Ames Department Stores - back from the dead?

Not on my list of wished resurrections.

I spent many a summer day looking through Ames when I was a kid — all good memories.

I wish it would have been Hills!

Is/was this an East Coast thing? I've never heard of this store.

Who asked for this?

R4 Yes, seems like it was mostly Northeast at first.

They bought out a chain in PA and went west a bit to the Midwest, but went bankrupt in the 90s.

They were like a lesser Kmart. Maybe somewhere between Kmart and Dollar General.

ZZZZZZZ. Wake me when they resurrect Venture.

I wouldn't quite say Dollar General. But they were definitely a rung or three below Kmart. They were along the lines of Zayre's.

My Mom loved Ames.

Anyone remember Zody's?

Why? Ames sucked back in the day. Who is missing Ames? Even this is pushing it from a nostalgia point of view.

It felt like a scam in Indiana - Ames promised prospective employees living wages right outside of Gary. The company set up two stores and promptly closed up due to bankruptcy within a few months.

All these older folks left lower paying jobs to work there and every one was terminated. This would have been around early 2001.

What's next-- Caldor? Bradlee's? White Front? Two Guys? Fedco? Grant's?

There’s definitely a market for a TJ Maxx competitor that follows the Aldi’s business model and undercuts with tightly curated inventory Let’s see some well made men’s basics and bed linens that don’t shred after the third wash, a decent sit down cafe.

[quote]I wouldn't quite say Dollar General. But they were definitely a rung or three below Kmart. They were along the lines of Zayre's.

Absolutely R9. In fact, they bought Zayre (in Massachusetts at least) in the late ‘80s/ early ‘90s.

You could always get a five finger discount at Ames.

Bring back Sears!

[quote] You could always get a five finger discount at Ames.

In my salad days we used that discount a few times at Value City.....or as we used to call it, VC Boutique.

the one in my region was DEPRESSING AS FUCK. everything about it was dreary.

Who???

I miss Mammoth Mart, with Marty the Elephant and Baby Elephant Walk as the background music in their commercials.

My mom and grandmother loved Bradlee's.

Didn’t Ames have an expansion period around 2000 and it lasted a hot minute? I remember them opening around Chicago and lots of commercials. Around the same time with Rosie and Penny Marshall doing Kmart ads.

I never cared much for Ames. There are other department stores I'd rather see return. That said, this has been circulating for a couple of years now.

What's next-- Caldor? Bradlee's? White Front? Two Guys? Fedco? Grant's?

Caldor seemed to be a step above Ames and Bradlee's. Half a step, anyway.

[quote]What's next-- Caldor? Bradlee's? White Front? Two Guys? Fedco? Grant's?

Woolco!

I shoplift at Alexander's!

Yes, I shoplift at Alexander's!

I'm surprised someone has tried to bring back the, at least in name, Woolworth or Woolco.

Someone has?

[quote] In my salad days we used that discount a few times at Value City

I forgot about Value City! That’s one I’d be glad to see again. You could go there one week and find absolutely nothing, and then the next time you’d find really fine olive oil and a good pair of shoes. Strange business model, but it made for a little adventure.

With shopping online more popular than ever this sounds like a losing proposition.

If we're ralking New England, BENOIT'S or Newberry's.