Jamesway

[Caldor1999]

hears a jamesway that looks to be a old woolco this is a 1998 picture

[Caldor1999]

hears eth lakewood jamesway sign


i got these pictures from a msn serch

[storehistoryguy]

A former Jamesway in Cornwells Heights, Pa.. Prior to being a Jamesway it was a Woolco. To bad its a Home Depot today. It was completly gutted.


http://www.tomasher.net/deadretail.html

[storehistoryguy]

The New Sign.

[amesman]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
hears a jamesway that looks to be a old woolco this is a 1998 picture

Nope, this was always a Jamesway. It was located in Oneonta, New York, and my Dad remembers it from when he was a kid. It lasted until the very end in 1995, and was later demolished for a school.

There was a Woolco in Oneonta, but it was on the west end of town, and became an Ames. That too is now closed of course. And, there was also a traditional Woolworth in Downtown Oneonta.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by amesman

Originally posted by Caldor1999
hears a jamesway that looks to be a old woolco this is a 1998 picture

Nope, this was always a Jamesway. It was located in Oneonta, New York, and my Dad remembers it from when he was a kid. It lasted until the very end in 1995, and was later demolished for a school.

yea i know about that ive seen it beofre back in 1998 the logo still it up at night it kida has a woolco look to it but i dont think there was any woolcos in upsate NY

[Crawford]

Haven't heard of this store, was it in the mid-Atlantic/Central US area.

[amesman]

Jamesway was a Northeast chain, founded in Jamestown, New York. They closed all of their stores in 1995.

[storehistoryguy]

I seriously miss Jamesway. They always had such low prices, they had nice stores, they were friendly and its such a nice name, Jamesway. I hated it when they tore down my Jamesway at the end of 2004. :mad:

[Caldor1999]

Jamesway was alot like ames in a way they dident located there stores in bigger towns like Caldor and Bradlees did the inside of the tsores had a simaler look to them and most jamesways were outdated but at its peek in 1990 thye had 135 stores

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
Inside of the stores had a simular look to them and most Jamesways were outdated.

Yes, they had a 70's look to them which I liked. Along the top of the walls there would be two stripes, the top red and the bottom yellow, that went all the way around the store. I also like the checkout counters. The register numbers were big white boxes with a blue number on all the side except top and bottom.

[Caldor1999]

idd say they were more 80's looking whitle ames had teh 70's look and Bradlees and caldor stuck with the 90's look

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
idd say they were more 80's looking whitle ames had teh 70's look and Bradlees and caldor stuck with the 90's look

Jamesway, somewhat of a cross between 70's and 80's
Bradlees, that was so 80's
Ames, their later stores were somewhat modern. They had those advertisements on the walls. They used to be very 70's.
Caldor, my Caldor was plain but had an 80' look to it strange though because it opened in 1979, on the verge of being 80's.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy

Originally posted by Caldor1999
idd say they were more 80's looking whitle ames had teh 70's look and Bradlees and caldor stuck with the 90's look

Jamesway, somewhat of a cross between 70's and 80's
Bradlees, that was so 80's
Ames, their later stores were somewhat modern. They had those advertisements on the walls. They used to be very 70's.
Caldor, my Caldor was plain but had an 80' look to it strange though because it opened in 1979, on the verge of being 80's.

verye few caldor had the 80's look but caldor was more 90's lookinig then 80's looking

[d_fife]

I had never been to a jamesway. what where their stores like. I heard they closed 10 years ago from this time. I heard the nearest one to me was in SAratoga SPrings new york in the saratoga mall (3.5 horus of me). they ones mainly around central new york and ones in fulton new york and oswego new york. an article said Fulton had no competion.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by d_fife
I had never been to a jamesway. what where their stores like. I heard they closed 10 years ago from this time. I heard the nearest one to me was in SAratoga SPrings new york in the saratoga mall (3.5 horus of me). they ones mainly around central new york and ones in fulton new york and oswego new york. an article said Fulton had no competion.

