Kings

[Rayco7030]

Originally posted by Rayco7030
LOCATIONS  (According to zayre 88's site)
 
 Cumberland MD
Virginia Beach VA
Youngstown OH
Wilmington NC
Owensboro KY
Sanford NC
Ashboro NC
Fairless Hills PA
Statesville NC
 

a kings in maryland virginia and north carolina and kentucky wow i didnt even noticed that till today

thats a 10 hour ride to virginia

[farmingtonvalleymall]

[Rayco7030]

:holysh:  wow a kings olor ad
cant belive it

look at the locations  elongmeadow agawam ludlow and chicopee anybody with a site with kings better have these locations

the agawam and e longmeadow were ames  

the ludlow and chicopee MARS

[farmingtonvalleymall]

Originally posted by Rayco7030
:holysh:  wow a kings olor ad
cant belive it

look at the locations  elongmeadow agawam ludlow and chicopee anybody with a site with kings better have these locations

the agawam and e longmeadow were ames  

the ludlow and chicopee MARS

Another one I have from 1979 lists additional locations in Lenox (rt 20, Pittsfield state rd), West Hartford (prospect & Kane sts), Greenfield (rt 2)

[XISMZERO]

Here's the AGAWAM, MASS. location, located at the corner of Suffield St. & Silver St. It was an Ames, the interior still has giant red "A" decals on the walls.

I visited this place in September 2006. It's a Flea Market now and is only open on weekends. I visited on a weekday and was sadly ambushed by rain but the day cleared up later :)

The King's in Plainville, CT and formerly Grants, was also later to become "MARS." Does anyone remember this short-lived northeastern discounter?

[C. Fontaine]

The Ames in my hometown Dudley, MA was a mars.  Way back in the day I found  a sealed pill bottle in the woods with a MARS receipt in it!

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by farmingtonvalleymall
Another one I have from 1979 lists additional locations in Lenox (rt 20, Pittsfield state rd), West Hartford (prospect & Kane sts), Greenfield (rt 2)

Lenox was (probably) the one that became Ames until they finally closed.

[standa]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
Here's the AGAWAM, MASS. location, located at the corner of Suffield St. & Silver St. It was an Ames, the interior still has giant red "A" decals on the walls.

I visited this place in September 2006. It's a Flea Market now and is only open on weekends. I visited on a weekday and was sadly ambushed by rain but the day cleared up later :)

The King's in Plainville, CT and formerly Grants, was also later to become "MARS." Does anyone remember this short-lived northeastern discounter?

I remember Mars was also located on Middletown Avenue, North Haven, CT and at the Milford, CT Plaza.  I never went to it but I remember reading it had several locations in CT and neighboring states.  The North Haven store (in a former Mammoth Mart, perhaps also Kings) was in a Plaza that also had Finast.  The whole shopping center was torn down not long after Mars closed in the late 80s (I think).  The Milford Plaza store is now a Bob's.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
Here's the AGAWAM, MASS. location, located at the corner of Suffield St. & Silver St. It was an Ames, the interior still has giant red "A" decals on the walls.

I visited this place in September 2006. It's a Flea Market now and is only open on weekends. I visited on a weekday and was sadly ambushed by rain but the day cleared up later :)

The King's in Plainville, CT and formerly Grants, was also later to become "MARS." Does anyone remember this short-lived northeastern discounter?

this location looks like it might have been a grand union as well

[XISMZERO]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
this location looks like it might have been a grand union as well

This was never a Grand Union here but the supermarket Geissler's on the other side of the plaza must've been. Here's what it looks like (decide for yourself!)

I think it was likely once a Grand Union.

[Anonymous]

in the 80's I worked at the zayre department store in sanford nc. I would like to know what street it was located on in Sanford nc
dp  prefermusic@aol.com

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by XISMZERO

Originally posted by Caldor1999
this location looks like it might have been a grand union as well

This was never a Grand Union here but the supermarket Geissler's on the other side of the plaza must've been. Here's what it looks like (decide for yourself!)

I think it was likely once a Grand Union.

I'm assuming that this Geissler's is on the "other side" of the plaza in Agawam?

If so, it probably isn't a Grand Union (though both that and the Kings/Ames look like they could have been), unless it was an older store, as there were no Grand Unions in MA at least since the early 80's (excluding the ones they now have, bought from A&P near/on the islands) - not sure about prior to that.
And the store from earlier (say 1977) had a different (no arches) design.

Of course, if it's in another plaza, all bets are off ;)

[Anonymous]

Regarding MARS:

I recall the Mars Bargainland, USA on the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester, coming out of Boston.  Mars shared the plaza with Stop & Shop, then a smaller, local chained based in nearby Quincy MA.  The bright neon and fluorescent signage really caught your attention, and the parking lot also hosted the huge animated sign for the Neponset Twin Drive-In Theatre.  Lots of eye candy on that side of the road at night!

Not to mention another great store up the road, closer to Boston.  The plaza stills stands, with a National Wholesale Liquidators having taken over the space once occupied by Bradlees for over 20 years.  But before Bradlees, it was a discount store called "Orbit", with a wild pink "satellite" type sign, with flashing neon rings around the ORBIT moniker.  Obviously, an attempt to share the space theme with their competition from Mars!

[mikey7290]

Originally posted by Rayco7030
LOCATIONS  (According to zayre 88's site)
 
 Cumberland MD
Virginia Beach VA
Youngstown OH
Wilmington NC
Owensboro KY
Sanford NC
Ashboro NC
Fairless Hills PA
Statesville NC
 
  Falmouth ME
Bangor ME
Fairhaven MA
New Bedford MA
Tewksbury MA
Brattleboro VT
Plaistow NH
Hyannis MA
Methuen MA
Amesbury MA  
 Concord NH
Somersworth NH
Derby VT
Wallingford CT
New Haven CT
Hamden CT
Brockton MA
Augusta ME
Ellsworth ME
Rockland ME

There's one site not listed here that I just found out about last night.  There was a King's located in Plattsburgh, NY.  It was in the Skyway Shopping Center from 1968 until it became an Ames in the 1980's.  I have no idea what the store is now.

[darkmoon9]

We had a Kings in Minersville,Pa. just outside of Pottsville,Pa.  The store was never taken over by Ames, it just went empty for a number of years.  Then was divided into a strip mall. The site of the store is where The Pottsville Maroons Pro Football team (1925 champs).  Played their games. Their story was told in the book "The Breaker Boys".

[Harry513]

We had a King's in Gloucester Massachusetts which became an Ames. Ames lasted right till the end. Entire plaza demolished for a new Super Stop and Shop and CVS.

[TRJ22487]

1988 Muncie, Indiana from Flickr user House of Hall

[Retail_247]

Here's an interesting King's ad I found on Newspapers.com, from October 21st, 1982.

"EMERGENCY Cash Rising Sale"

"THIS IS NO ORDINARY EVENT! OUR VERY SURVIVAL IS AT STAKE"

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They went out of business two years later