Groceteria.com

Who remembers in the New York City area the department store chain MAYS and its "Every day's a sale day at May's" jingle slogan?

You're gonna love these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1mI_a_AvKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGskWPS91Q

Thanks for the YouTube clips, as I checked the comments is it true MAY'S in NYC became in the 1980's Foley's and then as of the 1990's-2000's Macy's?

No "Mays", the New York area chain never became anything, they folded ot maybe they became Bradlee's. I think you ate thinking of the "May" department store chain. Foleys was never a "May" department store though. Most May stores were in Southern California and became Robinsons-May when the merged with Robinsons, then they became Macy's. I think Foleys was a Texas based chain and there was a group of stores in Denver called "May D&F" that later became Foleys then became Macy's. Confused. Basically Macy's swallowed up ever loca department store chain in the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Department_Stores

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a May's at the Dutchess Mall in Fishkill,NY? It was a 2-story store!!

May had chains all over the country. The May name was only used in LA, Cleveland, and Denver (and for a while in Jacksonville). The SoCal stores were not the largest part of the company. May ran "promotional" department stores--big on bargain basements that often sold seconds, big storewide sales, mid-range brands, and in a few places, trading stamps. Except for the trading stamps, Macy's was a lot like that before the mid/late 70s. Over time, May dropped the more promotional image and cheap merchandise.

The NYC chain was JW Mays. They were half a step or so down from May or Macy--cheaper merchandise, not very fashionable. A competitor with S Klein (both on Union Square in NYC). Stores like theirs tended to die out in the 60s and 70s, as discounters took over a lot of their market.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a May's at the Dutchess Mall in Fishkill,NY? It was a 2-story store!!

You are correct, sir!

Thank you Transit Road!! I also remember Service Merchandise being at the south end of the mall!!

BDK

I hear different accounts about the Duchess Mall store. Some say it was open by 1968-1969, others 1974. Does anyone know the year they closed? I know it was during the 80's.

May acquired the Turn Style big-box chain in 1977 from Jewel Companies. They famously "passed" on the location at the infamous Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois. This is now the most creepy part of the mall. They say the store always suffered from its poor choice of location around the back. The construction of this store was not as durable to begin with, since it was added in 1970. Most of the mall opened in 1965 or 1966.

Here is another "May's" for you: a restaurant in Berwick, PA I ate at last week!

I believe the Dutchess Mall opened in 1974 and finally closed in the mid to late 1990's. Service Merchandise closed in 1996. Jamesway closed in 1994. BTW, after Mays closed in the early 1980's, it was Gaynes for a short period, then finally Jamesway. I also remember Mama Brava Pizza and Drug World in the mall.

BDK

Tri-County Flea Market in Levittown used to be a Mays. You can even still see it on the doors (!).

I believe that Mays only had 9 locations...

Brooklyn,NY
Levittown,NY
Manhatten,NY
Massapequa,NY
Jamaica,NY
Woodmere,NY
Glen Oaks,NY
Fishkill,NY
Scarsdale,NY