They were great. I actually saw them to somewhat like Ames only they looked very different. Mine was in Harleysville, Pa. and I knew another in Warrington PA. They shut down in 1995 same year as Clover did.

[amesman]

The Saratoga location is long gone. The mall it was housed in is also gone, replaced with a big box center containing Target, Barnes and Noble, Staples, AC Moore, etc.

[BillyGr]

The Hudson location is now a Staples (and the Goodwill store next to it).

The Catskill location may still be there (it became Ames after Jamesway - but there has been discussion of a Super Walmart in that area) so who knows for how long.

The one in Rhinebeck sat empty for quite a few years but was torn down after Stop and Shop took over the (smaller) Grand Union next door and decided to build a larger store - and now in a twist the Grand Union building sits empty.

[Caldor1999]

the only jamesway io know of thats still vacant is the one in the fomer dutchesses mall part of it has been torn down for a home depot but the old jamesway still stands and theres one in Seavill NJ thats still vacant i believe

[amesman]

Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by amesman
Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

what happend to the  Rhinebeck jamesway?

[StarSage]

Originally posted by powersbt

Originally posted by MBZ321
Sounds cool! Have an address or other info?

The road that it would be on would be NYS Rt. 14 Between Watkins Glen and the Next town South of it, which on the map is Montour Falls. The store may have been a bit farther south than Montour Falls. I remember having to stop there at that parking lot of the Jamesway, probably to turn around.

I'm originally from that general area. and while I'm not familiar with the exact location in question, I do know that there was a fairly new Jamesway in Bath, NY (within an hour west of there) that seems like it opened just a couple of years before the chain shut down. This store was originally a King's and is now a True Value. I have some toys I bought from there that are still in the original packaging and have the Jamesway price stickers

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by amesman
Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

Not at the end - I didn't even know about the Saratoga one until after the stores had closed.  I don't know if they ever had stores in the Albany area - with one exception.

They did have one store in Rotterdam many years ago - it had to have closed in the 80's, i'd guess.  It was on Curry Road (Curry Road Plaza) - the building still sits vacant to this day (there have been several things mentioned over time, but none have actually happened).  The plaza had probably one other large store (thinking Price Chopper as they are just down the road now and they also were in Hudson in the plaza with Jamesway) and a building with a few small stores - the only thing left now is a bank.

Just to add to Hudson - the last location was what is now Staples/Goodwill, but they had an earlier location - that building was just Jamesway and Price Chopper side by side (think of the Kmart/Grocery combos) and was located behind the now empty theater building (single theater) - the lot is empty but for a partially built skeleton of steel with one block wall that was started probably 10 years ago and never went any further!

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by BillyGr

Originally posted by amesman
Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

Not at the end - I didn't even know about the Saratoga one until after the stores had closed.  I don't know if they ever had stores in the Albany area - with one exception.

They did have one store in Rotterdam many years ago - it had to have closed in the 80's, i'd guess.  It was on Curry Road (Curry Road Plaza) - the building still sits vacant to this day (there have been several things mentioned over time, but none have actually happened).  The plaza had probably one other large store (thinking Price Chopper as they are just down the road now and they also were in Hudson in the plaza with Jamesway) and a building with a few small stores - the only thing left now is a bank.

Just to add to Hudson - the last location was what is now Staples/Goodwill, but they had an earlier location - that building was just Jamesway and Price Chopper side by side (think of the Kmart/Grocery combos) and was located behind the now empty theater building (single theater) - the lot is empty but for a partially built skeleton of steel with one block wall that was started probably 10 years ago and never went any further!

jamesway dident close any store sin the 80's from what i know tu was problye one of the 11 stores that clsoed in 1991 is the Rotterdam one still there if it is u should get some pictures

[amesman]

Originally posted by Caldor1999

Originally posted by amesman
Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

what happend to the  Rhinebeck jamesway?

