The Ames Fan Club

DISCUSS!

okay heres a pic for start

a pinc of a pin

One of the latest Zayre slogan...

OMG! Somewhere I have a Zayre bag like that one! I should have wrestled my aunt's Zayer charge card from her when they closed, lol. I remember her saying she didn't need an Ames charge since they still took her Zayre charge at Ames...

Was Zayre the department store and Zayre's the jewelry store affilliated?  To my knowledge neither company are in business at all now.

heas a runed down Zayer this one i bet did not become ames

The Augusta Zayre brought back to life  !!

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
The Augusta Zayre brought back to life  !!

How'd you do that?:o

Again at the Waterville store.  I had this picture of a Zayre store and i took the logo there.  I adjusted the angle to fit the roof line.  Then i paste the logo on the store and remove the Ames logo.  

I even added an old style lamp post on this one to fit the Zayre era...

BTW how did the name Zayre become the stores name WAS THE FOUNDER's name Zayre?:question:

Some Zayre.

Another.

The Zayre sign.

QuoteOriginally posted by storehistoryguy
Another.

:insane:hahaha its misinge the E Ames must have clsoed this in 1988 along with 74 outher Zayers

QuoteOriginally posted by 76&AmesfanmanBBTB

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
heas a runed down Zayer this one i bet did not become ames

yeah and I bet it got demolished a long time ago too!


way before I was born anyway!:insane:

that pic is from 1988 1989 it ws one of the Zayers that didnot becaome ames i bet it stayed vacant for awile who knows what it is now

QuoteOriginally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB

QuoteOriginally posted by storehistoryguy
Another.

ZAYR LOL what happened to the E?

I'm not sure. I don't even know where it was.

a 1982 Zayer fashion show just to let u guys know aames keped some Zayer stores open till 1990 but the true zayer name was changed in 1988 so there cllosings were inbetwwn  1988 and 1990

anouthe rpic

lats one

Hello there.  I think you'd all like to see the logo I use for my home business.
(http://www.zayre-electronics.com/images/zayrelogo.jpg)

An old Zayre ad from 1959.

http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/

The now demolished Ames in Portland, Maine, back to it's original Zayre style !

While getting some stuff out of my storage shed, I found these two gems!! I loved Zayre!!:dizzy:

The boarded up Zayre Auto Center at the Lewiston Maine store.

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
The boarded up Zayre Auto Center at the Lewiston Maine store.

sometimes i think that the carmel ames was a zayer just because of the auto center

but from what i heard it was a kings can anyone find out what was qrgale there

hears teh inside of the auto center

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
and hears teh outside of teh ames im still trying to guss what fomer store it qwas i wouldet wanna say kinggs i would wanans ay zayer because of the auto center

It was never a zayre. the store number for the ames is in tje 700s.

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
and hears teh outside of teh ames im still trying to guss what fomer store it qwas i wouldet wanna say kinggs i would wanans ay zayer because of the auto center

The Hudson store (Which started as a Barkers then became Kings then Ames) also had (still has, actually) an auto center area - not sure if Barkers used it at one point or when, when Kings was there it wasn't used but for storage, after Ames took over it was still empty for a while then was leased out to a local person to run.

Perhaps the Carmel one was the same (maybe
Barkers->Kings->Ames)??

QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
and hears teh outside of teh ames im still trying to guss what fomer store it qwas i wouldet wanna say kinggs i would wanans ay zayer because of the auto center

The Hudson store (Which started as a Barkers then became Kings then Ames) also had (still has, actually) an auto center area - not sure if Barkers used it at one point or when, when Kings was there it wasn't used but for storage, after Ames took over it was still empty for a while then was leased out to a local person to run.

Perhaps the Carmel one was the same (maybe
Barkers->Kings->Ames)??

hymm idk if barkers had auto centers but if it did then i would say it was a barkers that got a rentvation or m,aby it was always a ames that just happend to have a auto center in it

Hey everyone  while cleaning out some junk recently i found 2 price stickers from the old Zayre chain
Ill scan them in soon  also a package of yarn with the lables and stickers still on
the stickers are small but hopefully i can get them to show up
it was dept 75  $1.59  not sure what it went too most likley Christmas  deco  but not sure  both were dept 75

Here's a Zayre price sticker found at my grandmother's house. I'm sure this is from sometime in the 1980's.

I thought anonymous posting was turned off for this reason...

It is...  I don't know why it is still working...

It should be all set.  It had something to do with the quick reply box...  Sorry Caldor1999!

this is confusing me too. I don't know why anonymous posting is still coming through, even though we turned it off. I even posted a new rule about registering if you want to post.

Thanks, Amesman.

QuoteOriginally posted by C. Fontaine
It is...  I don't know why it is still working...

It should be all set.  It had something to do with the quick reply box...  Sorry Caldor1999!

thanks for takeing care of that i did see what the person sed but i really dont care so i dident even bother to comment

here is the former zayre in pittsfield mass that I beleive opened 1960 on dalton ave not far from the old bradlees, kmart area in pittsfield. IT closed JAnuary 1989 when Ames closed 74 stores (including ones in South carolina) and this one and those 73 others never saw its chance in becoming Ames.

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
here is the former zayre in pittsfield mass that I beleive opened 1960 on dalton ave not far from the old bradlees, kmart area in pittsfield. IT closed JAnuary 1989 when Ames closed 74 stores (including ones in South carolina) and this one and those 73 others never saw its chance in becoming Ames.

more of the zaytre in pittsfield and

read this article of Zayre http://natickmass.info/zayre.htm

it mentions the first 12 that opened from 1956 to 1960 and I know the one in hyannis closed in December 30, 1982 and the one in hyannis was the first one.

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
here is the former zayre in pittsfield mass that I beleive opened 1960 on dalton ave not far from the old bradlees, kmart area in pittsfield. IT closed JAnuary 1989 when Ames closed 74 stores (including ones in South carolina) and this one and those 73 others never saw its chance in becoming Ames.

more of the zaytre in pittsfield and

read this article of Zayre http://natickmass.info/zayre.htm

it mentions the first 12 that opened from 1956 to 1960 and I know the one in hyannis closed in December 30, 1982 and the one in hyannis was the first one.

here is the sign of hte plaza. that is a typical zayre plaza sign I guess.

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
The Waterville Ames back to Zayre

here is the former madawaska store!!!!!!!! it opened 1972. ames closed it in 1996. the northern most zayre. it was probably 44,000 sq .ft.

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
here is the former madawaska store!!!!!!!! it opened 1972. ames closed it in 1996. the northern most zayre. it was probably 44,000 sq .ft.

Amazing!!  I didn't knew there could be an original Zayre building like that still standing.  It appears to be like the Saco store.

here is another former zayre ames:saint::rolleyes:

QuoteOriginally posted by Amesdepartmentstores
here is another former zayre ames:saint::rolleyes:

where is this former Ames?

here is a what used to be a zayre and notice The exit sign having the zayre symbol. this is in brockport ny (20 minutes west of rochester).

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
here is a what used to be a zayre and notice The exit sign having the zayre symbol. this is in brockport ny (20 minutes west of rochester).

here is what is now zayre in brockport ny. it closed because an ames was down the road back in early 1990.

here is a zayre ames in presque isle maine:saint::barf::bum:

here is the sign:rolleyes:

here is another pic

remains of the structure of the presque isle one and it was one of the 13 stores. and 50,000 sq.ft.

Zayre saw Ames digest its acquisition of 42 King's stores and open eight new units in 1983. In 1984, Ames will open 12 and remodel 24 stores. Much of this activity is in existing Zayre markets.

I think there were quite a few in New York. I went to the one Many times in New Hartford, NY. Many of the Store Fixtures remained there through much of the Ames Years.

QuoteOriginally posted by KyleRF
Were there any Zayre's in New York or New Jersey?

ddi they have any locatiosn in westchster county btw???

