Ames

[patk]

thax i do my best for the past :bouncing:

[CTAmeshopper]

Wow, 6 years on and many are still vacant, are these located in hard to find places?, I know many Ames were seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

[tokensafari]

I think it was a draw. Ames had stores in podunk towns and i think they had an equal amount of stores in well known locations. I know Hills was the same way. They went wherever they thought they could do business. Which was really genius. Ames and Hills both served these rural markets.

[C. Fontaine]

Big update for Agawam!  No more overgrowth at this plaza.  The entire plaza is newy remodeled and ready for business!

I took a ride down here after a job interview today and I almost choked!  This area didn't look nearly ready for development, and what do you know.  Now our former Ames has a twin entrance!

http://www.amesfanclub.com/archive/main.php/v/ames/stores/MA/agawam/151+Springfield+St/053008/

[Marc82]

WOW!

[katnapped]

Originally posted by patk
the Lutherville-Timonium md ames as of 4/6/08

:yup:

Supposedly was to be demolished and replaced with a Giant food store but the chain still hasn't presented plans for the property

[patk]

hope thay dont :flaming:

[beachgal26]

Hey, Chris!  I'm sure that you'd checked, but were there any old mementos of the Ames store remaining?  Also, what are they planning to put in its place?  Lastly, did they ever do anything with the corporate offices or are they still vacant?

:huh::huh::huh:

[C. Fontaine]

Hmm.  Not so much, I couldn't really hang around too much because of their being a team of guys in the store at the time.  The store itself has been completely gutted inside.  Other than the outside it was hard to tell it was an Ames or Zayre.  Nick has the receiving sign luckily.  Other than the Ames pylon still being in the roadway sign, nothing else to suggest it was Ames unfortunately.

I'm not sure what the plans for the plaza are, it didn't look like anything had been moved in yet.

As for the home offices, to my knowledge there has been some interest in them, but nothing has happened yet.  Nick, I think you're closer to that neck of the woods, maybe you could find out?

Someone did post some interesting comment on the photo gallery about the planogram building though.  Apparently it used to be an old grocery store!

[videogamer75]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
hears a Ames picture from 1988 u can tell its from that year because on the movie listing belowe the ames sign

Haha the naked gun was a hilarious movie. that pic is awesomely 80's.

[videogamer75]

I have never liked Ames. I'm sorry, but, they are one store I do not miss.

[Ameskid]

Wow...from Ames to condos?  If I had to guess, I'd say that they're NOT the same building.  Does anyone find it ironic that on the AMES Fan Club, Caldor is most discussed??  :insane:

[Mobil]

In the Ames store locator, it says there was an Ames in Upper Chichester, PA, there never was one.
:huh::huh::huh:

[C. Fontaine]

I dont see one?

http://www.amesfanclub.com/locations/getstores.php?state=PA

[Mobil]

Originally posted by C. Fontaine
I dont see one?

http://www.amesfanclub.com/locations/getstores.php?state=PA

Sorry! It was not this site, it was on Wikipedia. They have deleted many lists of former stores because of "unverifiability". This is the only store I have ever seen on Wikipedia that did not exist.

[C. Fontaine]

Haha,  they can use this site to verify them, as these stores have come from corporate lists.  Not to mention we have pictures of most of them!

[Mobil]

Originally posted by C. Fontaine
Haha,  they can use this site to verify them, as these stores have come from corporate lists.  Not to mention we have pictures of most of them!

Well sadly, some of them are not deleted because of verifiability, but notability. They think these lists are "fancruft". :hurt::no::flaming:

Ames's flagship store was a former Kmart! (Sturbridge, MA)

[patk]

the Woodbridge, VA ames as of 10/17!

i think we all know wats under that tarp :)

[TRJ22487]

I took these photos from a speeding car March 21, 2004 in Winsted, Connecticut. I think I took it because at the time I wasn't aware there were still a bunch of vacant ones standing



I've scoured the entire website, and I'm shocked that there is absolutely no photos or mention of the store in Springfield, Vermont! It was tucked in the corner of the plaza with a Grand Union at the end, and I remember there was a small ice cream booth smack in the middle of the parking lot. I was born in the hospital practically right behind that Ames and that plaza was pretty much the plaza of my childhood.
My mother wet her pants in that Ames when I was a little kid, and she thought I was too young to remember it :insane:
Also when I lived in Springfield I had a friend names James and he thought the store was picking on his name.

I moved to Keene in 1995 and have memories of Ames mostly from North Walpole, New Hampshire when it was next to IGA and the tiny tiny tiny tiny TINY one in Peterborough, New Hampshire

That is Ocean State Job Lot now. There was an A&P at the other side of the plaza. It became a different grocery store, but now is completely empty, looks really barren with the giant window it has out front.

I remember the West Lebanon one too, which came into the old Rich's in 1997. That was a huge store. I used to go to it all the time as Rich's, not so much as Ames, it didn't last long, and I always went to the Kmart in that town once Rich's went down. My major gripe about Ames and Bradlees was that the electronics department was always so horribly out of date. But the stores always made me feel nostalgic, even when they still existed.