The old Rhinebeck store was demolished and a new Super Stop and Shop was built in its place. As BillyGr mentions, the old Grand Union next to the old Jamesway was the Stop and Shop for awhile, before they built the new store on the old Jamesway site. Now, the old GU is vacant.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by amesman

Originally posted by Caldor1999

Originally posted by amesman
Catskill was turned to Ames, and the building still sits vacant. The Wal Mart Supercenter has been rumoured to start being built in 2006 sometime.

As for the Rhinebeck store, I still remember when it was standing, and I even remember going into it once as a little kid. Unfortunately, I never took a picture(I was too young..hehe -Imagines a three year old kid taking a picture of a Jamesway- Man, how I think of all the stuff I could've gotten pics of when I was little, that's all gone now...).

The Highland, New York store, which later became Ames(I remember going to that one too), is now divided into a locally owned dollar store, a Tractor Supply store, and a remaining vacant spot.

The Kingston, New York store, which was previously a Sears before moving to the mall, later became Ames, and is now still vacant.

BillyGr, was there any other Jamesway stores in Albany besides the Saratoga location? Thanks.

what happend to the  Rhinebeck jamesway?

The old Rhinebeck store was demolished and a new Super Stop and Shop was built in its place. As BillyGr mentions, the old Grand Union next to the old Jamesway was the Stop and Shop for awhile, before they built the new store on the old Jamesway site. Now, the old GU is vacant.

Was the Grand Union connected to the Jamesway?

[amesman]

No, they were two seperate buildings.

[storehistoryguy]

I wish there were more Jamesway pictures out there especially the Jamesways I knew.

[store215]

An old article of Jamesway's Closing:

* * *
JAMESWAY DOWN FOR THE COUNT; FACES LIQUIDATION


SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Jamesway, one of the most venerable names in discount retailing, is teetering on extinction after filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors for the second time in just over two years.

Speculation from the trade indicates that the once-vibrant, 90-unit regional chain is likely to liquidate its assets by conducting going out of business sales and staging aggressive merchandise promotions over the next several weeks.

Jamesway recently informed the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York that it is soliciting bids from liquidators for the sale of the company's inventory at some or all of its locations. The 34-year-old chain already has hired New York-based Consolidated Auctioneers to dispose of furniture, fixtures and equipment.

At press time, the chain began deep price reductions across its entire inventory with aggressive markdowns of 30% to 50% on Halloween costumes, masks, wigs, accessories and candy. Other sales will be forthcoming over the next several weeks, according to the company.

In a telling move, the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading of Jamesway's stock Oct. 26 and began taking steps to de-list it.

As of late October though, the chain was operating as usual albeit with 200 fewer central office personnel, who were laid off just days before its Oct. 18 filing.

Among those let go were three top executives: Michael Palmer, chief financial officer; Tom Kiley, executive vice president of merchandising; and Jim Williams, vice president of operations. Palmer's duties are now being handled by senior vice president of finance John Sipala.

In addition, 200 other Jamesway workers were axed at a warehouse in Cranbury, N.J. The chain will also be shutting its corporate headquarters here by Dec. 31, according to a letter received by Secaucus Mayor Anthony Just Sr.

While these workers were given only a paycheck and a list of employment agencies at the time of firing, the chain received court approval to pay all terminated employees up to $4,000 each, the maximum allowed as a priority pre-petition claim under the Bankruptcy Code. These monies are to be used for severance and vacation pay and medical claims under the company's self-insured medical plan.

The court also granted Jamesway permission to pay existing employees up to $4,000 to cover medical claims under the company's medical plan.

The chain has secured $25 million in debtor-in-possession financing from a group of banks led by CIT Group/Business Credit and stores are still receiving some merchandise deliveries, most of them based on a letter of credit, according to Herb Douglas, president and ceo of the chain.