QuoteOriginally posted by Amesdepartmentstores
here is the ames in new`hampshire at night a foemer zayre:rolleyes::rolleyes::bounce::bounce:

it was remodeled adn the zayre was britts department store and it had an arcade that I remember that closed in 1989.

Does anyone know where a Zayre Gas station may have been located?

QuoteOriginally posted by dave
Does anyone know where a Zayre Gas station may have been located?

no

sign of where zayre originally was in ellsworth me

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
sign of where zayre originally was in ellsworth me

what is now in ellsworth one and the zayre was 40,000 sq.ft. and closed since ames was up the road in early 1990.

The former Zayre Auto Servicenter in Lewiston ME.  The labelscar of the signage is still there.  It worked when i tried to connect the dots to form the Zayre Auto center logo..!

the 65,000 sq.ft. ames in medford mass vacant as of april 21, 2006 and was one of the first zayre stores in 1957. zayre first store opened 1956 in hyannis mass and that one closed in 1982

Thanks for posting some interesting photos of former Zayre locations. The photo I posted of the gas station might have been somewhere in Connecticut, as I found it in a pile of pictures at an antique store in Putnam Conn.   Maybe a reader will remember it.

If anybody's interested on Cafepress they are selling Zayre's logo t-shirts. I bought one- T Shirt (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/zayre/-/pv_design_prod/pg_1/p_storeid.38739191/pNo_38739191/id_5796356/opt_/fpt_/c_360/)

QuoteOriginally posted by KyleRF
Were there any Zayre's in New York or New Jersey?

There was a Zayre in Newburgh, NY and an Ames in Middletown, NY.

here is a zayre pic of a store in rhode island

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88Wow, it's clear that this Kmart was a Zayre before!

You think so? It seems to me they chopped the entire middle area to renovate it. It looks like a typical later model Kmart spruce-up. The brown walls along the side certainly show it's age and tell me it was probably relative to all the other Kmarts in the state.

Here is a building style used by Zayre:  In Maine, it's found in Saco, Madawaska, Rumford and South Portland.  One in the picture is an Ames with an oval shaped logo from Hills.  The Kmart seen here: http://www.amesfanclub.com/forum/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=19&pid=27732 probably was a Zayre before.

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88Wow, it's clear that this Kmart was a Zayre before!

You think so? It seems to me they chopped the entire middle area to renovate it. It looks like a typical later model Kmart spruce-up. The brown walls along the side certainly show it's age and tell me it was probably relative to all the other Kmarts in the state.

Here is a building style used by Zayre:  In Maine, it's found in Saco, Madawaska, Rumford and South Portland.  One in the picture is an Ames with an oval shaped logo from Hills.  The Kmart seen here: http://www.amesfanclub.com/forum/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=19&pid=27732 probably was a Zayre before.

Interesting connection with refference. The common Zayre style I know of was evident on most Ames stores, like this one currently vacant in Agawam, Mass. When I revisited this store, someone peeled off the cheap facade revealing the striped brown!

This other style is more common.  I think that the "box" where the Ames logos are on these buildings has been added by Ames.  The Zayre sign was on top of the buildings.  Ames probably came up with this solution.  

Most old pictures don't show that box and show that the original Zayre stores with that style had lots of windows.  Most Ames stores covered these windows to create more wall inside.

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
This other style is more common.  I think that the "box" where the Ames logos are on these buildings has been added by Ames.  The Zayre sign was on top of the buildings.  Ames probably came up with this solution.  

Most old pictures don't show that box and show that the original Zayre stores with that style had lots of windows.  Most Ames stores covered these windows to create more wall inside.

I remember only one Zayre and it adhered to the 1980's "Asterisk" logo with lower case like your avatar. I'm certain the logo was on that box were the Ames logos were placed later on. In the Agawam picture, you can see where the cover up where more windows would be. I'm sure this Zayre didn't have the roof sign - take a look. Also, you can see pinholes where the Zayre sign once was under Ames.

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

I remember only one Zayre and it adhered to the 1980's "Asterisk" logo with lower case like your avatar. I'm certain the logo was on that box were the Ames logos were placed later on. In the Agawam picture, you can see where the cover up where more windows would be. I'm sure this Zayre didn't have the roof sign - take a look. Also, you can see pinholes where the Zayre sign once was under Ames.

Maybe you're right.  It could also be something Zayre came up with when they launched the "asterisk logo".  Look at these former Zayre stores:  They all have some kind of a long dark metal bar near the edge of the roof.  It's where the older, larger Zayre roof sign was located.

These stores opened in the 70's and i think that "asterisk logo" was introduced in the 80's.  I wonder if it's Zayre or Ames that covered the front windows on these stores...

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
Maybe you're right.  It could also be something Zayre came up with when they launched the "asterisk logo".  Look at these former Zayre stores:  They all have some kind of a long dark metal bar near the edge of the roof.  It's where the older, larger Zayre roof sign was located.

These stores opened in the 70's and i think that "asterisk logo" was introduced in the 80's.  I wonder if it's Zayre or Ames that covered the front windows on these stores...

That's a keen observation. I scaled the Agawam picture for those metal holdings. There's an odd zigzag motif there, but I'm sure they didn't hold any giant sign up. The sign on those Zayre buildings must've been from the 1960's when enormous, often flourescent signs for discount stores were displayed. Luckilly, this Agawam store was set up to make the roofline visible via the road.

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO
That's a keen observation. I scaled the Agawam picture for those metal holdings. There's an odd zigzag motif there, but I'm sure they didn't hold any giant sign up. The sign on those Zayre buildings must've been from the 1960's when enormous, often flourescent signs for discount stores were displayed. Luckilly, this Agawam store was set up to make the roofline visible via the road.

Take a look at this RI store.  It has dark dots on the roof.  About the length of an old Zayre sign.  I created the Zayre sign with holder in the bottom picture:

I know exactly which Zayre this was and it had the single letters on the roof, they weren't attached to a rack but had holders. Whenever we had windstorms many times one would come down.  I remember them taking down the big red letters and replacing it with the box like asterix sign. Ames just took down the Zayre letters and replaced it with there own logo. This particular Ames still has the huge front glass windows, they only covered some of them near the entrance when Ames took over. Sadly this buiding is still vacant, a Radio Shack holds on for dear life nearby. The plaza this sits in is weird looking. All the stores to the left of the Ames around the Shaws markets are doing well, everything near the Ames, except for Radio Shack is dead. When this was Zayre it had the auto garage which eventually was taken over by Hollywood Movies.

Here's my attempt to draw 3 building styles used by Zayre:

Here's a spool of sewing thread from Zayre, most likely from the 1980s. I came across it sitting right on the coffee table at my friend's house. I freaked out when I saw it!

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO
Here's a spool of sewing thread from Zayre, most likely from the 1980s. I came across it sitting right on the coffee table at my friend's house. I freaked out when I saw it!

my family has this too.

Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

That's a good question. I know a lot of people thought they were low-end and dirty, but all my family in Florida were firecely loyal Zayre shoppers. My aunt wouldn't even change her Zayre charge card to an Ames card! (They went out of business in Florida in 1990, before the card expired and they could force her to get a new one)

The Zayre stores I remember weren't any dirtier than some Wal Marts you find today, although the orange and brown color scheme did scream 1976...

I barely remember when our AMES was ZAYRE's, probably because we lived in a different town than the ZAYRE's. My mom said we went to ZAYRE's once or twice. However we used to go to AMES or KMART or both several times a month. The town we lived in didn't have a KMART either. (It had Bradlees and Caldor. The Caldor became a KMART and lasted not even 3 years).

