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Remember Zayre department store? A quick look back
Remember Zayre department store?
Russian immigrant brothers Max and Morris Feldberg began a…
Remember Zayre department store?
Russian immigrant brothers Max and Morris Feldberg began a hosiery business in 1919 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. When sales began to decline, they ventured out to create a new discount department store.
The department store needed a name however. The brothers agreed on the name Zayre which was a transformation from the Jewish saying “Zehr gut” which means very good.
The first Zayre location opened in Hyannis in 1956. With the help of their children Stanley and Sumner, Zayre grew into one of the largest retail chains in the country with almost 1,200 locations nationwide.
In the mid 1980’s profits began to decline which eventually led to Zayre filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988. The department store chain was then sold to Ames and by 1990 the Zayre name was no longer. Ames, however, kept the exterior similar to the style of Zayre at the former Zayre locations.
Ames later filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and their remaining stores were closed shortly after.
Along with Zayre and Ames, National Wholesale Liquidators also resided at the 181 Mariano S Bishop Blvd. location.
The old Zayre location in Fall River is currently occupied by Burlington (Burlington Coat Factory).
Remember this ad showing the original Atari 2600?
Sue Cordeiro
October 13, 2019 at 6:42 pm
I worked there for many years.Such nice people and crazy midnight sales.
Tonya
October 28, 2022 at 7:47 pm
Does any one remember the Zayres located in the MLK mall in Roxbury, Mass in the late 80’s?
Portage Valparaiso
June 11, 2024 at 9:08 pm
My stepdad worked at the zayre in Danville, Illinois back in the late 80’s he was a security guard there, he used to ride a motorcycle back and forth to work, he lived in hoopeston,ill at the time, in 1988, he was going to work while riding his motorcycle, this 76 year old man in a station wagon pulled out in front of him, my stepdad hit the wagon and was airborne for about 100 feet before hitting the ground, he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, he was DOA before arrival, he was 36 at the time, and yes 36 is too young to go out this way