Rich's

[Anonymous]

Closed all their stores in 1997 not 1996 and most stores has became ames

[Zayre88]

Rich's closed many stores in 1996 and finally closed the remaining stores in 1997.    

At least five were acquired by Ames: Bangor and Falmouth ME, Manchester and Lebanon NH and St. Johnsbury VT.

This pictures shows the entrance of the Waterville ME store.
(july 2004)

[76&AmesfanmanBBTB]

Originally posted by Zayre88
Rich's closed many stores in 1996 and finally closed the remaining stores in 1997.    

At least five were acquired by Ames: Bangor and Falmouth ME, Manchester and Lebanon NH and St. Johnsbury VT.

This pictures shows the entrance of the Waterville ME store.
(july 2004)

WOW COOL!:cool:

[Zayre88]

Here is a cool pic.  In Auburn ME, the Rich's was divided in two and half of it is now Big Lots.  Big Lots expanded their backstore by adding another back wall with another set of doors.  

You can still see the Rich's signage (Rugs, Furniture Domestics...) on the real back wall of the store wich is now inside the newly created storage area!

[Caldor1999]

i always get bouth rich;s mixed up  cause theres a dept store names rich's too

[Zayre88]

Here is a Rich's sales circular

[Zayre88]

The Rich's logo is still ther on the sign of the JFK Plaza in Waterville.  It's just covered up with a white plate.  You can still see a  glimpse of the R and the right side of the S because the plate is a bit too small.  They spray painted the two letters.

I recreated the logo on the other pic :yup:

[Zayre88]

There was that Rich's, the discount department store chain that operated in New England.

The other Rich's department store is a division operated by Federated (Macy's)

[Zayre88]

A short list of Rich's location.  You can add:
Rochester, Concord, Manchester, Gorham, Gilford  NH
Falmouth ME
Berlin, St.Joshsbury VT
Fitchburg, Haverhill, Milford, Gardner, Middleborough, Plymouth, Greenfield MA
Wakefield RI

[Zayre88]

Yeah, i've read those signs.  It's funny :roll:  All that i know is that they were probably added by the actual tenant of the store wich is L.L.Bean.

[d_fife]

the first store was in Salem MAss, opened in 1961. The 2nd one was in NAshua NH. The one in NAshua opened in 1965 and closed in June 1996, 9 months before the whole chain went. The one in Nashua was dirty and tiny. The one in Salem mass became wal-mart.

The chain closed stores like this: fall 1995: auburn and Calais Me and early 1996 Kingstown RI, NAshua NH closed june 1996, late 1996: waterville me, rochester and Portsmouth NH, and milford and plymouth mass closed.
Their stores were about the size of a Zayre or bigger ames like the 60s to 70s of thousands of square feet.

THESE WERE their stores in opening order: and known square feet and possible open date, and what the store once was and became after it closed.