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

they probley would ahve closed they were in bankrupice in 1988 when ames bouth them im sure if ames did not take them over they probley would have went out in 1990 1991 i mean some ames keeped some zayers open till early 1990

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

Kmart bought Sears though..so Sears didn't really save them. Kmart saved themselves by buying and incorporating Sears within the company.

QuoteOriginally posted by dmx10101

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

Kmart bought Sears though..so Sears didn't really save them. Kmart saved themselves by buying and incorporating Sears within the company.

Hmm... guess I might've fumbled the order of it. I've always seen Kmart as the one who's been hurting more than Sears. Guess I always thought of it as Kmart who lumped in with Sears to save themselves from a dying breed of discount department store.

I never thought of Zayre as low end. There were several scattered around the area where I lived and each one had its differences. They did have a nasty habit though with their advertisments for Atari games. The flyer would have the pictures so naturally we would go to our nearest Zayre to buy the game which wasn't there. The manager in Zayre in East Providence said effectively that as long as one Zayre had the pictured game in stock then it wasn't false advertising and the clerk could easily say "oh we are sold out" Of course it wasn't long before angry shoppers threatened legal action you got the "not all titles available in all stores" as a sort of copout. I know there were two Atari Games (Pengo & Moon Patrol) that I got in the Providence Zayre (now a Wal Mart) that I never saw in any other Zayre or store for that matter.

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by dmx10101

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

Kmart bought Sears though..so Sears didn't really save them. Kmart saved themselves by buying and incorporating Sears within the company.

Hmm... guess I might've fumbled the order of it. I've always seen Kmart as the one who's been hurting more than Sears. Guess I always thought of it as Kmart who lumped in with Sears to save themselves from a dying breed of discount department store.

Well Kmart entered bankruptcy in bad shape, they're stock through bankruptcy was worth pennies. So they closed stores restructured and cut costs. When Kmart emerged from bankruptcy they had done complete turnaround and were a very strong company financially, they're stock was worth over a hundred dollars I believe. So they ended up purchasing Sears.   Kmart purchasing Sears was very good for both companies because at the time of purchase Sears was really starting to struggle and KMart's purchase injected cash flow into Sears and it benefited Kmart by them being able to add new products into their stores, like the brand recognition of Craftsman, etc.

QuoteOriginally posted by dmx10101

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by dmx10101

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
Did zayre really suffer from low image and class? If ames had not bought them out, would they survive?
 a lot of their stores opened in the 1960s. I wonder if wal-mart would have crushed them.

Wal-Mart essentially crushed or would've crushed every one of these chains that didn't last too far past 2000. Why? Because Wal-Mart has better selection, prices, business strategy, notoriety and marketing. Their stores, while too often messy and cluttered, are well kept, and well stocked in offering the consumer the best value. That's the key to survival - not quite as easy as it seems though. Takes years of careful strategy, without being overzealous which is what put Ames under. Remember, Wal-Mart has been around just as long as these competitors who are all dead now.

Let's look at Kmart by comparison; stores and decor are aging, Sears is keeping them alive and trying to keep them fairly vital. Sears has improved their business strategies (marketing, closing unnecessary locations, rebranding) but their advertising is doing the job far beyond the likes of their actual stores. Kmart also has that household name recognition and seems to pull in older folks who like the antiquated, no-frills of most Kmart stores without all the crowd and loud of Wal-Mart. That's my guess. Then again, there's also that disdain for Wal-Mart factor many on this board subscribe to...

There seems to be a trend that once prominent chains (in the 1960s) like Zayre, Woolworth, and Kmart have fallen behind over the decades and even failed. They've degraded in class and failed to adapt to ever-changing trends of shoppers; they couldn't grapple onto what made current successors Caldor, Bradlees, and Wal-Mart so pinnacle over the years. As we know now, Caldor and Bradlees both fell into that pit from a combination of financial problems coupled with uninspired business strategies in the 1990's against emerging successors like Wal-Mart and Target.

Tell ya what I should do: interview random people at Kmart and ask them why they like shopping there over Wal-Mart or even a more avant-class Target. Target is obvious; tends to more detract older people in that their "Target" marketing strategy is aimed at trends of young and younger-middle aged people.

Comes to show, it's all about survival of the fittest. And I'll keep hammering it; if not for Sears saving them, Kmart would be in the grave by now. I believe they saved them because they knew Kmart has such historic name recognition all across the country. Still, they need real help getting back on the frontlines with Wal-Mart and Target.

Kmart bought Sears though..so Sears didn't really save them. Kmart saved themselves by buying and incorporating Sears within the company.

Hmm... guess I might've fumbled the order of it. I've always seen Kmart as the one who's been hurting more than Sears. Guess I always thought of it as Kmart who lumped in with Sears to save themselves from a dying breed of discount department store.

Well Kmart entered bankruptcy in bad shape, they're stock through bankruptcy was worth pennies. So they closed stores restructured and cut costs. When Kmart emerged from bankruptcy they had done complete turnaround and were a very strong company financially, they're stock was worth over a hundred dollars I believe. So they ended up purchasing Sears.   Kmart purchasing Sears was very good for both companies because at the time of purchase Sears was really starting to struggle and KMart's purchase injected cash flow into Sears and it benefited Kmart by them being able to add new products into their stores, like the brand recognition of Craftsman, etc.

it may ahve been  a good chouse but i think in the next 10 to 20 years sears and kamrt could be gone i mean sears ahd to chage the sears essentale stores that were once kamrts to sears grand that compact wont work in most if nto all the old kmart stors alot fo them dont have teh size to become a sears grand

A guy I know is making me some Zayre shirts, www.kurtsshirts.com

I attached an image, they are great ringer shirts. Shoot him an email if you want one.

He also makes custom shirts of just about anything you want. If you can find a store logo he'll do it.

I got my cool Zayre's shirt from Cafepress here. (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/zayre/-/pv_design_prod/p_820232.38739191/pNo_38739191/id_5796446/fpt_/opt_/c_360/pg_1)  It's different.

Cafepress has Zayre shirts?

QuoteOriginally posted by Lastdaysofrain
Cafepress has Zayre shirts?

Yes, Click Here. (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/zayre/-/pv_design_prod/p_820232.38739191/pNo_38739191/id_5796446/fpt_/opt_/c_360/pg_1)

Former Zayre/Ames in Rumford will soon become a Marden's.

Image from mardenssurplus.com

this caught my eye when i was looking throuth some of my pics is kinda looks liek it once was a zayer im only gusseing because of the bulding dezine its a lomans now and has been for awile but it could be possble that this was a zayre at one time

Consumer champion and radio personality Clark Howard mentioned the late Zayre chain today on his show and talked briefly about the Massachusetts-based discounter's failures and poor business practices leading to their end.

Claiming they had "cheap stuff" (pretty sure if he meant price wise), Clark furthered their inability to satisfy customers due to long lines at checkout. He continued, (who's the king of cheap) was displeased by the long lines causing him to shop elsewhere as a result.

That "slow checkout" was the same problem I had with the store in Natick. I think it may have been the software they were using at the time, as there wasn't anything else that I could determine caused the lines to move so slowly.

Here's what the Zayre might've looked like Southington, Conn. This is an artist's rendering of the store as the store didn't open until late 1969. I remember this store as a young kid; it had the 1975 asterisk logo before it became Ames.

This was the first store in Connecticut!

This picture came from The Hartford Courant; July 8, 1969.

Here's the former Zayre in Marcus Plaza in Norwich. This was where it was originally in the early 1970s which later moved to a plaza near I-395, more commonly known as where Ames was in its last years.

It is now TJ Maxx (which makes sense since the Zayre Corp. was absorbed by the TJX Co.).

Here's the former Zayre in Marcus Plaza in Norwich. This was where it was originally in the early 1970s which later moved to a plaza near I-395, more commonly known as where Ames was in its last years.  

Notice the stilts on the back of the building...

