The first music store chain in the United States, it was founded in 1937 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated more than 130 locations at its peak.
It was founded in 1937 by Hyman Shapiro and his sons, Sam and Howard, as Jitterbug Records in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
[1] The Shapiro brothers expanded National Record Mart to 76 stores before retiring and selling the chain to a group of investors headed by William A. Teitelbaum.
[1] National Record Mart went public in 1993, generating $10 million in capital that year and receiving a new line of credit, in addition to purchasing nine locations from Leonard Smith Music.
National Record Mart made a failed attempt to purchase the Wherehouse chain, which was under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, at the time.
[4] One year later, National Record Mart entered a partnership with the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) to sell exclusive licensed products.