberds (1988, March 24). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 8.
16 Richmond gets back on track (1988, December 31). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 6.
17 Roberds closes to prepare for liquidation (2000, May 3). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 1.
18 Weaver, E. (2025, December 18). Richmond Bargain Center to close Dec. 31 to become Richmond Furniture East. The Richmond Palladium-Item. Web. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