Here's the former Zayre in Marcus Plaza in Norwich. This was where it was originally in the early 1970s which later moved to a plaza near I-395, more commonly known as where Ames was in its last years.

Looks like they might've patched up some older entrances over time. Plaza shares space with Shop Rite.

EDIT: TJ Maxx was once Shop Rite. Zayre was now where Shop Rite is now.

zayre in Cambridge ohio!!!!

I was wondering if anyone might have a list of former Zayre locations, particularly for Milwaukee, WI.  Apparently there were six Zayre stores in Wisconsin, four in Milwaukee and two in Racine.  I live in Racine and remember both of those stores.  I'm curious about where the four were in Milwaukee and what's become of them.  I haven't been able to dig up anything online.  All of them closed in the late 1980's. None of them became Ames.  The closest Ames to me was in Waukegan, IL but was closed at least as far back as the late 1990's when I first saw the building, a former Zayre store, all boarded up. It looked like it had closed quite a few years before then.

Here's a good question someone asked me.  What kind of pizza was sold at Zayre's?  Anyone have any idea?

I remember it being sort of Ellio's type square clearly frozen pizza, but my memory might be false, it's been a long time.

Did Zayre have a snack bar????I don't remember if Southington dod or not.

I believe the Zayre's in East Hartford (supposed to be Ames most profitable store) had a snack bar. I know when it opened Putnam Bridge Plaza had ANDY's supermarket, AC Petersen's, a drug store a laundry and SPREE! (a Zayre's division that sold TOYS).
I think I had pizza at Zayre there thou.

I keep hearing that there is a still standing Zayre storefront in Hooksett,NH but i can't seem to locate it....does anyone know if this is true?:o

QuoteOriginally posted by twiki1979
I keep hearing that there is a still standing Zayre storefront in Hooksett,NH but i can't seem to locate it....does anyone know if this is true?:o

I have also heard this legend.

heres the picture of what is supposedly the hooksett nh zayre from google images

Well, based on that picture and the website it is from, and some other posts on the site, I determined this to be in the Granite State Marketplace.  It does appear to have been the last Zayre tagged building standing, but now is Wal-Mart.  If you look closely you can see these 2 facades are exactly the same based on the placement of pillars, etc...

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r584fq91cr4d&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=28989552&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

QuoteOriginally posted by C. Fontaine
Well, based on that picture and the website it is from, and some other posts on the site, I determined this to be in the Granite State Marketplace.  It does appear to have been the last Zayre tagged building standing, but now is Wal-Mart.  If you look closely you can see these 2 facades are exactly the same based on the placement of pillars, etc...

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r584fq91cr4d&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=28989552&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

d_fife would probably confirm that and have the entire history behind that store ;)  But I think you're right.  Wal-Mart just added windows to the existing Zayre facade.  Here's a picture of that store:

that's heartbreaking! I was just up there and went looking around for it but i couldn't find it...guess now i know why!:mad:

Yes there used to be one in Muncie Indiana but I think its gone
i traveled hiway 32 Kilgore Ave by birdseye view and was not able to find it  I googled it  and its mentioned on Lost Muncie but says nothing about the status  of the building
last i was up there 4 years ago it still stood  too bad I wonder if anyone save the road sign  it was neat and unlike any others mostly neon  saying fabulous department stores
Ill try to find out info  or a picture of the building and sign

I just received a genuine piece of Zayre history in the mail from a long time member, Ken!  It's a Zayre shoe horn.

QuoteOriginally posted by C. Fontaine
I just received a genuine piece of Zayre history in the mail from a long time member, Ken!  It's a Zayre shoe horn.

Awesome!!

QuoteOriginally posted by videogamer75
heres the picture of what is supposedly the hooksett nh zayre from google images

This is a really interesting Walmart. One of the few left that when you walk into the store you can actually see all four perimeter walls clearly around the store. Walmart added the exterior lobby to add additional room inside the store and to save on heating and cooling. This location will be closing it's doors in the middle of Aug. 2009 to move to it's new Supercenter home up on 3A just north of Manchester.

The former home of Zayre in Nashua, NH.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r40536914j5x&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=1622489&encType=1

The Big Lot's occupies the left portion of the former Zayre store. There are a few clear traces to it's existence still remaining. In this photo you can see the stock room which was part of the original selling floor with the original stockroom in the background.

I remember when Zayre was brand new and just opened. This photo shows the air duct in the ceiling, I remember as a kid thinking how huge these vents looked.

This is the door to the stairwell to the upper level former Zayre offices. You can see the original Zayre orange sign that says "employees only" posted on the door.
To the left of this door would be where the checkout counters began over to the main entrance. To the right of this door was the record/electronics department. Beyond electronics was the corridor to the restrooms and another stairwell to the upper offices.

The stairwell.

This photo was taken in the Home Goods store which occupies the right hand side of the former store, this was were the main entrance was located. You can see the various colors in the floor tile, the darker tile shade was the department area, the lighter shade was the main aisle throughout the store and sadly :( the single cream tile stripe was once a shade of zayre orange to seperate the two.

Another view of the former 16' traffic aisle that ran though the back of the store.

Here's a view of the former Zayre of Londonderry, NH

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r49k6n91mh6s&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=14100275&encType=1

It's interesting that when Zayre built their newer stores that they continued to use the bown and orange decor package. These colors had become very outdated by the early 80's.
This photo shows an air duct in the Londonderry location.

I never got to shop at this store when it was a Zayre, but luckily Home Goods did not change much of the flooring or restroom area.
This picture shows a thin orange stripe in the floor tile. I remember this same stripe at the Nashua location used to outline the shoe department.

This was part of the front main aisle at Zayre.

A last look at the Zayre 16' main aisle in the back of the store. It was really great to see the original flooring still completely in tack.

Nice pictures gu4ever !

Here's an Ames labelscar overlapping a Zayre labelscar in Augusta ME.

Former Zayre in Saco ME before demolition in 2004.  You can still see the letter "e" labelscar from Zayre at right of the former green Ames logo.

those gotta go on the locator

A very nice and rare item on eBay, new Zayre plastic bags!

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Zayre-Department-Store-Plastic-Bags_W0QQitemZ380165072881QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58839aa7f1

you shold get those zayre88

Unfortunately I can't buy them because it's USA Shipping only and USA Paypal only.  So whoever here wants to buy these "collectible" Zayre bags can do it.  It's a good buy!

The former home of Zayre department store in Dover, NH.

The former home of Zayre department store now occupied by Walmart.
Zayre and Purity Supreme were the original anchors for this shopping center.
Here's a link to the shopping center.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r43tcp926p12&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=14011656&encType=1

QuoteOriginally posted by Zayre88
Unfortunately I can't buy them because it's USA Shipping only and USA Paypal only.  So whoever here wants to buy these "collectible" Zayre bags can do it.  It's a good buy!

Too bad I just saw this today -- I totally would have bid on them! Oh well.

Here's a great street sign of the Zayre Department Store, when they used the word fabulous to describe themselves.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/houseofhall/3189228034/sizes/l/in/set-72157612446577615/

Thats the store that stood in Muncie Indiana  and was empty for years  with the lights still on  even after Ames took over  i believe its all gone now  but havent been up there for a while

also if you look at all the photos in his set you will see target if you look close youll see the lablescar from Ayrway

Is this old fridge my uncle has from Zayre?
<a href="http://s621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/jmcnamara96/?action=view&current=JoesPictures1119.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/jmcnamara96/JoesPictures1119.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/jmcnamara96/?action=view&current=JoesPictures1120.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/jmcnamara96/JoesPictures1120.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Probably.

Joke: What's brown and orange and has asterisks all over?
Answer: jmcnamara96's uncle's old fridge

(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff183/claycroker/Vintage%20Smyrna/Zayre1967.jpg)

Soon to be opening in 1967

Vintage photo of the Church St Zayre Grand Opening November 15, 1961 XISMERO took pics a few years ago not changed muck over the years

2 items I recently found with Zayre on them!!

