Whole Earth Access


The Whole Earth Access started as a countercultural retail store in Berkeley, California. In the early 1990s, Whole Earth Access had 7 stores in Northern California. After filing for bankruptcy in 1996, all stores closed in 1998.

History

The Whole Earth Catalog was preceded by the "Whole Earth Truck Store", a 1963 Dodge truck. In 1968, the "Truck Store" finally settled into its permanent location in Menlo Park, California.
In 1969, a store which was inspired by The Whole Earth Catalog, called the Whole Earth Access opened in Berkeley, California. The store had the Leopold's Records Teletype Model 33 ASR which connected to the Community Memory Project SDS 940
In 1978, two brothers, Larry and Gene Farb, bought the Berkeley store on Shattuck avenue. The first store, located in an industrial area of Berkeley, sold various brand names sought after by young affluents at a discounted price. Salespersons were technology-savvy and knowledgeable of their products. Gene Farb managed electronics and photographic merchandise, Larry Farb managed hardware and appliances, Laura Katz ran the housewares and clothing departments, and Toni Garrett handled book sales and mail order. The store also built some of the computers it was selling,
The second store opened in Marin county in 1982, and the third in San Francisco in 1985.
According to a 1985 issue of the store's Whole Earth Access Mail Order Catalog, :
Larry Farb commented in 1986 to the Los Angeles Times that, "we've grown up with our customers the person who bought wood stoves in the '70s is buying cappuccino makers today."
In the early 1990s, the company opened 4 more stores in Northern California, contracting debts to finance the expansion. In 1992, its sales peaked to $180 million.
In 1995, the San Jose and Concord stores were closed. In 1996, Basic Living Products, the parent company of Whole Earth Access, closed the Foster City and Sacramento stores, and filed for bankruptcy protection.
In November 1998, the three first and last stores of Whole Earth Access went out of business.
Co-founder Gene Farb died 3 years later, in 2001.