So much to say about the Ames. I took this picture somewhere around 6 weeks ago. When I returned to the spot in Timonium across from the fairgrounds, I found that the people, who according to the white sign have leased the premises, have in fact completely demolished the building.
After Ames went under, there was a lot of emotional distress among the people I knew. Some took it well others not so. Plastic bouncy ball sales in the State of Maryland declined around 25%, and the FPI (an economic statistic that measures the changes in pricing of flannel) increased a solid 10%.
Seriously though, Ames was always an interesting place because it never tried to be any more than Ames. Not like K Mart trying to become K, or Sears with its almost daily re-branding efforts, and not like Caldor who tried to impress you with its brown brick exteriors. Ames was just there. You knew what you were getting becasue they didn’t try to hide what they were giving you.
Of course, it would seem like the marketplace demanded something more. Today, while you may pay a small premium, the Target down the street will sell you things of a (mostly, but certainly not always) higher quality, in a comfortable environment with free soda refills.
What’s most surprising is that the space wasn’t successfully occupied again. It’s huge. How did another chain not take that spot, right on the busiest road around. The seasonal shops that took over 25% of the space never made it anywhere. Nobody really needs a store devoted to halloween.
I always wondered about the “fine jewelry” counter there. How fine was it?