I was going through some stuff at work recently and found this little guy.  I'm not sure why Zayre would have their own coffee scoops but I guess why not.
(http://differentbutthesame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/zayrescoop.jpg) (http://differentbutthesame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/zayrescoop.jpg)

Quote from: gu4ever on March 10, 2010, 04:28:47 AM
2 items I recently found with Zayre on them!!

My boss just gave me a Zayre yarn spool

name your memories of Zayre and if they werent bought out by Ames, would they have gone under eventually, and they had stores in almost half the states, would they have made it to being a national? One of their stores became the first Wal-mart in NEw England.

do you think they where similiar to Ames. its Already been 20 years since the Zayre name VANISHED! I actually likeD Zayre Better than Ames, trust me I did. and for Zayre in Bigger populated areas, why did they have one in RUmford? the nearest one to me was in the Belknap mall.

Zayre never saw the 1990s.

here is this: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19811030&id=VNcTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5027,9217900

how similiar did any of you think Zayre was to Ames? and what do you make of their stores to now standards? and surprised they had a Zayre in ST Johnsbury, why did they have one there?

and this too  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TCwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pukFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6024,4075321&dq=zayre&hl=en

Quote from: d_fife on March 31, 2010, 01:43:17 AM
how similiar did any of you think Zayre was to Ames? and what do you make of their stores to now standards? and surprised they had a Zayre in ST Johnsbury, why did they have one there?

and this too  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TCwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pukFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6024,4075321&dq=zayre&hl=en

The Zayre that opened in north Nashua on route 101-a was a nice store, good size similiar to a Bradlees except the color theme was brown, orange and tan!!  :-\
From what I recall Zayre had the larger selling floor space compared to Ames of that time period. After the merger of the two Ames changes it's colors to green and their new stores were like nothing I had ever seen... Bright, spacious and well organized with some pretty amazing graphics.
The Zayre in St Johnsbury... was that in the Green Mountain Mall eventually becoming Rich's?

Quote from: gu4ever on April 02, 2010, 03:22:35 AM

Quote from: d_fife on March 31, 2010, 01:43:17 AM
how similiar did any of you think Zayre was to Ames? and what do you make of their stores to now standards? and surprised they had a Zayre in ST Johnsbury, why did they have one there?

and this too  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TCwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pukFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6024,4075321&dq=zayre&hl=en

The Zayre that opened in north Nashua on route 101-a was a nice store, good size similiar to a Bradlees except the color theme was brown, orange and tan!!  :-\
From what I recall Zayre had the larger selling floor space compared to Ames of that time period. After the merger of the two Ames changes it's colors to green and their new stores were like nothing I had ever seen... Bright, spacious and well organized with some pretty amazing graphics.
The Zayre in St Johnsbury... was that in the Green Mountain Mall eventually becoming Rich's?

the Zayre in ST Johnsbury was in the Green Mountain Mall before becoming Rich's and the one in North Nashua opened around Christmas in 1985

Zayre checkout sighting at building 19 in Manchester, NH.

Quote from: XISMZERO on December 10, 2007, 12:27:59 AM
Here's what the Zayre might've looked like Southington, Conn. This is an artist's rendering of the store as the store didn't open until late 1969. I remember this store as a young kid; it had the 1975 asterisk logo before it became Ames.

This was the first store in Connecticut!

This picture came from The Hartford Courant; July 8, 1969.

Coolness.

Quote from: gu4ever on May 02, 2010, 06:43:38 PM
Zayre checkout sighting at building 19 in Manchester, NH.

Wicked cool.

Greetings from store 159 Methuen Ma.
Worked there late 70's Early 80's
Wish they still were around now!
By the way items like the coffee scoup & shoehorn
might have been prizes in the ZINGO GAME.

Quote from: gu4ever on May 02, 2010, 06:43:38 PM
Zayre checkout sighting at building 19 in Manchester, NH.

no the Zayre in MAnchester was on Elm st

the Building 19 in Manchster was an Ames and before that it was a Rich's and before that it was Lord's department store

Quote from: d_fife on May 20, 2010, 12:50:18 AM

Quote from: gu4ever on May 02, 2010, 06:43:38 PM
Zayre checkout sighting at building 19 in Manchester, NH.

no the Zayre in MAnchester was on Elm st

the Building 19 in Manchster was an Ames and before that it was a Rich's and before that it was Lord's department store

Thats correct dfife the Building 19 on Hanover Street was never a Zayre store. The Zayre checkout fixtures used at this location now came from a fixture acquisition.

Here are some  item's I found from my old day's at Zayre!

Two more.......

Quote from: zayre159 on June 10, 2010, 12:12:23 PM
Two more.......

great photo's zayre159. Welcome to the forum!!

I have yet to find photo's of Zayre department store on Elm Street. I remember it as Zayre and then Ames until the location closed it's doors. It was only a few years before the Verizon center was built to bring some well needed nightlife into the city.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Verizon center formerly home to Zayre department store.

(http://www.billburmaster.com/lecentre/images/biglotschampaignil0510.jpg)
This Big Lots store in Champaign, Illinois looks to be a former Zayre location.

From company Newspaper

More from Here-n Zayre

Looking for a complete list of locations- address' of Zayre Stores in MA-NH any help would be appriecated.

I have found in Indianapolis a old Zayre location on hiway 31 east street  its a flea market now but still reatins most of the original interior  the burnt orange colors even the snack bar booth seating  also the fire extinguishers are from the zayre days  I dont think that this location was ever converted to ames   the old back stock areas and sheving on the outside walls are still intact  definitly a time warp  and not sure how much they will change it  the outside is being redone but the slanted roof still survives 

Quote from: zayre159 on January 28, 2011, 10:12:55 AM
Looking for a complete list of locations- address' of Zayre Stores in MA-NH any help would be appriecated.

Here's what I have: https://sites.google.com/site/zayre88/Zayre

Belmont - Belknap Mall
Concord - Downtown (Storrs Street)
Dover - Ames/Shop'n save plaza
Hooksett -  Granite State Market Place
Seabrook - Seabrook Southgate
Manchester - Elm Street
Nashua - West Side Plaza
Londonderry -
Salem - Salem Plaza

There was one in Haverhill, can't remember the plaza name off-hand.  I think there is a bank there now.

~telengard

The Haverhill ZAYRE was in the Central Plazza on Watyer St. I think its Workout World Or Something like that.
Also.........
Zayre Methuen Jackson St... Big Lots & several Small stores now
Zayre Lawrence Plazza 114 Winthrop Ave. Dollar Store  & Chinese Buffet
Zayre Lowell Central Plazza Church St. Grocery store I Think
Zayre Cambridge Fresh Pond Mall  Unknown
Zayre Worburn Of 128 has been torn down
Zayre No. Reading   Might be Wal-Mart


Still Looking for More, Wish they were still around!!!!!

Come On,

Lets keep this Zayre Topic Open!!!!!!!!

Quote from: Zayre88 on March 04, 2011, 07:58:07 PM

Quote from: zayre159 on January 28, 2011, 10:12:55 AM
Looking for a complete list of locations- address' of Zayre Stores in MA-NH any help would be appriecated.

Here's what I have: https://sites.google.com/site/zayre88/Zayre

Belmont - Belknap Mall
Concord - Downtown (Storrs Street)
Dover - Ames/Shop'n save plaza
Hooksett -  Granite State Market Place
Seabrook - Seabrook Southgate
Manchester - Elm Street
Nashua - West Side Plaza
Londonderry -
Salem - Salem Plaza

The other Nashua, NH location was in south Nashua on Daniel Webster Highway in the Royal Ridge Mall.
This Mall has since been remodeled into a shopping plaza.

