Retail in Downriver, Michigan

[Hudsons81]

After seeing similar threads for New Jersey, northeastern Wisconsin and western New York (even though they're all from earlier this year), I decided to create a similar thread for Retail in the 18 Downriver suburbs of Detroit, Michigan:


In red are former chains that have existed Downriver or still-existing chains that formerly had a presence Downriver.
In blue are future chains that might come Downriver in the near future.

Discount Stores
Walmart (opened first Downriver location in Taylor in January 2001)
Kmart (opened first Downriver location in Southgate in 1962 (that location is now subdivided between Kroger and Dunham's Sports), shortly after the very first location opened in nearby Garden City)
Target (opened first Downriver location in Taylor in 1987)
Meijer (opened first Downriver location in Taylor in 1978)
Woolco? (was located near Southland Center in Taylor if it existed)
Korvette's
Topps
Yankee
Shopko (coming in the 2020's)

Pharmacies
CVS
Walgreens
Rite Aid
Cunningham Drugs
Kinsel's Drugs
Perry Drugs
Arbor Drugs
Revco

Sporting Goods
Dunham's Sports
Dick's Sporting Goods
Galyan's

Shoes
Payless Shoe Source
Foot Locker
Shoe Carnival
Famous Footwear
Red Wing Shoes
Thom McAn
Kinney Shoes

Dollar Stores (includes dime stores)
Dollar Tree
Family Dollar
Dollar General
Woolworth
Kresge
Neisner Brothers (later acquired by Ames)

Books/Music/Movies/Entertainment
Barnes & Noble
Gamestop
Borders
Software Etc.
Sam Goody
Waldenbooks
B. Dalton
Media Play

Hardware Stores
The Home Depot (opened first Downriver location at I-75 and Eureka Road in Taylor in 1987)
Lowe's (opened first Downriver location in Southgate in very late 2001)
True Value
Ace Hardware
Do It Best
Forest City
Builder's Square
Home Quarters
ACO Hardware (recently acquired by Ace)
Menard's (opening in Taylor in late 2015)

Arts and Crafts Stores
Hobby Lobby
Michael's
Jo-Ann Fabrics

Department Stores
JCPenney
Sears
Macy's (originally opened with Southland Center in Taylor in 1970 as Hudson's, later became Marshall Fields before eventually becoming Macy's)
Kohl's (opened first Downriver location in Taylor in 1990)
Burlington Coat Factory (opened first Downriver location in Taylor in 1988)
TJ Maxx
Homegoods (opened first Downriver location in Woodhaven in 2006)
CW Price
Hudson's (became Marshall Fields)
Marshall Fields (became Macy's)
Montgomery Ward (opened at the Southgate Shopping Center in Southgate in 1958, closed in 2000 when Montgomery Ward filed for bankruptcy)
Mervyn's (opened at Southland Center in Taylor in 1988, closed in 2006)
Federal
Value City Department Stores
AJ Wright
Marshall's (rumored to open in the former Woodhaven Kmart store in the near future)

Party Supply Stores
Party City

Pet Supplies
Petco
Petsmart
Pet Supplies Plus

Electronics
Best Buy (opened first Downriver location in a former Children's Palace in Southgate in 1993, eventually relocated to the former food court at Southland Center in Taylor)
Radio Shack
ABC Warehouse
Circuit City
Fretter
Highland Superstores

Closeout Stores
Big Lots
Christmas Tree Shops
Oillie's Bargain Outlet

Thrift Stores
Goodwill of Greater Detroit (opened first Downriver location in Woodhaven a few weeks ago)
The Salvation Army Thrift Store
St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store

Grocery Stores
Kroger
Aldi
Save-A-Lot
Spartan Stores
A&P/Farmer Jack/Food Basics
Wrigley
Packer Foods
Seaway Food Town
Chatham
Great Scott

Video Rental Stores
Family Video
Blockbuster (opened first Downriver locations in 1989, final locations in Lincoln Park and Brownstown Township closed late 2013)
Hollywood Video
Suncoast Video

