Iconic Department Store Returning After Shutting Down in 2002
Ames Department store is getting a rebirth 20 years after closing its doors. The beloved Connecticut-based store broadcasted the exciting news on its website. The statement declared that Ames Department Store is returning in the first quarter of 2023.
The president of the parent company that owns Ames Department store, Cross Moline Ventures, stated that there definitely would be a location in Rhode Island as well as another six locations which will include Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania. Naturally, the first Ames department store will open in Connecticut, with a series of other locations opening throughout 2023. Rhode Island inhabitants will be disappointed to know their Ames brand is not due to open until 2024.
Potential customers and delighted Ames fans will be informed of the specific shop locations and opening times sometime in February 2023. Originally, Ames based their headquarters in Rocky Hill, but they have stated that it will not be reopening that specific headquarters. They are looking to establish this new version of the department store’s corporate headquarters in Meriden, Connecticut. For now, they are based in Gloversville, New York.
Ames department store was originally founded in 1958. Ames had over 700 branches in 20 states nationwide when they were most popular. They were the fourth largest retail chain store, beaten to the post by Walmart, Kmart, and Target.
They were retailing for nearly 45 years before they went out of business in October 2002. It closed its remaining stores, which left over 21,000 employees unemployed. But by the end, its demise was inevitable, as it filed for bankruptcy twice before eventually closing. The Wall Street Journal claimed that Ames’s demise was due to the rise of Walmart, Target, and retail giant Amazon.
Ames sells a wide range of products, including clothing for all the family, reasonably-priced houseware, electronic items, and other merchandise. In an effort to shake things up, Ames is adding food shopping to the long list of items they sell. It will be rebranded as a one-stop shop for everything clothing and household. Now you will not need to venture to another store for food. Some premium stores will also offer services such as a café for tea, coffee, and light bites.
The owners of Ames are so happy to bring the treasured department store back to life, and people are excited to see the new stores. Having an iconic store like Ames open back up after 20 years will give a much-needed boost to the local economies where the new branches will be based. After such a challenging few years for everyone globally, with sickness, isolation, death, bankruptcy, and closures dominating headlines, it is refreshing to hear that a well-loved business like Ames is given a renaissance.
Ames is a place where you may have gone with your grandmother for tea or where you bought your first lipstick at 12. Everyone has a memory for it, and it is excellent for the new Gen-Z generation to have a place like Ames to hold a community together. Congratulations, Ames, and best of luck for the future.