October 8th, 1969. Grand Opening. Zayre Owner standing outside of Hanover Park, Illinois location at Tradewinds Shopping Center. The plaza opened the year before in 1968.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1969_October_8th_Tradewinds_Shopping_Center_Hanover_Park_IL.jpg)






December 11th, 1976. Unknown Zayre in Massachusetts during repeal of Blue Laws
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1976_Dec_11_Zayre.jpg)


Anyone recognize which location this is based on the background building? It probably became an Ames.

From Wikipedia. Addison, Illinois location in 1980's.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Zayre%2C_Addison%2C_IL_1.jpg)

why did Zayre have to go under?

Quote from: gu4ever on July 03, 2010, 01:11:11 AM
I have yet to find photo's of Zayre department store on Elm Street. I remember it as Zayre and then Ames until the location closed it's doors. It was only a few years before the Verizon center was built to bring some well needed nightlife into the city.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Verizon center formerly home to Zayre department store.

I was in the cementary (practicing photography skills)about 75 feet away from the old Zayre Plaza was and was amazed to see this under my feet! http://www.flickr.com/photos/82768625@N04/8040512582/in/photostream/

Quote from: jmcnamara96 on September 30, 2012, 02:43:10 PM

Quote from: gu4ever on July 03, 2010, 01:11:11 AM
I have yet to find photo's of Zayre department store on Elm Street. I remember it as Zayre and then Ames until the location closed it's doors. It was only a few years before the Verizon center was built to bring some well needed nightlife into the city.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Verizon center formerly home to Zayre department store.

I was in the cementary (practicing photography skills)about 75 feet away from the old Zayre Plaza was and was amazed to see this under my feet! http://www.flickr.com/photos/82768625@N04/8040512582/in/photostream/

I once saw a picture online of that former Zayre on Elm that was turned into a Staples I believe.  That being said, finding that bag is unbelivable!  Is it really possible that this bag stayed there for more than 20 years??

Quote from: TRJ_22487 on May 12, 2012, 07:48:03 AM



December 11th, 1976. Unknown Zayre in Massachusetts during repeal of Blue Laws
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1976_Dec_11_Zayre.jpg)


Anyone recognize which location this is based on the background building? It probably became an Ames.

I believe this is the Medford, MA location that became and Ames (and is now a Stop and Shop)

Quote from: Zayre88 on September 30, 2012, 05:54:17 PM

Quote from: jmcnamara96 on September 30, 2012, 02:43:10 PM

Quote from: gu4ever on July 03, 2010, 01:11:11 AM
I have yet to find photo's of Zayre department store on Elm Street. I remember it as Zayre and then Ames until the location closed it's doors. It was only a few years before the Verizon center was built to bring some well needed nightlife into the city.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Verizon center formerly home to Zayre department store.

I was in the cementary (practicing photography skills)about 75 feet away from the old Zayre Plaza was and was amazed to see this under my feet! http://www.flickr.com/photos/82768625@N04/8040512582/in/photostream/

I once saw a picture online of that former Zayre on Elm that was turned into a Staples I believe.  That being said, finding that bag is unbelivable!  Is it really possible that this bag stayed there for more than 20 years??

I have know clue what ever happened to the Zayre but i feel GU4ever does as for the bag lots of wood around might have blown out of there into the open

why did Ames have to buy Zayre out

do you think Ames and Zayre were SIMILAR? what Zayre do you remember, and Zayre stores you remember in Maine, VErmont, New HAmpshire and MAss?

From what little I ever saw of Zayres, no, I would not call them real similiar. I guess I was only in one once. It was larger and more upscale than any Ames I'd been in. They were building a new Zayres not too far from here when Ames bought them out; I can't remember if it opened as a Zayre or an Ames, but it was certainly the nicest Ames I ever set foot in. (Salisbury, MD) I would say that was the direction Ames needed to go in, upscale instead of "dumpy", but maybe that's wrong. Earlier tonight I was at the local Roses, a store that was once more "upscale" than Ames and is now truly third-rate...but they seem to be doing quite well as a third-rater, surviving against Wal-Mart & co. I don't know that Ames could have ever out-marted Wal-mart (nor could Zayre).

Quote from: shore72 on November 26, 2012, 10:53:46 PM
From what little I ever saw of Zayres, no, I would not call them real similiar. I guess I was only in one once. It was larger and more upscale than any Ames I'd been in. They were building a new Zayres not too far from here when Ames bought them out; I can't remember if it opened as a Zayre or an Ames, but it was certainly the nicest Ames I ever set foot in. (Salisbury, MD) I would say that was the direction Ames needed to go in, upscale instead of "dumpy", but maybe that's wrong. Earlier tonight I was at the local Roses, a store that was once more "upscale" than Ames and is now truly third-rate...but they seem to be doing quite well as a third-rater, surviving against Wal-Mart & co. I don't know that Ames could have ever out-marted Wal-mart (nor could Zayre).

All Ames did in the business world was what is called big fish eats small fish they wanted less competion they decided to buy out the competion

September, 1988. Catonsville, MD location.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1988_September_Catonsville_MD.jpg)

1987 2501 Belair Rd. in Baltimore, Maryland. This is now a Forman Mills.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1987_BelAir_Maryland.jpg)

Forgot to upload these taken back in November of former zayre signs in biglots 2142 White Rd york pa

(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s540/zonezilla/CAM001151_zps782fedaa.jpg) (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/zonezilla/media/CAM001151_zps782fedaa.jpg.html)
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s540/zonezilla/CAM001161_zps242c068f.jpg) (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/zonezilla/media/CAM001161_zps242c068f.jpg.html)
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s540/zonezilla/CAM001191_zps4c00e11e.jpg) (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/zonezilla/media/CAM001191_zps4c00e11e.jpg.html)

Quote from: TRJ_22487 on January 17, 2013, 06:42:09 PM
1987 2501 Belair Rd. in Baltimore, Maryland. This is now a Forman Mills.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1987_BelAir_Maryland.jpg)

Not sure where but I thought I read somewhere that the big building (now split into about 15 different very small stores) in the parking lot of this Zayre was once a Two Guys store. So that means there also may have been a Jefferson Ward and then a Bradlees on the site.

I worked for Ames when we bought Zayre.  The two chains were actually rather different.

Zayre had a lot of stores in urban and inner city areas.  Some of these stores had exceedingly
high shrink (mostly paper shrink due to employees who could not do receiving paperwork properly).
Ames typically stuck to the rural areas and small towns, except in some markets like Pittsburgh.
Thus the supply chains were not well aligned.  For example, for awhile we were shipping Ames'
"Country Goose" pattern comforters and window treatments to Zayre stores in inner city Chicago!

I spent about six weeks at a Zayre in Jacksonville, Florida during the conversion.  The people were
very nice, but the store had been badly neglected from an infrastructure and maintenance standpoint.
(their NCR registers were ancient even then).  Always felt bad because those people got exactly one
Christmas as an Ames location before the store was closed.

When the merger was announced, we had a number of Ames managers who had previously worked
for Zayre, and in fact had left Zayre due to some of these issues.  They immediately began criping.
"Oh, no, this is going to be a disaster!"  I remember we all got pulled onto a conference call and
read the riot act that we were NOT to badmouth the merger or say anything bad about Zayre for
any reason.  I guess even back then if those rumblings had made it to Wall Street there would
have been trouble.

Do you recall where the Zayre in Jacksonville was at. That's where I'm from and recall going to a couple different locations there

What did the Channel (hardware/lumber store) in Baltimore seen in the 1987 photo become? Their competitor Rickel (owned by Pathmark but that chain was never in any major cities south of Wilmington DE) bought Channel, but Rickel went out of business not long afterward. And a number of Channel stores closed before Rickel ever came into the picture, not to mention the many Channel stores that closed because they were too close to a Rickel after the merger. These two chains also competed with a chain called Grossman's that called it quits in the late 80's because their stores were all VERY small compared to the big-box chains starting around that time. Instead of Home Depot and Lowe's, chains such as Hechinger, HQ, Builders Square, and Mr Goodbuys were dominating the Philly area at the time.

