Stuart's Department Stores

[d_fife]

THERE WAS A chain calleD stuart's department stores that closed in 1995. They were founded in 1957. Filed for bankruptcy in December 1990 and got out of bankruptcy in Summer 1992. they filed again MAy 17, 1995 and in June 1995 the board decided to close citing poor fathers day sales. (zayre88 and worceste telegram)FATHERS DAY, that should not kill a chain. STUARTS WAS JUST IN BAD SHAPE!!

Their stores were old and small and dingy and like a cookie-cutter Ames and Woolworth. and junky in round of closings in somewhere along the line: The ones in Salaisbury, Weymouth, Swansea (now Building 19) and Grafton MASS closed, new year's 1995: Biddeford ME and Montpielier VT, spring 1995 here were the closings: Nashua NH, HAverhill, Taunton, MAlden MAss, Johnston RI, and in late spring/early summer round of closings: GOffstown NH, Chelsea Mass, FItchburg Mass, and Athol MAss, and for a month the only STuart's left were in Lawrence, Lowell (THERE WERE 2 in Lowell), Worcester, TEwksbury, Billerica, NEw Bedford Mass, and Pawtucket RI, they went from twenty something stores to 9 stores. there was a segment of them called Stuart's too clothing stores but those closed TOO!! they were in FAll River and Springfield mass


I saw a vacant Stuart's in Johnston RI 2 days ago and the one in Chelsea MAss vacant 3 yeras ago. The only ones I ever went into were in Biddeford ME (THAT WAS HORRIBLE JUNKY AND I WENT IN IN SUMMER 1995) and NASHUA NH (I WENT IN IN APRIL 1995 as it had a store closing sale and there ws just tables left of broken stuff), and I tried to go to the one in Goffstown NH but missed it by a few days. I was surprised NAshua did not stay till the end because it was only DW HWY where all the major stores are. THAT SURPRISED ME, when that closed I knew they would go because if they could not make it there then they will not make it., MOST OF THE STUART's where like 3 miles off the highway. some of them leased used stores like Chelsea and Weymouth mass leased Kmarts that closed in the early-mid 80s, the former Ames' in Lawrence and Haverhill mas, the former mars department stores in Salaisbury and Athol MAss, and the ones in RI were former grocery stores, taunton mass: a Bradlees that relocated.

[d_fife]

How many of you all have seen Stuart's at one point or another. Tell me your experienes. STuart's was just a crappy store./

that article of that woman in the paper shows an employee that worked there and said that wal-mart opening killed it. NOT TRUE. THE WAL-mart opened 8 MONTHS AFTER STUART'S closed!!!!

[Zayre88]

Here's the Biddeford Stuart's today.  Marden's removed the interior, tile ceiling and the store now has a warehouse look inside.  

I remember Stuart's but i was young back then so i don't fully remember how it was.  The stores were like smaller Bradlees i think.  

A funny thing is that i remember that we were going to a Stuart's probably in Gilford or Laconia NH but i don't think there ever was a store there.  I never went to the Nashua or Goffstown store .

[d_fife]

Originally posted by Zayre88
Here's the Biddeford Stuart's today.  Marden's removed the interior, tile ceiling and the store now has a warehouse look inside.  

I remember Stuart's but i was young back then so i don't fully remember how it was.  The stores were like smaller Bradlees i think.  

A funny thing is that i remember that we were going to a Stuart's probably in Gilford or Laconia NH but i don't think there ever was a store there.  I never went to the Nashua or Goffstown store .

