Things Remembered

The Zales® story began in 1924 in Wichita Falls, Texas, where Morris (M.B.) Zale, William Zale, and Ben Lipshy applied their vision of providing customers with quality merchandise at the lowest possible price to the opening of the first Zales® Jewelers. Their idea to offer a higher priced product to everyone was implemented through a revolutionary credit plan of "a penny down and a dollar a week." Although this marketing strategy proved to be successful, it was also the friendly customer service and dedicated employees that led to the jeweler's expansion, reaching 12 stores in Oklahoma and Texas by 1941.