Batavia, NY. Anyone know all their ny locations ???

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e232/CharmedOne9805/BataviaNY_zps06ea5a8e.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/CharmedOne9805/media/BataviaNY_zps06ea5a8e.jpg.html)

Agawam, Ma 1971

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e232/CharmedOne9805/AgawamMa_zps7ea74294.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/CharmedOne9805/media/AgawamMa_zps7ea74294.jpg.html)

Quote from: Caldor1999 on February 08, 2014, 12:02:22 PM
Batavia, NY. Anyone know all their ny locations ???

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e232/CharmedOne9805/BataviaNY_zps06ea5a8e.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/CharmedOne9805/media/BataviaNY_zps06ea5a8e.jpg.html)

where did you get hat?

where did you get hat?

At the souvenir shop on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. :D ;D :P ::) ;)

This former Shopko store in Springfield, Illinois was previously a Zayre store:
(http://www.billburmaster.com/lecentre/images/shopkospringfieldil2.jpg)

Quote from: dmx10101 on February 07, 2014, 10:12:47 PM
Do you recall where the Zayre in Jacksonville was at. That's where I'm from and recall going to a couple different locations there

University Blvd. 

Quote from: zonemad96 on February 06, 2014, 11:09:36 PM
Forgot to upload these taken back in November of former zayre signs in biglots 2142 White Rd york pa

Interesting...that is at least the second Zayre-turned-Big Lots that I know of.  BL #428 in Cincinnati is the other one, and there are probably more.

Zayre Shoppers' City

(http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/zayresc.jpg)

Zayre expanded into Minnesota by buying out Northern Enterprises in 1967 and rebranding all seven Shoppers' City stores in the Twin Cities and Duluth to Zayre Shoppers' City. Shoppers' City was a forerunner to the modern day big box stores, supercenters, and hypermarkets of today in the fact that they sell a full assortment of groceries alongside general merchandise. While Zayre continued to operate in the rest of the country, Zayre pulled out of Minnesota by closing their Shoppers' City stores in the late 1970s. Many of the Shoppers' City locations became Kmart as of January 1980.

http://theanalogage.blogspot.com/2013/08/shoppers-city-story.html (http://theanalogage.blogspot.com/2013/08/shoppers-city-story.html)
http://mn70s.tumblr.com/post/44544700032/zayre-shoppers-city-grand-opening-st-cloud-mn (http://mn70s.tumblr.com/post/44544700032/zayre-shoppers-city-grand-opening-st-cloud-mn)

The Zayre store in Round Lake, Illinois

(http://www.district116.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Zayre.jpg)

would Zayre have gone out if Ames hadn't bought it out? how similar was Zayre to Ames?

I actually liked Zayre better and I Was like 6 when Zayre became Ames.

I was with Ames when we bought Zayre.   I spent six weeks at a Zayre store helping to convert it over to an Ames store.

Zayre stores were in BAD shape!  High shrink, low morale, poorly maintained.  Personally I have no doubt that they would have gone out of business within a year or two if Ames had not bought them (though as it worked out the deal took Ames into Chap. 11, and they ended up closing most of the acquired Zayre stores anyway, including the one I helped convert.  It was gone by the following Christmas.)  If Ames had not bought them the Ames chain would have remained healthier, and may have survived. Zayre would have been just as dead either way.

Ames CEO at the time, Peter Hollis, had previously been with Zayre.  He brokered the deal, and in hindsight it appears he used his position at Ames to throw is buddies back at Zayre Corp. a lifeline. 

We bought only the Zayre discount stores, which were failing.  Zayre retained the part of the company now known as TJX Corp. (TJ Maxx and Marshalls), which is relatively healthy.  So his buddies at the executive suite got to hang on to their cushy jobs and bonuses, as we over at Ames took the crap and reaped the whirlwind.  (except Peter Hollis, who went on to take Jamesway into bankruptcy as well)

Many Ames managers had worked for Zayre and realized that we were buying a lemon.  There was a lot of negative chatter about what a stupid, destructive deal this was.  I remember we were all summoned onto a conference call and told we were forbidden to say negative things about Zayre.  Apparently Hollis and the boys feared some of this chatter making it's way to the Wall Street press and scuttling the deal.

Easily achieved within minutes via Twitter today.

Quote from: TheFugitive on January 30, 2015, 03:52:52 PM
I was with Ames when we bought Zayre.   I spent six weeks at a Zayre store helping to convert it over to an Ames store.

Zayre stores were in BAD shape!  High shrink, low morale, poorly maintained.  Personally I have no doubt that they would have gone out of business within a year or two if Ames had not bought them (though as it worked out the deal took Ames into Chap. 11, and they ended up closing most of the acquired Zayre stores anyway, including the one I helped convert.  It was gone by the following Christmas.)  If Ames had not bought them the Ames chain would have remained healthier, and may have survived. Zayre would have been just as dead either way.

Ames CEO at the time, Peter Hollis, had previously been with Zayre.  He brokered the deal, and in hindsight it appears he used his position at Ames to throw is buddies back at Zayre Corp. a lifeline. 

We bought only the Zayre discount stores, which were failing.  Zayre retained the part of the company now known as TJX Corp. (TJ Maxx and Marshalls), which is relatively healthy.  So his buddies at the executive suite got to hang on to their cushy jobs and bonuses, as we over at Ames took the crap and reaped the whirlwind.  (except Peter Hollis, who went on to take Jamesway into bankruptcy as well)

Many Ames managers had worked for Zayre and realized that we were buying a lemon.  There was a lot of negative chatter about what a stupid, destructive deal this was.  I remember we were all summoned onto a conference call and told we were forbidden to say negative things about Zayre.  Apparently Hollis and the boys feared some of this chatter making it's way to the Wall Street press and scuttling the deal.

Easily achieved within minutes via Twitter today.

most of Zayre stores were built in the 60s right? how similar was Ames and Zayre? I liked Zayre better. did Zayre really have low quality stuff?

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1524/24071385740_89998e3d32_b.jpg)

Here's a map of all the Zayre location by state. "*Z" represents the state with the Zayre corporate headquarters and Zayre stores. "ZSC" represents locations known formerly as Shoppers' City, which they acquired from Northern Retail of Minnesota and renamed Zayre Shoppers' City. "Z" just represents states with Zayre stores.

This photo is of Norwich, CT Zayre. I stole this photo from a Facebook group from Norwich. Shop Rite is now occupying this space.

I remember (vaguely) one in Canton, Ohio, in the Belden Village area.  I was under 10 at the time and we had stopped at an Arby's on Everhard Rd.; I remember seeing a huge Zayre sign.  The shopping center in question is below.

I'm wondering if BCF is now where Zayre used to be.  I did a little looking around, but I can't yet seem to find out where the store actually was.

Quote from: busman_49 on January 20, 2016, 07:34:13 AM
I remember (vaguely) one in Canton, Ohio, in the Belden Village area.  I was under 10 at the time and we had stopped at an Arby's on Everhard Rd.; I remember seeing a huge Zayre sign.  The shopping center in question is below.

I'm wondering if BCF is now where Zayre used to be.  I did a little looking around, but I can't yet seem to find out where the store actually was.

The Burlington Coat Factory was originally a Twin Valu supermarket. It would be possible that when Zayre closed their stores (and converted some to Ames) following bankruptcy in 1989, that this store was split between TJ Maxx and Twin Valu sometime in 1990.

