Sol Polk was a famous consumer electronics retailer with multiple outlets in the Chicago area. He operated a prototype chain that was emulated by other retailers and present day national chains. The retailer was started in 1935 by Sol and Samuel Polk on Central Avenue on the Chicago's West Side under the name Central Appliance and Furniture. Brothers Sol, Sam, Harry, David and Morris and their sister, Goldie, ran the business, renamed Polk Bros. in 1946. Polk Bros. was the dominating electronics/appliance retailer in the Chicago market. The chain was known for its aggressive "let's make a deal" salesmen who would pair off with customers as they came in the door. It was an industry leader in innovative merchandising and was chosen to be the first retailer in the nation to sell color televisions and microwave ovens. Owner Sol Polk was considered a master pitchman. He ran in-store promotions that offered everything from TVs to Christmas trees. Polk served as the president of the North American Retail Dealers Association (NARDA), and his innovative and flamboyant promotions of the industry's products gained him nationwide recognition. He also was frequently called on to appear at hearings on proposed industry-related legislative and regulatory hearings held by Congress and federal and state agencies.