AM&A's

[Jag67]

Just anything on them. They were a local Buffalo chain that closed in 1994-95 and all their locations were taken over By The Bon-Ton.

I'll start. Here is an ad from 1976 that shows their locations at the time. The paintings were done in 1972, BTW. I've been to 2 of these locations while they were both AM&A's and Bon-Ton, Sheridan and Eastern Hills. The sheridan location is filthy, while the Eastern Hills location looks almost the same.

[Jag67]

Here's a pic of the downtown location I snapped in January. More on it in my topic on it.

[Jag67]

Here's the southgate location in 1993. I didn't take this, of cours, as I was only 2 in 1993.

[Jag67]

Sheridan location in 1993.

[Jag67]

Nother view.

[Jag67]

Northtown location in 1993. This looks exactly the same today, except where it said "AM&A's" it now says "THe Bon-Ton". That's it.

[Caldor1999]

I Never Heard of AM&A's ive heard of Bon Ton but we dont have any hear

[Jag67]

Yes, AM&A's was very very local and not too many non-Buffalonians know about them. They wee the last local buffalo Department store.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by Jag67
Yes, AM&A's was very very local and not too many non-Buffalonians know about them. They wee the last local buffalo Department store.

o im far from, bufflo i live in Mont Kisco NY and thats Kinda near New York City

[76fanAmesmanBBTB]

DONT KNOW THE STORE BUT INTERSTING LOGO!

[jmn3]

AM&A's was a great old store and was sadly missed by WNYers after they sold out to The Bon-Ton.

By 1994/95, there were 10 locations in WNY:
Downtown - The Bon-Ton closed this store in March 1995.  You'd think a family member died when the announcement came out.  It was detrimental to a downtown already in major decline.  This was one of the last locally owned dept. stores (Jenss was the last in 2000) and the very last of the major downtown stores.  The building was purchased/GIVEN to a local businessman who failed at an attempt to open a very exclusive mini-dept. store called Taylor's in the late 90's.  A store with a no-jeans dress code and a doorman to enforce it is just not going to survive in Downtown Buffalo anymore.

Walden Galleria - This was originally built to be a location of the B. Altman Co. of NYC. The lettering was up for months while that chain was going through bankruptcy but the store never opened.  Eventually, AM&A's cancelled plans to build a new store at Galleria and just moved into the building that was to be B. Altman.  When this location opened in 1990/91, it replaced a the Thruway Mall store down the street which dates to the early 50's (Thruway Plaza).  While that mall is gone, the former AM&A's building lives on as Value City Furniture.

Sheridan Plaza - The facade was updated big time in 2000 when Tops Markets demolished 3/4 of the original plaza to build their new location.  

Northtown Plaza - Built around 1961, this store was originally a Hens & Kelly location.  H&K's closed in 1981 and AM&A's moved in shortly thereafter.  

Lockport Mall - This location still remains and will be the only remaining piece of the mall once Wal-Mart finalizes their plans to knock the mall down and put up a SuperCenter.

Olean Mall

McKinley Mall - Opened in 1985

Southgate Plaza - Opened in the very early 60's and although clean inside, it is dated!

Summit Park Mall - Located near Niagara Falls in the Town of Wheatfield.  The mall has been in decline for years but Bon-Ton and Sears have stuck it out.

Eastern Hills

[Jag67]

WOW. omg I never knew this stuff!!! You are amazing. How do you know all this?? Here's a pic of the Eastern Hills Location today, now Bon-Ton, obviously. Sure hasn't changed much. I remember Sheridan Plaza..It was so awesome. Then it was demolished in 1999 for TOPS. Blah. It was built in 1950, so I'm guessing that's when that store was built. Heheh you can tell The Northtown location was built in 1961 because it's so ugly!!! I never Knew It was Hens & Kelley's. Thanx.

[jmn3]

Heh...I dunno...retail always interested me as a kid.  Plus, when the downtown AM&A's/The Bon-Ton was closed, the News did some major articles on retail history downtown and in the suburbs.  There was a TON of info there that I just absorbed and never forgot!!  

The Northtown Bon-Ton you may notice, looks similar to the Hens & Kelly location built around 1959/60 at the South Shore Plaza (now Brierwood Square) in Hamburg.  That store was for a long time what everyone just referred to as "the junk store."  They basically sold a bunch of junk pretty cheap.  The name of that store was "Kelly," they just took down the "Hens" and the "&" and left the store as "Kelly."  It still stands, along with the rest of the mostly empty plaza.  A Bank of America, World Gym, D&K, a carpet store, and a bar are all that remain.  Maybe I'll see if I can get some pics in a few weeks if I can make it over there and post.

[Jag67]

Here's a pic of the old H&K you mentioned. Also, I'll try to get a pic of the old Thruway location, which is now Valu City. They're going thru a big renovation of the exterior right now. I'll also try to get snaps of the Galleria and Sheridan and Northtown locations when I can.

