It was founded in 1952 in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, by Polish immigrant Samuel Klein,[4] who began his career as a peddler selling products to migrant workers from the Brazilian Northeast.

[5] The company's mascot is "Baianinho" (Little Bahian), a toothy little boy wearing a cangaceiro hat, which has been present since 1979.

[7] Casas Bahia, unlike many of its competitors, does not rely on an internet presence as a cornerstone of its strategy—only in February 2009 it launched its online store, pressed by an increasing number of online sales in Brazil.

Rather, Casas Bahia makes the majority of its profit by charging interest on installment plan purchases, making it possible for low-income customers to purchase products which they would not be able to pay off in a single payment.

[8] By 2010, it had more than 500 stores in eleven states (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and even Bahia), besides the Federal District.