If anyone remembers the West Lebanon store (it's now a Kohl's) does anyone have any idea what supermarket was on the other side of the plaza before it became a Shaws? It was probably a Shaws by the time Ames was there, but in the Rich's days it was something else, but still a supermarket. It wasn't Sun Foods, Shop & Save, Edwards....it was something else but I have no idea what. It's always been strange since it became a Shaws because there's a Shaws right down the street literally about 200 yards away. And its been that way for over a decade now

[C3Nostalgia]

The Baptist Road Ames in Bethel Park, PA that was formerly a Hills.  Since then, this entire plaza has been bulldozed and a Lowes built on the site.

[wwefan101]

i kind of  dont miss ames but  i miss  geting my new jeans at it  they allways had my size no one elase really does

[CTAmeshopper]

Originally posted by TRJ22487
I took these photos from a speeding car March 21, 2004 in Winsted, Connecticut. I think I took it because at the time I wasn't aware there were still a bunch of vacant ones standing



I've scoured the entire website, and I'm shocked that there is absolutely no photos or mention of the store in Springfield, Vermont! It was tucked in the corner of the plaza with a Grand Union at the end, and I remember there was a small ice cream booth smack in the middle of the parking lot. I was born in the hospital practically right behind that Ames and that plaza was pretty much the plaza of my childhood.
My mother wet her pants in that Ames when I was a little kid, and she thought I was too young to remember it :insane:
Also when I lived in Springfield I had a friend names James and he thought the store was picking on his name.

I moved to Keene in 1995 and have memories of Ames mostly from North Walpole, New Hampshire when it was next to IGA and the tiny tiny tiny tiny TINY one in Peterborough, New Hampshire

That is Ocean State Job Lot now. There was an A&P at the other side of the plaza. It became a different grocery store, but now is completely empty, looks really barren with the giant window it has out front.

I remember the West Lebanon one too, which came into the old Rich's in 1997. That was a huge store. I used to go to it all the time as Rich's, not so much as Ames, it didn't last long, and I always went to the Kmart in that town once Rich's went down. My major gripe about Ames and Bradlees was that the electronics department was always so horribly out of date. But the stores always made me feel nostalgic, even when they still existed.

If anyone remembers the West Lebanon store (it's now a Kohl's) does anyone have any idea what supermarket was on the other side of the plaza before it became a Shaws? It was probably a Shaws by the time Ames was there, but in the Rich's days it was something else, but still a supermarket. It wasn't Sun Foods, Shop & Save, Edwards....it was something else but I have no idea what. It's always been strange since it became a Shaws because there's a Shaws right down the street literally about 200 yards away. And its been that way for over a decade now

Those first two pictures bring back so many memories, I used to shop there a lot with my parents and grandparents (r.i.p.) it was a good store sorta dark inside but a good store nonetheless. Now it doesn't look like that anymore. :(

[BillyGr]

You never know where something is going to pop up.

I got this at the Ocean State Job Lot here in Valatie today (1/23/09) - wonder where they got it from?

[BillyGr]

The strange part is, I don't remember Ames ever having paper bags in the first place.

Also, this would appear to be a bit older (red logo rather than green) and is a full sized paper bag, similar to what you'd expect to see at the grocery store.

And, this OSJL is new last year, so it's not like they had them stashed in the back somewhere - I only saw a handful on one register counter.

Anyone seen something like this before?

[videogamer75]

Very interesting find. I have to say I have never seen a discount store use a big paper bag like that.

[TRJ22487]

I took these pictures yesterday (1/24/2008)

Walpole, NH Former Ames (Road still called Ames Plaza Rd - couldn't get a picture due to traffic)


Springfield, VT Former Ames (First picture online?)(Former Grand Union at end of plaza has been completely remodeled inside and out - my family's construction business is to blame!!!)(Former Price Chopper across street now Rite Aid)
(The little Friendly's next to it exactly the same since the 80's)


Drove behind the back of both buildings but found nothing remarkable sadly

[TRJ22487]

Straight down the road from my house are two former Ames within 30 minutes.
Don't even have to take a single turn. I figured I shoot down real quick and snap some pictures.
I'll post the second store I went to first since it's the less remarkable of the two



^This photo is from the store locator and is dated 1999
Milford, NH *Granite Town Plaza* - All pics taken by me 1/25/2009
(Now Gold's Gym/Tractor Supply Co)
Just last year the entire plaza still had Green paint. It has since been entirely redone

^ My car! (former Grand Union?)




^ Left Entrance

^Inside the Right Entrance



The first store I visited is the better of the two
You can still consider much of it vintage

^This photo is listed in *UNKNOWN STORES* This is not Peterborough, NH - I was mistaken. It is very similar
Peterborough, NH *Peterborough Plaza* - All pictures taken by me 1/25/2009
(Now Ocean State Job Lot)
I was hoping to find Ames carts, but unfortunately all OSJL




^Left Entrance

^ Right Entrance (I'm in the reflection of the enter door)







^Service desk still has green top

[C. Fontaine]

NICE job!!! Could you maybe zip the raw photo's for these locations and email them to me?  It will be much easier for me to upload them to the locator!

[TRJ22487]

Originally posted by C. Fontaine
NICE job!!! Could you maybe zip the raw photo's for these locations and email them to me?  It will be much easier for me to upload them to the locator!

I'd love to and I consider myself fairly computer literate
But I don't know how to do that....
I'd love for you to add them to the locator though, could you credit me?
I'd like to go back to Peterborough and snoop around a bit more...

[C. Fontaine]

Of course, every picture in the locator is credited to whoever took them!  Hmm you don't need to zip them, if you could just email them to me that would be fantastic!