[Jag67]

Oh, and here's another view of the Eastern Hills location, and some inside shots.

[Jag67]

Bedding Dept. (Sorry about the quality, this was taken on my old camera.)

[Jag67]

1st floor (again, sorry)

[Jag67]

Here is the Northtown location. Same as always.

[jmn3]

Not sure what it's like these days, but last time I was in the Northtown store about five years ago...it was pretty ugly inside as well.  Talk about dated!  The flooring is about as bad as the floor at Southgate...clean, but OLD!  

From what I've read though, this is one of Bon-Ton's best locations, with regard to net profit, locally.  Go figure, when they took over AM&A's in 1995, I would have put money down that they would have closed Northtown and Sheridan within two years and built a new store at Boulevard Mall.  Actually, I'm still surprised they didn't do that.  Especially once Jenss closed, they could have just taken that space.  Anyway, I'm glad they didn't as we would just have two stores sitting empty and well...I also really like the Men's Store Kaufmann's that was put in the old Boulevard Jenss!

[Jag67]

I know..I was in this store about 3-4 months ago and it was DATED DATED DATED.. At least it's not as bad as the Sheridan location..in that place there are areas upastairs that have been blocked off and the ceiling tiles rotting right off the ceiling!! bad bad bad. Shame on Bon Ton!!

BTW, there is a former Hens and Kelley's near us that was built in 1955, it's now a TJ Maxx/FWS furniture wherehouse. It's been remodeled beyond reconition, but it still has the same basic shape as this one.

[jmn3]

Originally posted by Jag67
BTW, there is a former Hens and Kelley's near us that was built in 1955, it's now a TJ Maxx/FWS furniture wherehouse. It's been remodeled beyond reconition, but it still has the same basic shape as this one.

Transittown correct?   For a number of years during the 80's and early 90's, that used to be LLBerger's.  They moved in after H&K closed up in 1982 and stayed until the chain closed in '91.

There's more Hens & Kelly's around...Como Park/APpletree Mall/Business Park in Cheektowaga looks nothing like Hens & Kelly...but the building is still there.

I can't remember, but there may have been a Hens & Kelly's at Summit Park as well.

[Jag67]

Yep...Transitown. Bergers was a nice store they closed the year I was born, but their downtown location looked pretty nice..It' now apartments I think..... If you look at this location you can see where they blocked the side and back enterances..I'll try to get a pic soon..:bounce:

[jmn3]

Yeah the Berger's downtown is the Belesario now.  Upscale apartments/lofts.  They really are nice places, albeit a bit pricey (start at 1500/month).  I've heard that Billy "HUUUUUUUUUUGE" Fuccillo rents a place there for when he is in Buffalo.  I've also seen that clown right by there down on Chippewa street on the weekends....usually with some amazingly hot blonde.

[Jag67]

Jeez...Hey, money gets hott babes. Wish I had one..

But that's a different story. Here's a Pic of the Thruway AM&A's-turned Valu City, going through a facelift. Bares little resembelance, eh? I never even knew this was AM&A's untill you told me.

[jmn3]

Yes, the old AM&A's at Thruway Mall is pretty much unrecognizable from how it was just ten years ago when Value City moved in.  They have remodeled that building a couple of times including that major renovation that is going on right now.  In fact, when they first opened, the mall was still there and operational.  

Do you have any pics of Southgate Plaza?  There is a place that pretty much has stood the test of time.  It's a real gem and goes to prove that it doesn't take a brand new huge shopping center to be successful.  Southgate is pretty small, open-air, and aside from The Bon-Ton, no major big box stores.  Sears closed in 1985, they brought in Ames and placed offices on the upper level.  Ames closed a few years back, they brought in AJ Wright.  You rarely see any vacant storefronts and the stores and parking lots are always busy.

[jmn3]

I wonder if there are any pictures out there of the old University Plaza store (aside from the one in the advertisement above)?  This was pretty important for the AM&A's chain and for local retail in general.  When that store opened in 1948, it was the very first of the major retailers to open a department store outside of Downtown Buffalo.  It closed in the mid-1980's, however, the building still remained until about six years ago.  When I first started going to school at UB in 1998 it was still up but in very bad shape.  I should have snapped some pics of it at that time.  In '99/'00, Tops remodeled their store there and the entire plaza was reconfigured.  This included the AM&A's building being demolished.

[amesman]

Hey, jmn3, there was also a Woolworth in Southgate. Can't forget them :tumble: I was in that store in 1995.

[Jag67]

Here's the old H&K.

[Jag67]

here's the sheridan location today. (I have inside pics of this place two. This is a VERY VERY old store (built in 1950).

[Jag67]

former AM&A's home store. this place is rough.