THERE WAS NO STUARt's in Gilford or Laconia. I Went to the one in NAshua, but at its closing sale, and the building was brick white, and black lines going throw, and had a few glass windows (Closer to the entrence), and under the windows was red something, and the store got rebuilt into a MARKET BASKET THAT relocated a few doors down (THERE WAS A MARKET BASKET IN THE PLAZA AT THE TIME STUART's was in the plaza and the original market basket became Linens n things and Big Party), you posted the picture of the Market BAsket in the SOuthgate Plaza, as THAT MARKET BASKET REPLACED STUART's. and I never made it to the one in Goffstown as it was closed  when I got to it (it was 3 miles from the highway in a plaza with shaw's and got divided into Advance Auto Parts, Big Lots and Family Dollar, and was said to be 60,000 square feet and opened in 1973, and had big red lettering and the building was tan, I was told it was junky. THE ONE IN BIDDEFORD WAS UNBELIEVEBLY JUNKY WAS SAID TO BE 53,000 square feet. I WONDER IF THE BUILDING WAS ALWAYS A STUART'S!!

[d_fife]

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB
man I don't know if I like like Stauart's

too small

messy

NO WONDER THEY CLOSED!

WHICH ONE DID YOU KNOW OF?

Right they were too small and their stoers were like 50,000 55,000 or 60,000 square feet. I am not suprised they closed because they were just junky, (WHERE THEY AS BAD AS WORSE THAN AMES), it was hard to tell because I only went to the ones in NAshua NH and biddeford Maine not long before they closed, and they were junky (but I went to NAshua as there were only tables left in the store while most of the stoer was sealed off) there stores were not in the best locations, but nashua was near the mall. I was not surprsied they closed because of the outdated ness of their stores and their stores were dingy, and if nashua could not make it then the chain wouldn't and they downsized so bad.

this is waht the one in malden mass looked like. IT was said to be 65,000 square feet and closed in a spring 1995 round of closings.

[d_fife]

I beleive this ws the one in barre Vt. IT opened I beleive in 1985 (it ws store number 20) and closed new year's 1995, with Biddeford.

[d_fife]

this was the one in Goffstown NH, it is the building left of the building on the end right. IS the big store on the right that connects with the smaller stores. The store was not big, it was small. I Said on a paragraph above the lettering was like Red.

IT closed with AThol, Fitchburg and Chelsea Mass in July 1995 I beleive. IT was on Mast Rd (Rt.114A).

I saw a Stuart's vacant last sunday in Johnston RI. IT was said to have opened in 1985, IT opened where a grocery store closed and was said to have been 63,000 square feet and the building was tan and the lettering was darker red.

The picture shown in is the one in goffstown

[d_fife]

this flagship cinema in the picture was once Stuart's. IT opened early 1989 and is said to be 55,000 square feet, and was one of the last ones left, it closed late August 1995. and the cinema replaced it in 1999.

[d_fife]

This picture of Stuart's is one of the two in Lowell. It is the one in Plain st in the Shop n save plaza. the stuart's was the building where it says available. I saw it when the whole building was vacant, 5 years ago. IT was one of the last stores left!

And, and half of it is now AJ Wright, that opened nearly 5 years ago. The stuart's was 50,000 square feet.

The other Stuart's was on Bridge st in the SUnrise Shopping Plaza, it was near the dracut border and like 3-4 miles from the highway. The plaza also has a MArket Basket. the stuart's was 52,635 square feet and was one of the last. IT became Ames, that opened leap year 1996, adn closed october 2002.

This boston article dated from 87 or 88 said that MARs department store is selling their store in Lowell to Stuart's. I do not know which of the 2 stuart's was Mars.

AGain the picture shown is the STuart's on Plain st, and it was the building where the available sign points to

[d_fife]

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB
man I don't know if I like like Stauart's

too small

messy

NO WONDER THEY CLOSED!

WHICH ONE DID YOU KNOW OF?

Right they were too small and their stoers were like 50,000 55,000 or 60,000 square feet. I am not suprised they closed because they were just junky, (WHERE THEY AS BAD AS WORSE THAN AMES), it was hard to tell because I only went to the ones in NAshua NH and biddeford Maine not long before they closed, and they were junky (but I went to NAshua as there were only tables left in the store while most of the stoer was sealed off) there stores were not in the best locations, but nashua was near the mall. I was not surprsied they closed because of the outdated ness of their stores and their stores were dingy, and if nashua could not make it then the chain wouldn't and they downsized so bad.

this is waht the one in malden mass looked like. IT was said to be 65,000 square feet and closed in a spring 1995 round of closings.

