Zayres Department Store commercial - announcing 24 hours

[filipinobean]

Hey, that looks like the Zayre behind my child hood home!

[southport97]

Zayre had better popcorn than Kmart.

[bartman1238]

I read article saying at zayere was own by TJmaxx than sold them off to Ames. 

[rycon246]

What year was this ? Meijer Huh ? You must be from Michigan or Ohio . I Miss those

[davenwin1973]

I remember this commercial when it came out. I used to take advantage of some of that shopping in my teens. The employees however didn't like the store being open 24 hours, as the stores were more dead than most Walmart & Meijer stores today. Zayre was gone (along with Ames the first time around) before both stores came to my area (Ames was around the second time around though).

[EONSFTFAN]

Before we had Zayres back home in Columbus GA, it was Gaylord's which IMO was a much better discount store than Zayres every thought about or could be. It was a very sad day in local retail when those old Gaylords signs came down. That was in 1982... about 6 or 7 years later, Zayres itself would be gone. To this day one of their 2 former stores remains vacant and probably always will be...

[NitekMuscle]

I remember Gaylords, they had couple of stores in the Mobile, AL market.

[EONSFTFAN]

there was a location in Montgomery too somewhere off of East BLVD. Once upon a time it was a thrift store but have no idea what's there now if anything. Seems like most of what were great retailers to me are gone... GRANTS, GAYLORDS and SERVICE MERCHANDISE. Oh well... life goes on...

[ukendcx2000]

that's like close encounters of the third kind.

[myredrose1974]

hA, i so remember this store, and Hills!!

[jairodrigue]

Hills was taken over by the same company that took over Zayres about 6 years earlier. Ames dept. store or did you already know that?

[myredrose1974]

ya, i did. Hills was the best!

[davenwin1973]

@jairodrigue I heard about Hills being taken over by Ames, as Ames took over Zayre. Zayre was severely mismanaged prior to Ames taking them over, and the touches they made only made things worse. I don't know about Hills, but Ames bought 7 of 8 Goldblatts stores in Chicago & Gary Indiana, and they didn't last either with that acquisition.

[brightbite]

This store doesn't even exist anymore. I remember it well. Cool store. I wonder why it isn't around anymore.

[jairodrigue]

It was taken over by Ames dept. Which filed bankruptcy. Due to heavy shoplifting. Then purchased Hills which dragged them under. Ames went out of business in 2002

[brightbite]

Wow. Thanks for the info. I didn't know all that. Did you work for this outlet?

[jairodrigue]

No but I definetly remember having a Zayres here in S. Louisiana when I was a kid. Just like doing research to make sure my facts are straight.

[brightbite]

Yeah, I know what you mean. You're a bearer for details. This is fine. :D Thanks. I had a Zayres nearby as well. I hope not too many places go the way of Zayers and Ames!

[The096757]

@jairodrigue

maybe that;'s why walmart lasts because they are tough on shoplifting. these old stores felt like xmas during the holidays unlike walmart.

i miss ames, hills. montgomery ward, woolworth, bradlees, gottschalks. there is no store left i can stand to go to anymore.

[beckigreen]

@The096757, I agree with you 100%. I loved Hills the most and I hate Wal-Mart with a passion.

[mhryvnak]

My grandfather nearly got in a fist fight over a Cabbage Patch doll the first year they came out at Zayre's. The doll was for me, but I hated dolls.

[AllisonTheSNLGuru]

My aunt bought 4 of them for Christmas in 1983, one each for me and my twin brother, and one for each of her kids - she had to go to her car right away and lock them in the trunk.

Sounds like when I bought the Nintendo Wii this past summer - no fistfights, but I had to go to the supermarket after buying it, and had to lock the car doors. Thank goodness for tinted windows!