"At this point all 90 stores are open for business," Douglas told DSN. "Our main goal is to come up with the greatest yield for our creditors and equity holders. Therefore, we are aggressively promoting our merchandise and might possibly conduct going out of business sales."

The beleaguered chain's second battle with bankruptcy (the first petition was filed in July 1993) has followed a series of disappointing financial results, tight trade credit and mounting competition from which the chain couldn't recover.

"The discount store pie is being shared by more people, and we're facing a tougher competitive climate than ever before. Wal-Mart has set a new standard in retailing characterized by sharp pricing and well-run stores. I don't think anyone realizes that Wal-Mart has opened 250 stores in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic in the last five years. They came in and must be doing in excess of $5 billion in those markets," Douglas said.

The same forces that have hurt Jamesway have also wreacked havoc on other regional chains including Caldor and Bradlees, which also are reorganizing under Chapter 11.

"We might have come out of Chapter 11 too early," Douglas said. "There were also three changes of top management chief executive officers during the Chapter 11. We came into a very unusual year, the worst year that discount retailing has seen, a year where seven regionals are behind for the year with negative comp store sales. Also, competition has come into the market and has taken an enormous part of the market."

This same competition didn't exist when the chain opened its first store in Jamestown, N.Y., (hence the name Jamesway) in October 1961 and did almost $750,000 in business its first year. From that start, the company grew to be one of the country's leading regional chains. Some even calling Jamesway "the Wal-Mart of the Northeast" in its heyday during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Jamesway's problems began in the early 1990s due to increasing competitive pressures, particularly from Wal-Mart, the model which founder Herb Fisher used as a blueprint for his chain.

These difficult years brought a heavy turnover of top executives. Arlie Lazarus, 22 years with the chain (12 years as president), left in 1990, founder Fisher retaking the helm as acting president. Then former Zayre and Ames exec Peter Hollis became president for a brief period (1992 to 1993). He was followed by the return of Lazarus, who headed the company for a short time after the death of Fisher. In 1993, Joe Ettore, formerly the chain's top apparel merchant, returned after leading Stuarts out of bankruptcy. Ettore left Jamesway in 1994 for the top job at Ames.

Douglas took over in September 1994, and like those who preceded him, tried his hand at restoring the success, profitability and respect that Jamesway once had as a prominent regional discount chain.

During its decline, the chain's store count slowly dwindled from a high of 134 stores in 1990 to its current 90 stores.

