Following the advice of a friend, who happened to be a successful merchant in New York, Estrella decided to venture into the retail business, opening the first Topeka store on Loiza Street in Santurce in 1967.

“We also got a break from our friend in New York, who gave us a generous line of credit to begin our operation.” The store's offerings were revamped after Estrella's nephew noticed that Santurce needed a place where area residents could purchase articles for the home at affordable prices.

[3] In 1998, Hurricane Georges would destroy the Arecibo store, and Estrella owner of Topeka Inc. decided it wouldn't be cost effective to refurbish and reopen it.

The same principles upheld by the Estrella brothers when they founded the discount retail chain almost 40 years ago at the time remained the driving force behind what was a $34 million operation (based on 2001 revenue), putting it at No.

As part of the succession plan, the López family would acquire the totality of the parent company including the warehouse operation, which would also be prepared to accommodate the chain’s projected growth.

Existing stores in Río Piedras, San Juan, Bayamón and Caguas would continue to serve the thriving downtown centers they operated in, however, they would be remodeled to match the chain’s new image.

The expansion would be supported by an integrated marketing strategy, including more comprehensive shoppers, targeted promotions and public relations initiatives.