I was basing my opinion of Stuart's from the previous posts on how the store conditions were

Your observations on the post are: ACCURATE.

AGain it did have small stores (stores in the 50,000 and 60,000 square feet range), cookie cutter woolworth and Ames, the walls were greenish, the stores were dingy, they went from 21-23 stores to 9 stores in a few months.

The ones in Fitchburg, Billerica MAss and NAshua NH, stores looked like this: brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. The one in TEWksbury mass looked like this, except the lines going downward were silver. The stores were junky and dingy (kind of dark inside). The one in goffstown was brick light brown (But the picture shows it tan) and around the door was metal black and it was built in 1973. the lttering of the stores was dark metal red. they went bankrupt twice, some Stuart's leased other stores that closed. I saw the one in FItchburg vacant and MArket Basket currently wants to relocate into it into a bigger and more updated store (and to update the plaza), the one in Billerica is now Officemax, NAmco and a few stores but I could tell that was Stuart's since I knew stuart's was in BIllerica, the one in TEWksbury was vacant at the time I Saw it vacant 2000 and stayed vacant until maybe late 02/early 03, when it got redeveloped with the rest of the plaza into a bigger MArket BAsket and more updated plaza, the one in NAshua became a relocated and more updated MArket Basket (in SOuthgate plaza).

SOmeone from Milford yeras ago said Stuart's is a dumpy store, someone from nashua said the store was dirty; people from Goffstown said it was worse than a bad Ames, like Ames, junky, had a lot of legos; someone from near Lawrence said in a serious tone of voice STuart's was a pit, a crappy, crapy store; someone said the one in Grafton mass was old and dusty, someone from Lowell thought it was junk and went into one and said it was like the basement of a mill, the in Biddeford I went into was dark dingy, and very junky and lackluster, when I went to the one in NAshua NH it had the closing sale and all that was left when I went in was tables and boxes were torn open and it had the POWER RANGERS COMMAND CENTER PLAYSET in on of those bins. someone said the stuarts in fitchburg was pretty bad.

YOU HAVE A GOOD OBSERVATION. They started in 1957. BUT WHERE DID THEY OPEN THEIR FIRST STORE??? I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE FIRST ONE WAS????

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB
man I don't know if I like like Stauart's

too small

messy

NO WONDER THEY CLOSED!

WHICH ONE DID YOU KNOW OF?

Right they were too small and their stoers were like 50,000 55,000 or 60,000 square feet. I am not suprised they closed because they were just junky, (WHERE THEY AS BAD AS WORSE THAN AMES), it was hard to tell because I only went to the ones in NAshua NH and biddeford Maine not long before they closed, and they were junky (but I went to NAshua as there were only tables left in the store while most of the stoer was sealed off) there stores were not in the best locations, but nashua was near the mall. I was not surprsied they closed because of the outdated ness of their stores and their stores were dingy, and if nashua could not make it then the chain wouldn't and they downsized so bad.

this is waht the one in malden mass looked like. IT was said to be 65,000 square feet and closed in a spring 1995 round of closings.

I was basing my opinion of Stuart's from the previous posts on how the store conditions were

Your observations on the post are: ACCURATE.

AGain it did have small stores (stores in the 50,000 and 60,000 square feet range), cookie cutter woolworth and Ames, the walls were greenish, the stores were dingy, they went from 21-23 stores to 9 stores in a few months.

