Relax The Back

Type	Retail
Industry	Provides education and products aiding in the relief and prevention of back pain
Founded	Austin, Texas, U.S. (1984 (1984))
Headquarters	Long Beach, California , U.S.
Number of locations	Nearly 90 stores nationwide (2020) at 2020-05-18
Area served	United States, Canada
Products	Zero-Gravity Recliners, Tempur-Pedic Mattresses, Pillows, Office chairs, Massage chairs, Lumbar supports, Exercise balls, Inversion Tables

Relax The Back is a chain of specialty retail stores with almost 90 locations in the United States, specializing in back pain relief and wellness products.

Relax the Back at Wayside Commons
in Burlington, Massachusetts

History

The first Relax The Back store opened in Austin, Texas in 1984. In 1987, an entrepreneur named Virginia Rogers purchased the original store and packaged the business into a franchise format.^[1] The first franchise was opened in San Antonio in 1989 by Coby Dietrick, a former professional basketball player with the San Antonio Spurs.^[2] In 1996, having grown the chain to 59 stores, Rogers sold the company to a franchisee, Dairl Johnson, for $6 million.^[1] Johnson continued to develop the company's independent franchising model.^[3] Relax The Back corporate offices are currently located in Long Beach, California.

As early as 1998, US News noted that the four major back-related stores, Healthy Back Store, Better Back Store, Relax the Back, and JoAnne's Bed & Back Shops, had a combined business of $75 million.^[4]

References