Ernst Home Centers
| Company type | Home improvement retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1893 in Seattle, Washington |
| Founders | Fred and Charles Ernst |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Fate | Liquidation |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 53 (1996) |
Areas served | Western United States |
| Products |
|
Number of employees | 2,000 (1996) |
| Parent | Pay 'n Save |
| Subsidiaries | Malmo Nursery |
Ernst Home Centers, Inc. was a chain of home improvement retail stores founded in Seattle, Washington, United States. Ernst was started in 1893 by Seattle brothers Charles and Fred Ernst. In 1960, it became a division of Pay 'n Save, one of the largest retail companies in the Northwest. After a 1984 takeover of Pay 'n Save, Ernst was sold off and went public in 1994. Following several highly publicized lawsuits and a failed attempt to open larger stores, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996 and liquidated in early 1997. At the company's peak, it operated 95 stores in 12 western U.S. states.