The ones in Fitchburg, Billerica MAss and NAshua NH, stores looked like this: brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. The one in TEWksbury mass looked like this, except the lines going downward were silver. The stores were junky and dingy (kind of dark inside). The one in goffstown was brick light brown (But the picture shows it tan) and around the door was metal black and it was built in 1973. the lttering of the stores was dark metal red. they went bankrupt twice, some Stuart's leased other stores that closed. I saw the one in FItchburg vacant and MArket Basket currently wants to relocate into it into a bigger and more updated store (and to update the plaza), the one in Billerica is now Officemax, NAmco and a few stores but I could tell that was Stuart's since I knew stuart's was in BIllerica, the one in TEWksbury was vacant at the time I Saw it vacant 2000 and stayed vacant until maybe late 02/early 03, when it got redeveloped with the rest of the plaza into a bigger MArket BAsket and more updated plaza, the one in NAshua became a relocated and more updated MArket Basket (in SOuthgate plaza).

SOmeone from Milford yeras ago said Stuart's is a dumpy store, someone from nashua said the store was dirty; people from Goffstown said it was worse than a bad Ames, like Ames, junky, had a lot of legos; someone from near Lawrence said in a serious tone of voice STuart's was a pit, a crappy, crapy store; someone said the one in Grafton mass was old and dusty, someone from Lowell thought it was junk and went into one and said it was like the basement of a mill, the in Biddeford I went into was dark dingy, and very junky and lackluster, when I went to the one in NAshua NH it had the closing sale and all that was left when I went in was tables and boxes were torn open and it had the POWER RANGERS COMMAND CENTER PLAYSET in on of those bins.

YOU HAVE A GOOD OBSERVATION. They started in 1957. BUT WHERE DID THEY OPEN THEIR FIRST STORE??? I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE FIRST ONE WAS????

On highbeam thing, IT said STuart's filed for chapter 11 in December 1990, and at that time it announced 3 closings: weymouth and Lawrence Mass and New Britain Connecticut.

There was one in NEw britain Connecticut, but it closed in Lawrence Mass in 1990, but then in 1992 it opened in a closed Ames. I wonder where the old Stuart's was. Swansea Mass, which closed in 1992, and chelsea mass opened in 1984 and from then on STuarts would open in recycled buildings.

Do any of you have comments or info you can put on Stuarts. There stores were junky and I did not see much of them.

This is the list of stores:

         Connecticut
.New bRitain:(Closed January 1991) location and year opened unknown

     Maine
Biddeford:53,332 square feet.Elm st (1/4 up the road from everything, Dairy queen and ace hardware was next to it though)(Closed December 31,1994) Opened unknown, now Barn department store that opened in 1999 and now Mardens

          Massachusetts:
1. Billerica: Towne Plaza (market BAsket and Bob's, Cvs, Fashion Bug and many others are in the plaza and a mile from everything else), Boston Rd Now Officemax, Namco and a few other stores: (opened 65) (closed August 1995) looked like this: brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. When I saw the plaza in 2000, the rest of the plaza besides the old stuart's looked remodeled. the store was vacant for a year. Near the plaza was mcds and Dunkin donuts and everything else was about a mile up the road.

2. Athol: Shop'n save plaza, Main st(was MArs department store) (Opened 1989, closed July 1995) unknown what it is now

3. Lawrence Mass First Location (OPENED ?) (Closed January 1991), location unknown
Lawrence Mass 2nd Location: Plaza 114,Winthrop AVe(Opened in July 1992 in a former Ames) 60,000 square feet, (Closed August 1995) Now flea market that opened in 98. in plaza is blockbuster, a closed shaw's, OSco drug, strawberrys, and other national places and rinky dink places.
the plaza was 1/2 mile from the highway, and the strip had a plaza with a few stores and it had 2 cinemas, wendys and more down the road was a plaza with market basket, bradlees (now kohl's), tjmaxx, cvs, and a few other nationals.

