Ames department store opened its doors in 1958 and closed them for good on October 19, 2002. Or did they?

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Ames began as a discount department store popular in towns in the Northeast where there wasn’t much competition from other discount stores. At its peak, Ames operated 700 stores in 20 states however, slow sales were the cause of two two bankruptcy filings which led to the end of the much-loved store.

In Binghamton, Ames was located at 1250 Front Street in the North Gate Plaza, and local residents who shopped at the store still reminisce today about the bargains they scooped up there before the store closed its doors.

In a cryptic post on AmesStores.com, a message reads,

Ames Department Stores, Inc is returning in Spring 2023. Please keep an eye on this website for announcements on which locations are opening first!

There is nothing further on the website with the exception of a LinkedIn icon at the bottom of the page. The link directs to a LinkedIn page for Ames Department Stores PLC.

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Further digging on the LinkedIn page reveals that the retail store is located in Gloversville, New York’s Capital Region, and the company size is 51-200 employees.

Ames Department Stores Announces Closing
Mike Theiler / Stringer
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Also mentioned on the Ames Department Stores PLC LinkedIn page is that the company is “A project by Molyneux Group, the owners of Bradlees Department Stores PLC.

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We were unable to find any social media pages for Ames Department Store. Hence, the question remains whether or not there is any legitimacy to the return of Ames or whether or not the store if there even is one, will follow a similar model to the former discount department store that closed over 20 years ago.

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