Ames Department Stores Ceramic Ornament
Round / One size
$15.99
Product Details & Size Guide
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Celebrate a familiar part of American retail history with this Ames Department Stores ceramic ornament. Ames opened its first store in 1958 in a former textile mill in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and grew from a regional discount retailer into a major chain serving communities across the country. After decades of expansion, acquisitions, and changing fortunes, Ames announced its remaining stores would close in 2002. This keepsake brings the company’s distinctive story to seasonal decorating and makes a meaningful addition to a retail-history collection.
Ames Department Stores began in 1958, when Connecticut brothers Milton, Irving, and Herbert Gilman and partner Philip Feltman opened a discount store in a former textile mill in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The business adopted the mill’s sign as its name and focused on smaller towns and rural communities in the Northeast. It grew through store construction and acquisitions, including Big N in 1978, King’s in 1984, G.C. Murphy in 1985, and Zayre in 1988. The Zayre purchase added hundreds of stores but also brought conversion costs and heavier debt. Ames filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1990, closed many stores, and emerged on December 30, 1992. It later took over former locations of several retailers and acquired Hills Department Stores in 1998, becoming the country’s fourth-largest discount chain. A second bankruptcy followed in 2001. In August 2002, Ames announced it would close its remaining stores and liquidate. The chain had been based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and at its peak operated 700 stores across 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Celebrate a familiar part of American retail history with this Ames Department Stores ceramic ornament. Ames opened its first store in 1958 in a former textile mill in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and grew from a regional discount retailer into a major chain serving communities across the country. After decades of expansion, acquisitions, and changing fortunes, Ames announced its remaining stores would close in 2002. This keepsake brings the company’s distinctive story to seasonal decorating and makes a meaningful addition to a retail-history collection.
Ames Department Stores began in 1958, when Connecticut brothers Milton, Irving, and Herbert Gilman and partner Philip Feltman opened a discount store in a former textile mill in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The business adopted the mill’s sign as its name and focused on smaller towns and rural communities in the Northeast. It grew through store construction and acquisitions, including Big N in 1978, King’s in 1984, G.C. Murphy in 1985, and Zayre in 1988. The Zayre purchase added hundreds of stores but also brought conversion costs and heavier debt. Ames filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1990, closed many stores, and emerged on December 30, 1992. It later took over former locations of several retailers and acquired Hills Department Stores in 1998, becoming the country’s fourth-largest discount chain. A second bankruptcy followed in 2001. In August 2002, Ames announced it would close its remaining stores and liquidate. The chain had been based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and at its peak operated 700 stores across 20 states and the District of Columbia.
| Heart | Round | |
| Diameter, in | 3.21 | 2.80 |
Product features
- 100% white ceramic construction — strong and durable
- Double-sided print with matte finish option
- Golden hanging string included
- UV-decorated for lasting color
- Available in white or gold gift packaging (single ornament per pack)
Care instructions
- Use a microfiber cloth to gently remove any dust or dirt build-up. Avoid harsh chemicals or cleaners. Instead, dampen a cotton wool swab in warm water (just a few drops per liter of water) and gently roll the swab over the ornament and refrain from scrubbing
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Care instructions: Use a microfiber cloth to gently remove any dust or dirt build-up. Avoid harsh chemicals or cleaners. Instead, dampen a cotton wool swab in warm water (just a few drops per liter of water) and gently roll the swab over the ornament and refrain from scrubbing