4. Lowell: 52,635 square feet.Sunrise Shopping Center, bridge st (you go through a lot of residential streets to get there and MArket basket is in the plaza with walgreens, payless, cleaners and a few others and near the plaa was Wendy's, Burger King, office building and Mcdonald;s and the plaza was on the dracut border) Closed August 1995, became Ames in 1996

5. Lowell: 50,000 square feet.Sun Foods Plaza, Plain st (Hannaford is in the plaza and has CVs, papa gino's chucke cheese clothing stores and fittness places and the plaza is 1/4 mile off the Lowell Turnpike that is off Rt.3) (Closed August 1995) half of became AJ WRight in SEptember 2000 and part of it may still be vacant
- one of the two was a MArs that replaced it in early 1988

6.TEwksbury:Oakdale Mall,Main st(Rt.38)(Opened 1972) (Closed August 1995) The plaza was 4-5 miles east of Rt.495 and 4 miles west of Rt.93 in a riky dink and rundown plaza with a small MArket basket, CVS, florist, Hallmark store, pinball store, and the plaza and store was very rundown looking, the store stayed vacant until late 2002, when it was demolished and rebuilt into a bigger Market basket as the plaza was redeveloped. The stuarts looked like this: brick white, with grey lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. the store had an indoor entrance.

7. Worcester: Grafton st (year opened unknown?)(Closed august 1995) probably where Building 19 is now, and another plaza with Zayre was nearby.

8. Haverhill: 57,300 square feet.Central Plaza,Main st (downtown and Opened in July 1992 in a former Ames, MArket BAsket is in the plaza) (Closed April 1995) now divided to smaller stores

9. Taunton:60,800 square feet.Taunton Mall, (Downtown and replaced A bradlees, that relocated in another part of town, in August 1993)(Closed April 1995)

10. Malden:65,000 square feet.Broadway Plaza (with Purity Supreme and other stoers like fashion bug and a pharmacy and in downtown)(Opened 1974) (closed APril 1995) IT was subleased to AJ wright and Mil Stores in August 1998.

11. Chelsea: Mystic Mall (Market basket and Osco in mall), fith ave (Opened in 1984 in a former K-mart)(Closed July 1995)Now furniture store, but the lettering ws on the plaza's sign. the mall is in the center of town and near the tobin bridge.

12. Fitchburg: 62,000 square feet.Central Plaza, Water st (downtown and plaza old looking and has Market Basket, cvs and other places) (Opened 1970)(Closed July 1995)Still vacant and rumored to be redeveloped into a bigger MArket Basket, it looked like this brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. the plaza is brick stoney white with black lines going down.

13. SAlaisbury:Crossroads Plaza, Main st(REplaced Mars department store in 1989)(Closed 1992)Now Cinemagic (The building is stoney white) it was just off the highway, and the plaza has rinky dink stores.

14. Grafton (Oepened late 70s,early 80s) (Closed 1993) Now demolished in 98 to Stop and shop on worcester road

15. Weymouth:Harborlight mall (7 miles from highway) and opened in 1985 as former K-mart) (CLosed January 1991)

16. Swansea: K-mart Plaza (opened in a former K-mart in 1984 and closed 1992) now building 19, plaza at the starting point of the strip and has rinyk dink stores in the plaza and was 1/2 a mile west of the mall, and near mcds and restuarants

17. NEw Bedford: 55,000 square feet. (Opened MArch 1989 in Fieldstone MArketplace and the plaza also has Shaw's, papa gino's, payless, Cvs and KB toyworks and is right of the 140 interstate)(Closed August 1995)was replaced by a cinema in 1999. The store was originally downtown in the old star store location and opened in 1987.

   New Hampshire
1. Goffstown: 60,000 square feet.Goffstown Plaza, Mast Rd (Rt.114A) (Opened 1973) there is a picture of the stoer in an earlier post and the store was tan, and lower ceiling. The PLAZA IT WAS IN Was about 3 miles from the highway, and getting to it from the highway and downtown manchester was through residential streets, and the plaza has Shaw's, fashion bug junior, home vision, photo plus, rite aid, hallmark and a few other stores. Near the plaza on the road for franchises was just Burger king, Mcdonald's, dunkin donuts, Pizza Hut shop'n save that opened 92, and that was all, the rest of the strip was florists, nail places, and other rinky dink places, and you could also get to Stuart's from going 101 for 1.6 miles and then go onto 114 from there and go for 3.5 miles and then at an intersecton on Rt.114 in goffstown go east on Rt.114A for a mile and there was stuart's. THe store closed July 1995 and was dvided into Advance Auto parts in late 1996, Family dollar early 1997, Big Lots in 2000 and some other stoer in 2002.