Quote from: ShopKoFan on January 20, 2016, 07:00:18 PM

Quote from: busman_49 on January 20, 2016, 07:34:13 AM
I remember (vaguely) one in Canton, Ohio, in the Belden Village area.  I was under 10 at the time and we had stopped at an Arby's on Everhard Rd.; I remember seeing a huge Zayre sign.  The shopping center in question is below.

I'm wondering if BCF is now where Zayre used to be.  I did a little looking around, but I can't yet seem to find out where the store actually was.

The Burlington Coat Factory was originally a Twin Valu supermarket. It would be possible that when Zayre closed their stores (and converted some to Ames) following bankruptcy in 1989, that this store was split between TJ Maxx and Twin Valu sometime in 1990.

Also important to note is that at some point, one of these storefronts (it could have been TJ Maxx) was a temporary location back in the early 90s for Toys R Us.  Their location on Whipple Ave. had to be relocated due to a fire that damaged it.

In 1967, Zayre acquired the Minnesota-based Shoppers City chain and converted them to Zayre Shoppers City. Shoppers City was the predecessor to the supercenters/hypermarkets of today, having both groceries and general merchandise under one roof.

The St. Louis Park, Minnesota store, 1968:
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/zsc1968-1024x587.jpg)

Early 1970s photos of Zayre Shoppers City in St. Louis Park, Minnesota:
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ZayreCD-1024x512.jpg)
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Zayre1971CD-1024x656.jpg)
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ZayreCD2-1024x553.jpg)

By 1974 there were nine Zayre Shoppers’ City stores in Minnesota:

•63rd and Brooklyn Blvd. in Brooklyn Center
•St. Louis Park
•43rd and Central in Columbia Heights
•1740 Van Dyke in Maplewood
•2021 So. Robert Street in West St. Paul
•50th and Wadena in Duluth
•3330 West Division Street in St. Cloud
•494 and Lyndale in Bloomington
•Hanson Blvd. and “New Hiway 10” in Coon Rapids

The St. Louis Park store struggled along until the end of 1979. The Zayre Corp. was later bought by Ames in 1988 and thereafter went bankrupt amid accusations of fraudulent business practices.

Kmart took over the store in 1980 and opened in 1981. A fire happened at the St. Louis Park Kmart store on March 14, 1982. The St. Louis Park Kmart store closed for business on December 31, 1983.

The Zayre Shoppers City, now divided between a Kmart store and Red Owl Country Store, 1983:
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kmart1983-1024x347.jpg)

Red Owl Country Store took the space to the left of the Kmart from May 18, 1981 to 1985:
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/countrystore.jpg)

Burlington Coat Factory took over the store when Kmart left in 1984, Almstead's New Market replaces Red Owl Country Store (as seen in this 1994 photo):
(http://slphistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/vernon3700-1994burlington-1024x274.jpg)

^I didn't know that supercenters dated as far back as the late-1960s!  :o

Former zayre ames store in Orlando on east  colonial drive  and semoran  blvd

This  is the  zayre_ames in Joliet Illinois' 1500 1500n Larkin have Joliet

Zayre in shaumburg Illinois

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7431/26954259340_a81d6f85de.jpg)
Butler, Pennsylvania

This is the zayre in manchester nh Zayre department store on Elm Street

All those 70's cars in the parking lot take me back!

Quote from: Amesdepartmentstores on February 21, 2017, 12:22:03 AM
This is the zayre in manchester nh Zayre department store on Elm Street

no pic.

This is one of the zayre stores in daytona beach fl

one of the zayre stores in miami

Howdy all,

I was browsing through some old posts on the Zayre board and I came across this post regarding some leftover Zayre signage at the Walmart in Brockton, NY

http://amesfanclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=1125.msg22549#msg22549

Well, I logged onto Google Maps to see if the signs were still out there, and sure enough they are! Walmart moved out of the property, which is now owned by a hardware store named Runnings, but as of July 2018 the Zayre-styled Enter/Exit signs are still there. Check it out for yourself!

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)

Quote from: rsammataro1126 on October 18, 2018, 07:35:14 AM
Howdy all,

I was browsing through some old posts on the Zayre board and I came across this post regarding some leftover Zayre signage at the Walmart in Brockton, NY

http://amesfanclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=1125.msg22549#msg22549

Well, I logged onto Google Maps to see if the signs were still out there, and sure enough they are! Walmart moved out of the property, which is now owned by a hardware store named Runnings, but as of July 2018 the Zayre-styled Enter/Exit signs are still there. Check it out for yourself!

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)

Great find!

Quote from: rsammataro1126 on October 18, 2018, 07:35:14 AM
Howdy all,

I was browsing through some old posts on the Zayre board and I came across this post regarding some leftover Zayre signage at the Walmart in Brockton, NY

http://amesfanclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=1125.msg22549#msg22549

Well, I logged onto Google Maps to see if the signs were still out there, and sure enough they are! Walmart moved out of the property, which is now owned by a hardware store named Runnings, but as of July 2018 the Zayre-styled Enter/Exit signs are still there. Check it out for yourself!

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1952836,-77.9435497,3a,16.9y,222.42h,77.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smUQn45iM0uw2zxxmyoOAjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)

Excellent find!

There was a Zayre store in Terre Haute, IN that for one reason or another never became Ames after they acquired Zayre.

Its kinda funny in an ironic way because the building that used to be Zayre was eventually turned into a Hills discount store, which later did, in fact, become Ames after that acquisition went through.

Yes I went by that one last year it's a Burlington now I passed it going back home to Florida

Quote from: Caldor1999 on May 07, 2005, 02:13:44 PMheas a runed down Zayer this one i bet did not become ames

Not swing the photo

Quote from: Caldor1999 on February 28, 2006, 04:41:42 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
and hears teh outside of teh ames im still trying to guss what fomer store it qwas i wouldet wanna say kinggs i would wanans ay zayer because of the auto center

The Hudson store (Which started as a Barkers then became Kings then Ames) also had (still has, actually) an auto center area - not sure if Barkers used it at one point or when, when Kings was there it wasn't used but for storage, after Ames took over it was still empty for a while then was leased out to a local person to run.

Perhaps the Carmel one was the same (maybe
Barkers->Kings->Ames)??

hymm idk if barkers had auto centers but if it did then i would say it was a barkers that got a rentvation or m,aby it was always a ames that just happend to have a auto center in it

Quote from: Caldor1999 on February 28, 2006, 04:41:42 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr

QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
and hears teh outside of teh ames im still trying to guss what fomer store it qwas i wouldet wanna say kinggs i would wanans ay zayer because of the auto center

The Hudson store (Which started as a Barkers then became Kings then Ames) also had (still has, actually) an auto center area - not sure if Barkers used it at one point or when, when Kings was there it wasn't used but for storage, after Ames took over it was still empty for a while then was leased out to a local person to run.

Perhaps the Carmel one was the same (maybe
Barkers->Kings->Ames)??

hymm idk if barkers had auto centers but if it did then i would say it was a barkers that got a rentvation or m,aby it was always a ames that just happend to have a auto center in it

The Ames store on Brewster Ave in Caramel did in fact start out as a Barkers, which was later a King's, than an Ames.

There were two Zayre stores near me in Pittsburgh.  One was in the Great Southern Shopping Center in Bridgeville.  That space is now shared between a combined TJ Maxx/Homegoods store and a beer distributor.  The other was on the third level of the now-demolished Parkway Center Mall.  Ames apparently had no interest in keeping that space after the merger.  It ended up being divided between CompUSA and Syms Mens Clothing. When both of those bit the dust the mall sealed-off the third level entirely and became a two-level mall.

Old photos of the Elm Street Zayre in Manchester NH (now the snhu arena, urban renewal) crazy that they tried a foods concept I didn't know that, also the store next to Zayre was at that time a state of the art supermarket later bought out a few times and now is essentially Hannafords (ferrettis-alexanders-shop&save-hannafords)