#???? - Country Fair Plaza - Champaign, IL

[Ameskid]

Not sure what this could have been prior to an Ames, if anything.  Something with an auto center (the two service bays are visible to the left of the Dollar General storefront). Now split between a Dollar General, a Big Lots, and a Ruler Foods.

Big Lots, Ruler Foods, Dollar General (former Ames), Champaign, IL by Harvestman Man, on Flickr
Big Lots, Ruler Foods, Dollar General (former Ames), Champaign, IL (2) by Harvestman Man, on Flickr
Big Lots (former Ames), Champaign, IL by Harvestman Man, on Flickr
Big Lots (former Ames), Champaign, IL (3) by Harvestman Man, on Flickr

[TheFugitive]

I was with Ames in the 80's prior to the Zayre merger. 
To my recollection we did not have any stores in Illinois at that time.
Best guess is that it was originally a Zayre location.

[scottw73]

My guess would probably be a Woolco

[Amesdepartmentstores]

It was never a woolco. It was clearly zayre. It was probably Ames during the brief first Ames in late 80s. Because yes there was Ames in illinoins. I had seen some on travels up there with my dad during his out of Florida Stone masonry jobs.

[Amesdepartmentstores]

My guess would probably be a Woolco

no. It wasn't a woolco they never looked like this. It was a zayre.

[Retail_247]

That was defiantly definitely a Zayre, just that this store has 2 Zayre style entrances instead of just one (which might've been added after Zayre/Ames closed?)

[BillyGr]

That was defiantly a Zayre, just that this store has 2 Zayre style entrances instead of just one (which might've been added after Zayre/Ames closed?)

Makes sense to have simply duplicated the existing design when a second entry was added.  Apparently, they got tired of doing so when Dollar General came around, though ;)