2. Nashua: Southgate Plaza, DAniel WEbster Hwy (Opeend 1970) the store looked like this: brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. THE PLaza had MArket basket, papa gino's, walgreens, liquor store, and was diagonal from the huge Phesant Lane Mall (That opened in 1986) and naer all the other major shopping plazas (that opened after the southgate plaza and much after the southgate plaza), a lot of the national retailers in nashua were near this plaza, so I do not know why this one closed before the rest of the chain, since it was the only one near a lot of major stores. the plaza was stoeny brick white with black lines going down in some places. The store closed in April 1995, and stayed vacant until summer 1996, which was when MArket Basket decided to relocated there and did work on it and opened in March 1997

          Rhode ISland.
1. Johnston:63,000 square feet. Johnston Plaza, Hartford Ave and off the highway. The store replaced an older supermarket in 1985 and closed in July 1995. IT IS STILL VACANT
2. Pawtucket:Armstice Plaza, Armstice Blvd (Opened 1985) Closed august 1995 Now Ro-jacks foods and the store was in the center of town

     Vermont
1. Barre:53,658 square feet.Stuarts Plaza, on Barre-montpelier road IT opened in 1985 and closed December 31, 1994 and is now Grand union that is vacant. the plaza was near restuarants like Burger King, Mcdonalds, KFc and not to far from Ames.

All their stores lettering was metal white or on signs or places their lettering was in ittalics. what do you think of the kind of plazas and locations they were in?

THIS PICTURE IS THE STUARt's in Lowell on Bridge st. that is now Ames

[Zayre88]

The sign of "Plaza 114" in Lawrence, With a modern Stuart's logo.

[HoJofan206]

Since we did not have those in Indiana, was Stuarts along the lines of a Target/K-Mart or "other" type of department store?

[store215]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
Since we did not have those in Indiana, was Stuarts along the lines of a Target/K-Mart or "other" type of department store?

I never been to one, but from the descriptions people are giving, I am guessing it was a mix between an Ames and a Big Lots.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by MBZ321

Originally posted by HoJofan206
Since we did not have those in Indiana, was Stuarts along the lines of a Target/K-Mart or "other" type of department store?

I never been to one, but from the descriptions people are giving, I am guessing it was a mix between an Ames and a Big Lots.

Yes Ames was a bix between Ames and BIg lots. And they seemed to be in bad shape in the end with closing over half their stores. I hope some people can give their experiences at STuarts, the chain closed 10 years ago from this time.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB
man I don't know if I like like Stauart's

too small

messy

NO WONDER THEY CLOSED!

WHICH ONE DID YOU KNOW OF?

Right they were too small and their stoers were like 50,000 55,000 or 60,000 square feet. I am not suprised they closed because they were just junky, (WHERE THEY AS BAD AS WORSE THAN AMES), it was hard to tell because I only went to the ones in NAshua NH and biddeford Maine not long before they closed, and they were junky (but I went to NAshua as there were only tables left in the store while most of the stoer was sealed off) there stores were not in the best locations, but nashua was near the mall. I was not surprsied they closed because of the outdated ness of their stores and their stores were dingy, and if nashua could not make it then the chain wouldn't and they downsized so bad.

this is waht the one in malden mass looked like. IT was said to be 65,000 square feet and closed in a spring 1995 round of closings.

I was basing my opinion of Stuart's from the previous posts on how the store conditions were

Your observations on the post are: ACCURATE.

AGain it did have small stores (stores in the 50,000 and 60,000 square feet range), cookie cutter woolworth and Ames, the walls were greenish, the stores were dingy, they went from 21-23 stores to 9 stores in a few months.

