Fact Check: Are Ames Department Stores Making a Comeback?
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When Ames Department Stores announced its plans for a 2023 revival, the public was gobsmacked. The regional chain’s proposed comeback after its 2002 termination received a lot of skepticism while simultaneously sparking a little fire of hope. Nonetheless, 2023 came and went, and with it so did shoppers’ excitement over a potential Ames resurgence. But now, the chain’s active social media channels and revamped website have shoppers wondering: Are Ames Department Stores coming back for good?
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Whisperings of an impending comeback first took root when Ames relaunched its website in Dec. 2022, as Best Life previously reported. At the time, the store estimated a return date of “Spring 2023.” Despite a parent company rebranding in Jan. 2023, Ames’ CEO Michael Molyneux maintained that the store was on track to reopen.
“We are excited to announce that our parent company Cross Moline Ventures will be rebranding to Silver Knight Group,” Molyneux shared on Instagram at the time. “As a result, Ames and other subsidiaries of Cross Moline will be transferred over the coming weeks. Please note that this transaction will not impact or change our plans to reopen in Spring 2023.”
But as shoppers know, this didn’t happen. In June 2023, Ames released yet another statement assuring future customers that a reopening was still on the horizon. “We understand that patience is dwindling, however, we’re working hard to bring stores back. We’re here to stay,” the company said on X .
We understand that patience is dwindling, however, we’re working hard to bring stores back. We’re here to stay. — Ames Department Stores (@AmesDepStores) June 24, 2023
The company then went silent on social media and refrained from updating its website with announcements…until this year.
On. Jan. 7, 2024, Ames announced on X that “a new date has been confirmed.” New storefronts will begin opening their doors in June 2026 “with a total of 35 stores opening through 2026 and 2027,” per the statement.
When prompted by a X user to “reveal the truth” about the delay, Ames responded : “The original plans were for Spring 2023, however, certain setbacks had lead to us postponing by a couple of months, due to certain licensing regulations, and planning regulations. We understand how this can be upsetting to most people dreaming for an Ames comeback but it is best for us to postpone to a later date so we can have these issues rectified, and still have time for our contractors to finish things on their end.”
We’re still working on reopening our stores, however, a new date has been confirmed. Ames will begin opening their new locations from June 2026, with a total of 35 stores opening through 2026 and early 2027. We can’t wait to see you in our stores soon! — Ames Department Stores (@AmesDepStores) January 7, 2024
Ames has since updated its website to reflect its newly scheduled opening date. “There are currently 25 locations planned to open across the United States by late 2027, with plans to add more locations during 2028,” the homepage reads . Additionally, Ames has plans to open seven distribution centers across the country.
As of this reporting, Ames hasn’t publicly revealed where these stores and centers will be located. But according to the website, every store will have an Ames Cafe and select locations will offer an in-store pharmacy. Customers will also be able to take advantage of online ordering, home delivery, and a “Click & Collect” program.
It appears only time will tell whether Ames’ plans bear fruit this time around.
Iconic Department Store Century 21 Is Reopening Next Week
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Century 21 had a humble beginning, with just a small storefront on Cortlandt Street in New York, according to Forbes . The discount department store expanded over time and became a popular destination for shoppers to score significant savings on high-fashion items. But despite managing to stand the test of time for nearly 60 years, COVID forced Century 21 out of business.
When the pandemic started, the retailer had 13 stores spread throughout New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Florida, with new locations under development on Long Island and at the massive American Dream mall in New Jersey. But in Sept. 2020, Century 21 announced that it would be closing all of its stores and going out of business after failing to secure an insurance payment to protect against financial losses.
All of the Century 21’s retail locations closed before the start of 2021. But now, three years later, the company is finally ready to make its comeback.
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Century 21 didn’t stay down for long. Just two months after closing its last few remaining stores, the company had already started teasing a potential return.
“Never count out a New Yorker,” Century 21 said in a Feb. 2021 press release , explaining that it would revive its brand that year with the opening of its first global store in South Korea. At the time, the retailer indicated that it would also be relaunching its brand in New York at some point down the line.
It took over a year before Century 21 officially announced its return to the U.S.
“Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker,” the retailer said in a May 2022 press release , confirming that it would bring back its flagship location across from the World Trade Center. The company confirmed that the reopening would occur sometime in spring 2023—and now, shoppers are just days away from getting to set foot in this iconic department store again.
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We finally have an official date for the return of the first Century 21 store in the U.S. since 2020, and it’s just around the corner.
A spokesperson for the company told Crain’s New York that Century 21’s flagship store in the Financial District will hold its grand reopening on May 16. This location was originally expected to open its doors on April 25, but it remained closed to the public through the end of the month, according to the newspaper.
Best Life reached out to Century 21 to get insight on why the reopening was pushed back, and we will update this story with their response.
But May 16 is looking like a done deal, as the company has confirmed this reopening date on its official website .
“We are back! The opening you’ve been waiting for is here,” Century 21’s home page states. “Our doors at our flagship location are officially opening on Tuesday, May 16 at 12 p.m. We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store.”
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Customers shouldn’t expect the flagship Century 21 location to look exactly the way it did before the pandemic, however. The revived department store is expected to cover a total of 100,000 square feet, which is only about half the size of its former store, according to The Tribeca Trib .
But Century 21 has already been advertising a “revitalized shopping experience” for customers after partnering with retail operations company Legends Hospitality for its relaunch.
“As a result of this partnership, Century 21 will be introducing a more streamlined customer shopping experience through in-store upgrades and an elevated, e-commerce presence, which will debut at the same time the brick and mortar store opens its doors,” the retailer said in its 2022 release. “The re-opened Cortlandt Street location will span the four main floors of the original downtown space and will offer men’s, women’s and children’s designer apparel, footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances.”
