Thrifty Corp. May Move to Orange County : Relocation: The departure of the firm’s headquarters would depend on finding a buyer for its office in the Wilshire District.

Still shaken by the spring riots in Los Angeles and enticed by the prospect of lower rents elsewhere, Thrifty Corp. said it is considering moving its Wilshire District headquarters to Orange County.

Thrifty’s headquarters, which employs 850 people, was torched twice in the aftermath of the disturbances sparked by the acquittals in April of four Los Angeles police officers in the beating of motorist Rodney G. King.

Thrifty’s executive vice president, Chris Bement, was quoted by the Associated Press on Friday as saying, “I don’t think this is an unsafe area, but some people here don’t like to work at night anymore.”

Thrifty officials, including its co-chairman, William Yingling, who lives in Corona del Mar, were unavailable for comment on Friday.

Thrifty, which owns Thrifty Drug Stores and Big 5 Sporting Goods, was purchased by Yingling and the investment company Leonard Green & Partners earlier this year for $275 million from former parent company Pacific Enterprises.

Officials have said that owners of vacant office buildings in Orange County are so eager to fill space that low-cost leasing arrangements may be attractive to Thrifty. The company would have to sell its office at 3424 Wilshire Blvd. before it could move.

Thrifty officials did not indicate a timetable for such a move.