The ones in Fitchburg, Billerica MAss and NAshua NH, stores looked like this: brick white, with black lines going downward, and under the white part was stone brown, and near the dorways were glass windows, and under some of the glass was pink red. The one in TEWksbury mass looked like this, except the lines going downward were silver. The stores were junky and dingy (kind of dark inside). The one in goffstown was brick light brown (But the picture shows it tan) and around the door was metal black and it was built in 1973. the lttering of the stores was dark metal red. they went bankrupt twice, some Stuart's leased other stores that closed. I saw the one in FItchburg vacant and MArket Basket currently wants to relocate into it into a bigger and more updated store (and to update the plaza), the one in Billerica is now Officemax, NAmco and a few stores but I could tell that was Stuart's since I knew stuart's was in BIllerica, the one in TEWksbury was vacant at the time I Saw it vacant 2000 and stayed vacant until maybe late 02/early 03, when it got redeveloped with the rest of the plaza into a bigger MArket BAsket and more updated plaza, the one in NAshua became a relocated and more updated MArket Basket (in SOuthgate plaza).

SOmeone from Milford yeras ago said Stuart's is a dumpy store, someone from nashua said the store was dirty; people from Goffstown said it was worse than a bad Ames, like Ames, junky, had a lot of legos; someone from near Lawrence said in a serious tone of voice STuart's was a pit, a crappy, crapy store; someone said the one in Grafton mass was old and dusty, someone from Lowell thought it was junk and went into one and said it was like the basement of a mill, the in Biddeford I went into was dark dingy, and very junky and lackluster, when I went to the one in NAshua NH it had the closing sale and all that was left when I went in was tables and boxes were torn open and it had the POWER RANGERS COMMAND CENTER PLAYSET in on of those bins. someone said the stuarts in fitchburg was pretty bad.

YOU HAVE A GOOD OBSERVATION. They started in 1957. BUT WHERE DID THEY OPEN THEIR FIRST STORE??? I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE FIRST ONE WAS????

The picture of this part of the plaza will give you an ida what stuarts looked like. Stuart's was at the eastern end of the plaza. and the store, like this plaza, was stoney white and had silver lines going through. The entrance in teh stuart's was a small enclosed area and the entrance was very old looking, and the side of the building was metal tan. I went by this 5 years ago and the labelscar of the stuarts on the plazas sign then showed.

The ones in Nashua NH, Fitchburg mass and Billerica mass looked like this except, the lines going though were black.

This plaza was built in 1972

[C. Fontaine]

There was a Stuarts on Grafton St. in Worcester, MA at one point along with an Ames.  It is now a Building #19.

[Crawford]

The Stuarts in Pawtucket RI was in the Armistice Blvd plaza. I believe it was either next door to the Cherry & Webb or replaced it. It was demolished to make way for an Edwards which later became a RoJacks supermarket which closed about 2-3 years ago. The building is currently vacant. The one in Johnston RI was a former Mammoth Mart and as far as I know is still vacant and located in a very seedy looking shopping plaza.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by Crawford
The Stuarts in Pawtucket RI was in the Armistice Blvd plaza. I believe it was either next door to the Cherry & Webb or replaced it. It was demolished to make way for an Edwards which later became a RoJacks supermarket which closed about 2-3 years ago. The building is currently vacant. The one in Johnston RI was a former Mammoth Mart and as far as I know is still vacant and located in a very seedy looking shopping plaza.

last summer i saw the one in Johnston still vacant. Something said it was 63,000 square feet. the lettering was like dark red.

[C. Fontaine]

Here's an update to Dan's visit!  This entire plaza is a true gem hidden in the heart of Johnston, RI!  The strip in its entirety is abandoned and blocked off.  Luckily for me, one of their stop sticks was knocked down and I was able to get some extensive pictures with my new digital camera, I will try to upload them soon!  Here's a sample,

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by C. Fontaine
This entire plaza is a true gem hidden in the heart of Johnston, RI!  The strip in its entirety is abandoned and blocked off.  Luckily for me, one of their stop sticks was knocked down and I was able to get some extensive pictures with my new digital camera, I will try to upload them soon!  Here's a sample,

Wow, a true gem!!  :tumble:

[C. Fontaine]

Here's the pictures I took this Sunday, enjoy!

http://amesfanclub.com/archive/main.php/v/other/stuarts/johnston/

[Anonymous]

New Britain Stuarts was on Slater Road, Way back when I think in the same plaza was a grand union or something.  Next I believe Walmart moved in and it may be a bank now since Walmart moved to a different location.

