Zayre in Florida

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Ephrata1966
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Zayre in Florida

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Around when did Zayre enter Florida? I saw this picture from 1974: http://www.gassigns.org/sunoco.htm (scroll down)

I think they changed their logo in 1975, and would this store have ever become Ames?

Apparently, it has been the site of a Wal-Mart/Walmart (new construction) since at least 1995, a while before Ames shut down. The IHOP is still in the parking lot, the American was an Amoco and survives as a BP, and notice the early Exxon. This was 1974 and Esso US/Enco/Carter/Humble Oil had just been renamed Exxon in 1972. And sometime between 1969 and 1974, IHOP had been renamed from "International House of Pancakes".

And was "QD Discount Food" a chain? Anyone know what happened to it?
Last edited by Ephrata1966 on 23 Mar 2011 22:50, edited 1 time in total.
krogerclerk
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Re: Zayre in Florida

Post by krogerclerk »

Zayre would have entered Florida in the 1960's when Consumers Mart of America(CMA) bankrupted, c. 1965. Florida became a major market for Zayre right up until 1988 acquisition by Ames. While Zayre's in the rest of the southeast closed, the Florida stores stayed open, finishing the year as Zayre and being converted to Ames over the next year. Ames lasted little more than a year, closing the stores and selling the Plant City DC to Albertson's.

Walmart was agressively expanding in Florida at the time and the Florida Richway stores had been sold to Target, bringing Target into Florida for the first time. Zayre had been a strong competitor to Kmart, but the stores were aging poorly and Ames didn't have the capital to update the storebase. Florida was also a strong base for BJ's, Zayres membership chain, and as such is one of the few places that Sam's, Costco and BJ's all three compete, though BJs has lost ground as Costco has expanded.
werememberretail
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Re: Zayre in Florida

Post by werememberretail »

And was "QD Discount Food" a chain? Anyone know what happened to it?
Yes indeed, believe it or not it was a sub-chain of Food Fair's Florida Division that predated the Pantry Pride conversion. obviouly the stores eventually became Pantry Pride
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