Over the past few years, the chain has made several attempts to carve out a unique position in the marketplace, all to no avail.

~~~~~~~~

By DAWN WILENSKY
Copyright of Discount Store News is the property of Lebhar - Friedman Inc.. Copyright of PUBLICATION is the property of PUBLISHER. The copyright in an individual article may be maintained by the author in certain cases. Content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
Source: Discount Store News, 11/6/95, Vol. 34 Issue 21, p1, 2p

[store215]

The last remodels Jamesway ever had:

FIVE REMODELED JAMESWAYS SHOWCASE THE 'DOUGLAS TOUCH'


ALLENTOWN, PA. -- Jamesway, the 90-unit Mid-Atlantic regional chain, put more than just a fresh coast of paint on five remodels last month, provides greater ease of shopping, more brand name merchandise and a new pricing program.

The new stores are located in Newton, Sussex and Oceanview. N.J.; and Allentown and Trexlertown, Pa. Jamesway also plans to remodel 20 additional stores by yearend.

The new stores have a decidedly strong emphasis on soft lines categories like apparel and home furnishings, but also offer a deep selection in all major areas, including toys, consumer electronics and ready-to-assemble furniture.

"Based upon an analysis of our gondolas, we reallocated space around the store," said Herb Douglas, president and ceo. "We removed space from departments like food, health and beauty care, sporting goods and home improvement, and added space to several key categories."

These categories all tie in to five "power walls" established as focal points in the store and created to stimulate excitement as soon as the consumer walks through the door.

The power walls include a display of TVs in the sight & sound department, a wall of Dundee Palatial towels, decorative lamps in assorted colors, ready-to-assemble furniture, both in particle board and real wood, and a shop-within-a-shop of Rubbermaid products.

The stores are all stamped with Douglas' imprint. The new president, who joined Jamesway in September 1994, has placed increasing sales per square foot, improving turns and promoting a pleasant shopping environment as paramount to the chain.

To this end, all angled displays were removed from the planogram, resulting in an "increased capacity of 4% for the total store," according to Douglas.

In addition, all fixtures have been lowered to 60 in. from anywhere between 72 in. and 84 in in order to create better sight lines. This better showcases upgraded presentations featuring a mix of wall, table and standing displays.

Brands were also overhauled, with the focus put on those most recognizable to Jamesway's core consumers-women with children and senior citizens.

"We were carrying too many secondary and tertiary brands," Douglas said. "We are now committed to carrying the right brands in all categories including apparel, domestics, housewares and electronics."

The chain delivers in apparel with brands like Riders, Rustler, Sasson, Wrangler and H.I.S., a Jamesway newcomer in jeans for men, in a stylized area called the Denim Zone.

"A lot of the credit for these displays goes to John Dineen, the divisional merchandise manager for men's, who worked with Wrangler and Rider in developing the presentation," Douglas added.

The chain plans to follow suit with a similar presentation in women's jeans in the fall, albeit with different brands, and for kids sometime in 1996.

The chain has also keyed in on bodywear, newborn apparel, an expanded selection of Hanes and Fruit of the Loom underwear and a color-coordinated presentation in foundations, at the expense of categories like men's dress shirts, which has been downsized.

Fixturing is a key component of the prototype, which uses a mix of Gap-type tables and glass cubes throughout the apparel department. These displays, "become impactable for key items," Douglas said.

Domestics has been given prominent positioning in the stores with several new programs in place.

At the Allentown, Pa., store, the chain gave 24 ft. to a new shower curtain display devoted exclusively to Ex-Cell Home Fashions. The display, which will vary from 20 ft. to 24 ft. depending on store size, offered a broad range of patterns and was cross-merchandised with shower hooks by Cannon and bath mats by Dawson Home Fashions.

Dawson also had an attractive display of its Collage pattern, with four skus of coordinated accessories including shower curtains, plastic and ceramic bathroom accessories, toilet seats, and three-piece towel sets.

In addition, a new 200-count bedding program by Lady Pepperell occupies 12 ft. of space while a 40-ft. display of Cannon's percale sheets impacted one of the back walls.

Coordination and cross-merchandising are much more apparent not only in home furnishings but throughout the new format.

In hard lines categories like paint, automotives and hardware, a pegged presentation merchandised over a shelf has been instituted chainwide. This gives the chain additional space to cross-merchandise products and simplifies the shopping experience for the customer, according to Dale Brown, store manager of the Allentown store.

Overall, Jamesway has heightened customer service by requiring all employees to wear a uniform of a red shirt and dark bottom to enable customers to easily spot a sales associate in the store. These same customers will also benefit from three new pricing programs designed to increase foot traffic in the stores:

    * The Priced Right program features items sold significantly below the regular retail price.
    * Price Cut offers products with retails that have been reduced from the normal retail price at mid-season or for time periods of 30 to 60 days.
    * Special Purchase are selected items, offered weekly, at 45% to 70% below original retail prices.

Consumers can also find special values in the opportunity corner, a 120-sq.-ft. area at the front of the store stocked with seasonal and/or licensed products.

In addition, a wall opposite the registers will have a mix of six skus of the chain's Priced Right items sharing space with at least one seasonal product.


~~~~~~~~

By DAWN WILENSKY
Copyright of Discount Store News is the property of Lebhar - Friedman Inc.. Copyright of PUBLICATION is the property of PUBLISHER.
Source: Discount Store News, 4/17/95, Vol. 34 Issue 8, p3, 2p