Restaurants
McDonald's (opened first Downriver location at Eureka Road and Richmond Street in Southgate before 1962)
Burger King
Wendy's
A&W
Taco Bell
KFC
Pizza Hut
Arby's
Subway
Dairy Queen
Domino's Pizza
Culver's
Hungry Howie's
Denny's
Little Caesar's
Jimmy John's
Auntie Anne's (opened at Southland Center in Taylor a few months ago)
Orange Julius
Dunkin Donuts
Baskin Robbins
Long John Silver's
Wing Street
Mrs. Field's
Starbucks Coffee
Panera Bread
Qdoba
Tim Horton's
Buffalo Wild Wings
Checkers
Chili's
Applebee's
Five Guys
Sonic
Hooters
Red Lobster
Olive Garden
Chuck E. Cheese's
Cold Stone Creamery
Biggby Coffee
White Castle
Big Boy
Krispy Kreme
Bob Evans
Tubby's Subs
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
Olga's Kitchen
Longhorn Steakhouse
Haagan-Dazs
Happy's Pizza
Steak & Shake
Jersey Giant Subs
Old Chicago
IHOP (lone location is in the Detroiter Travel Center in Woodhaven)
Ponderosa Steakhouse (closed last Downriver location in Wyandotte in December 2011)
Quiznos
Perkins
Arthur Treacher's
Chi-Chi's
Hardee's
Burger Chef
Howard Johnson (restaurants no longer exist, though a hotel still exists near Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus)
Hot Sam Pretzels
Old Country Buffet/Hometown Buffet
Fuddruckers
Sbarro (location at Southland Center in Taylor closed earlier this year)
TCBY (had a location at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus)
Hot & Now
Red Barn
Showbiz Pizza
Cinnabon (location at Southland Center in Taylor closed in late 2013, now Chimney Cake Cafe)
Baker's Square
Mountain Jack's
Zantigo
Taztee-Freez
Chick-Fil-A (opening at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus in the near future)

Gas Stations
BP (British Petroleum) (first entered Downriver in 1991 through the acquisition of Boron (Sohio))
Sunoco
Shell
Mobil
Citgo
Marathon
Speedway
Fast Track
Valero
Future Fuels
Speedy
Admiral
Clark
Rich
Flying J (operates the Detroiter Travel Center in Woodhaven)
Kroger Fuel Center
Meijer Gas Station
Unocal 76 (most stations became BP or Citgo, though a lone sign still exists at Groat Brothers Towing in Wyandotte, which no longer serves gas)
Amoco
Texaco
Standard (of Indiana)
Sinclair
Boron (Sohio)
Total (most became Marathon, Speedway or Rich)
Pure (became Unocal 76)

Hotels/Motels (there's a lot Downriver due to Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus)
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Express
Days Inn
Super 8
Best Western
America's Best Value Inn
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Sheraton
Hilton Garden Inn
Springhill Suites
Rodeway Inn
Embassy Suites
Four Points by Sheraton
Baymont Inn
Comfort Inn & Suites
Red Roof Inn
Clarion Hotel
Howard Johnson (a hotel still exists near Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, though the restaurants no longer exist)
La Quinta Inn
Courtyard
Marriott
Extended Stay America
Westin
Quality Inn & Suites
Sleep Inn
Ramada (Taylor, still vacant)
Knight's Inn (Woodhaven, now Westwood Inn & Suites)

Toy Stores
Toys "R" Us
Children's Palace
KB Toys

Convenience Stores
7-11
Circle K
Dairy Mart (down to a single location in Allen Park, all others now Circle K)
Lawson's (became Dairy Mart)

Movie Theaters
MJR Digital Cinemas
Emagine Theaters
Star Theaters (Lincoln Park 8 closed 2003 and still vacant, Taylor 10 acquired by AMC January 2006, closed 2009, reopened as Spotlight 10 2010, re-closed October 12, to be reopened by Christmas by MJR)
AMC Theaters (pulled out of Downriver in 2009)
Nicholas George Theaters (became AMC Theaters 1986)
Suburban Detroit Theaters (became AMC Theaters 1986)
Cinemark (opening in late 2015 in a new building on the site of the former Mervyn's at Southland Center in Taylor)

[Hudsons81]

The list has been updated to reflect the fact that as of this week, ACO has officially ceased to exist and is now Great Lakes Ace Hardware.
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2014/09/09/news/doc540f46f727b72247235401.txt?viewmode=fullstory

[TheFugitive]

Ames must have shut down the Neisner Brothers stores after acquiring them.
I worked for Ames in Michigan, and there was no trace of them when I got there.
Just two former G.C. Murphy locations, Sturgis and Hillsdale.

The Journey song had it wrong.  There is no such place as "South Detroit".
It's DOWNRIVER, darnit!  8)

[Hudsons81]

Ames must have shut down the Neisner Brothers stores after acquiring them.

That would be mostly correct-Neisner Brothers was already bankrupt when Ames acquired them. The store in downtown Wyandotte was converted into an indoor mall until a raging fire leveled it on June 16, 1990. There's a newer building on that site now.

[Hudsons81]

Added Zantigo (in red) to the restaurant list-they operated a store in Lincoln Park until the original chain collapsed in 1986, this one did not become a Taco Bell since one already existed a quarter-mile away.