[Lastdaysofrain]

There was a Stuart's in Saugus, MA in the old plaza that was replaced by the Square One Mall, it probably closed in 93 or 94 when construction for the Square One Mall started.

(That plaza also had a Woolworth's, Brigham's, Service Merchandise)

Stuart's was the middle store in an L shaped strip mall, and had a weird courtyard out back. I remember going to see Santa Claus at the store when I was a kid.

[Marc82]

Originally posted by Anonymous
New Britain Stuarts was on Slater Road, Way back when I think in the same plaza was a grand union or something.  Next I believe Walmart moved in and it may be a bank now since Walmart moved to a different location.

Years ago that was Stanley Plaza. It had Bradlees and Mott Shoprite. Now it's the regional training center for Webster Bank.

[momof3]

Oh Ok bradless was there, they moved out before the store went out of business then.  Becasue I remember Stuarts in the early 90s or so.

[jmcnamara96]

Heres the one in Sunrise Shopping Center Lowell Mass were Ames resided from 1996-2002  here it is as Stuarts  opens September 28, 1967

[d_fife]

Heres the one in Sunrise Shopping Center Lowell Mass were Ames resided from 1996-2002  here it is as Stuarts  opens September 28, 1967

how did you find this? I only went to Stuarts in BIddeford (in the last 6 months) and Nashua (when itw as 60 percent off) and what did you guys think of their stores, I thought they were junk shopes, what where they meant to be and cater to. I tried to go to the one in Goffstown and it was already gone (I mean I live an hour from MAnchester and I didnt know it was there all that time)

[gu4ever]

Heres the one in Sunrise Shopping Center Lowell Mass were Ames resided from 1996-2002  here it is as Stuarts  opens September 28, 1967

how did you find this? I only went to Stuarts in BIddeford (in the last 6 months) and Nashua (when itw as 60 percent off) and what did you guys think of their stores, I thought they were junk shopes, what where they meant to be and cater to. I tried to go to the one in Goffstown and it was already gone (I mean I live an hour from MAnchester and I didnt know it was there all that time)

The Stuarts that I visited when they were still fully in operation were a cheaper version of Rich's department store.
Stuarts always had the feeling of being dirty and not very neat and organized, I'm sure they weren't always like that, but even as a young kid I didn't like shopping there it was just a boring store to go to with my Mom.

[d_fife]

Heres the one in Sunrise Shopping Center Lowell Mass were Ames resided from 1996-2002  here it is as Stuarts  opens September 28, 1967

how did you find this? I only went to Stuarts in BIddeford (in the last 6 months) and Nashua (when itw as 60 percent off) and what did you guys think of their stores, I thought they were junk shopes, what where they meant to be and cater to. I tried to go to the one in Goffstown and it was already gone (I mean I live an hour from MAnchester and I didnt know it was there all that time)

The Stuarts that I visited when they were still fully in operation were a cheaper version of Rich's department store.
Stuarts always had the feeling of being dirty and not very neat and organized, I'm sure they weren't always like that, but even as a young kid I didn't like shopping there it was just a boring store to go to with my Mom.

I could tell it was a knock off of Rich's and what do you think was junkier Ames or STuarts, and I noticed a lot of their stores concentrated around Lawrence nad Lowell. Which Rich's did you go to. and what you have said of Stuarts, is that why they were one of the first regionals to go and their stores were tiny compared to now aday stores!! and many later ones where not built from the ground up! I only went to their stores near their last days and a few years before saw a couple and didnt know what STuarts was as it looked like a junk shop