#1).Salem:Highland Plaza,Highland 1961 now wal-mart
#2).Nashua:Turnpike Plaza,Amherst st(Rt.101A)(Opened
65 Now BOB"s stores (it expanded space) and STaples
#3).West Lebonon:80,656 square feet.Upper Valley Plaza, Plainfield Ave(Rt.12) opened 68, added 30,000 square feet in 1991, now Ames, then kohl's.
#4).Gardner:67,000 square feet.Timpany Plaza,Timpany Blvd(Opened 1970) now subleased to Big Lots, DOllar Tre and cinema
#5).Plymouth:75,000 square feet.Standish Plaza,Samoset st(Rt.44)(Opened 1970 NOW staples
(#6).Rochester:Rochester Mall,North Main st(Rt.11)(Opened 70 ) NOW home depot
#7).Gorham:Mountain Valley Plaza,Berlin-Gorham Rd(Rt.16) op 73, now an expanded wal-mart, wal-mart relocates in 07
(#8).Portsmouth:75,000 square feet.Southgate Plaza, Lafayette Rd(Rt.1)(Opened ?) (WAS MAMMOTH MART) Now Big Lots and goodwill
#9).Biddeford:67,000 square feet.5 Points Shopping Center, Alfred Rd(Rt.111)opened 73 now Staples
#10).Marlboro:Rt.20(Post Road)Plaza,Boston Post Rd(Rt.20)opened 1979, now Ocean state job lots and marshalls
(#11).Concord:66,700 square feet.Fort Eddy Plaza,Fort Eddy Rd(Opened July 11,1979 ,expanded in 1983, now Borders and STaples.
#12).Fitchburg:Wallace Plaza,John Fitch Hwy(Opened
1981, NOW Family DOllar and BIg Lots
#13).Waterville:JFK Mall,Kennedy Memorial Rd(Opened
1982
#14).Bangor:77,352 square feet.Airport Mall,Union st(Opened May 1983) (WAS ORIGINALLY WOOLCO) NOW Ames, then MArshalls and DOllar tree
#15).Falmouth:68,000 square feet.Falmouth Shopping Center,Main st(Rt.1) op 1968 (WAS KING's BEfore and MAybe MAmmoth mart before), Now Ames, then a relocated Shaw's
(#16).Keene:72,714 square feet.West Street Shopping Center,West st(Opened 83, expanded in 1993, Now JCPENNY
(#17).Manchester:72,550 square feet.Eastside Plaza, Hanover st(Opened 1986) (WAS LORD's department store before this) NOW AMes (That closed)
#18).Berlin:66,300 square feet.Berlin Mall,Fisher Rd+ Rt.64+ Berlin mall Rd opened 1986, now wal-mart
#19).Greenfield:65,000 square feet.Greenfield Plaza, Mohawk Trail(Rt.2)(Opened 1987) Now staples)
#20).Danvers:Danvers Plaza,Newbury st(Rt.1)+Rt.62 (Opened 87) plaza was BUILT IN 1964) NOW a 77,700 square foot STop and shop that demolished the building
#21).Methuen:70,000 square feet.Merrimac Plaza,Haverhill
st(Rt.113)(Opened 88) (PLAZA BUILT IN 1970) Now Dollar Tree, AJ WRIGHT and DOts
#22).Middleboro:Middleboro Crossing Shopping Center, Grove st(Opened 89) HALF OF THE BUILDING NOW OCEAN STATE JOB LOTS
 #23).Auburn:72,000 square feet.Auburn Plaza,Center st(Rt. 4)(Opened 90) Now subleased to BIg Lots and crafts
#24).Calais:50,000 square feet.Main st(Opened 1990)(Closed December 1995)Now MArden's
#25).St.Johnsbury:60,526 square feet.Green Mountain Mall, Railroad st(Opened 91) (BEFORE IT WAS AMES AND BEFORE THAT IT WAS ZAYRE) NOW AMES
(#26).Gilford:70,250 square feet.Rich’s Plaza,Lake Shore
Rd(Rt.11)(Opened 1991) NOW wal-mart)
#27).Wakefield(South Kingston):71,520 square feet. Wakefield Mall,Old Tower opened 1994. (WAS WOOLWORTH BEFORE THIS) (CLosed MArch 1996) NOW Shaw's
#28).Milford:Fair Shopping Center,East Main st(Rt.146) (WAS FAIR DEPARTMENT STORE BEFORE THIS) NOW half of it is Big Lots
#29).Winchendon(Northbridge):62,000 square feet. Winchendon Plaza, (OPENED AUGUST 1995, AND LAST RICH's to open) (BEFORE IT WAS FAIR DEPARTMENT STORE) NOW Wal-mart, that will relocate next year

The one in Gilford NH was my closest and it opened October 1991. The store was around 70000 square feet and became a wal-mart in early 1998. here is the picture of Gilford. THE ONE IN MIDDLEBORO MASS LOOKED LIKE THAT!!!

[d_fife]

this was the one in concord NH. It was 66,700 square feet, and opened July 1979 and is now Staples and Borders.

[d_fife]

this was the one in West lebanon NH. THE LETTERING ALWAYS STAYED ON THE BUILDING.  It was the 3rd store and opened November 1968 and was then 50,000 square feet and got expanded to about 81,000 square feet in 1991 and was the biggest Rich's in the chain.

THE ONE IN NASHUA WAS KIND OF LIKE THIS ONE EXCEPT THE building was white (Ahove the entrence way) and the last 1/5 of the building (to the right) was brown) the one in NAshua had the lettering ontop. THE NASHUA STORE WAS THE 2nd store and that one opened in 1965, closed June 1996 (3 months after the company filed for bankrupy and 9 months before th chain closed) and is now an expanded Bobs stores and Staples.

[d_fife]

This was the one in MAnchester NH. It waas lord's department store, it opened in 1986 and was 72,000 square feet and became Ames and is now Building 19.

[d_fife]

this was the one in Portsmouth nh. IT is 75,000 square feet and opened in 1977 and was mammoth mart and was among the 5 the company closed around X-mas 1996.

[d_fife]

this was the one in rochester nh. IT was in the ROchester MAll and it opened in like maybe 1970, and it closed with Portsmouth NH, Waterville Me, Plymouth and Milford Mass, in December 1996.

[d_fife]

this was the one in bangor me. that was 77,000 square feet, opened in 1983 and was a woolco. it became Ames and is now Dollar Tree and Marshalls.

[d_fife]

this was the one in Biddeford me. it opened `1974 and was 67,000 square feet. iut is now staples as you see.

[d_fife]

this is the one in Calais maine. this was 50,000 square feet and opened in 1990 and closed in late 1995, due to the less and les of canadians crossing the border.

[Zayre88]

We can see part of the "S" from Rich's on the JFK Plaza sign in Waterville.  A board covers most of the logo and the rest was painted over...

[HoJofan206]

A bit off of topic, but how big is the city of Bagor Maine?

[d_fife]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
A bit off of topic, but how big is the city of Bagor Maine?

Bangor maine has 31,000 people and is 135 miles north of Portland maine and 183 miles north of Portsmouth NH.

THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE Rich's in Auburn Maine. IT opened in 1990 and closed in late 1995. IT was 72,000 square feet.

I actually saw it vacant when it had the lettering on.

[Zayre88]

In fact, the Auburn Rich's always looked like this.  I think it was built in 1991 as a new store in a new plaza.  That same style can be found at the Waterville store but slightly different (brick and colors)

That store existed and was renovated with the new look.

[d_fife]

THis was the RIch's in FAlmouth maine. it was I beleive store number 18, so it must have opened 1983 and was I think a King's before, The store was said to be 68,000 square feet. Ames replaced it in July 97 and closed march 02.

This will become Shaw's newer and more updated location

[d_fife]

This was the rich's in St. Johnsbury Vt in the Green mountain mall. IT was 60,526 square feet and opened as Rich's in 1991. Before Rich's it was Ames that closed in early 1990 because there was an Ames down the road, and before Ames it was ZAYRE, which opened 1974. When Rich's closed, it became Ames.

[d_fife]

another picture

[d_fife]

the building at the very left end was Rich's. This Rich's was in Berlin Vermont. Berlin is near Montpiler. The stoer was in a small indoor mall. Teh Rich's was 66,300 square feet and opened 1986. Rich's closed in March 1997 and became WAl-mart in 1999.

[d_fife]

This Rich's was in Whitinsville Massachusetts. The Rich's opened August 1995 and was the last Rich's to open, it closed MArch 1997. Before Rich's it was FAir Department store. The store was 62,980 square fet. Wal-mart replaced it in October 1997 and will move in 2006 to a bigger supercneter.  I went in this wal-mart last year and it was very small.

[d_fife]

in post: posted on 13/7/2005 at 12:49 AM

I added the Rich's picture in Rochester NH and gave more description of it. COncord NH was going to close with ROchester, but they changed their minds in closing the one in Concord NH.

In like 1994, Rich's started to get very junky and the clothing got smelly, the lighting was getting dimmer and the merchandise was just junky. They filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 1996 (I WAS NOT SURPRISED AT THE TIME), RICh's started to get better in fall 1996, BUT IT WAS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE, and they announced a shutdown in december 1996 (The week before christmas), and said bad christmas sales caused it to shut down.

[Zayre88]

Here's the former Rich's in Salem MA.  The entrance does look like the ones found at other Rich's...