Stores That Are No More in Massachusetts... an Incomplete List

With more and more stores closing down or leaving Massachusetts, I decided I better make a list so that even I don't totally forget them!  These are ones I personally knew, but by no means a complete list. Perhaps you will remember some yourself!

AS OF 10/1/25:

Ames - Department Store (replaced Zayer) - Waltham, MA (2002)
Ann & Hope - Department Store - Arsenal Mall, Watertown MA
Bailey's - Ice Cream & Candy - Belmont Center, MA

Bed Bath & Beyond - (2023)

Ben Franklin - 5&10/craft store - Belmont MA, etc

Bildner's - Food Store - Belmont Center, MA

Bradlee's - Department Store - Burlington, MA (2001)

Bugaboo Creek - Restaurant - Watertown, MA (2016)

Building 19 (etc) - Closeout Items (2013)

Caldor - Department Store - (1999)

Chadwick's - Restaurant - Lexington, MA (demolished)

Child World - Toy Store (1992)

Christmas Tree Shops - (2023)

Circuit City - Electronics, appliances, etc (2009)

Cottage Crest - Restaurant - Waltham, MA

Dandelion Green - Restaurant - Burlington, MA 

Dexter Shoes - Shoe Stores (Maine)

Durgin Park - Restaurant (1827-2019) 

Filene's - Clothing/Department Store  (2006)

Filene's Basement - Discount Clothing

Finest - Supermarket

Fotomat - photo processing 

Granite State Potato Chips - Salem, NH (demolished)

Grossman's - Home Improvement

K-B Toys - Toy Store - (2009)

K-Mart - Department Store (none in Massachusetts)

Heartland - Supermarket

Hilltop Steak House - Restaurant - Saugus MA

Jordan Marsh (became Macy's) - Department Store

Lechmere - Electronics, Appliances, etc (1997)

LeeWards - Crafts (became Michael's)

Lord & Taylor - Clothing

Magic Pan - Restaurant (crêpes) 

Moe Black's - Hardware Store, etc - Waltham, MA

Old Oak'n Bucket - Restaurant - Westford, MA

Papa Razzi - Restaurant - (1 location left as of 2024) 

Paperama - Woburn MA

Pewter Pot - Restaurant 

Purity Supreme - Supermarket (was Heartland)

Radio Shack - Electronics

RiteAid - Pharmacy (10/2025)

Rotman's Furniture - Worcester MA (2022)

Sage's - Food Market - Belmont Center, MA

Sears - Department store (11 stores remaining nationwide as of 2024)

Service Merchandise - Electronics, Appliances, etc - Burlington, MA (2002)

Spag's - Discount - Shrewsbury, MA (2004)

Strawberries - Record Store (sold 1989)

Tweeter - Electronics (2008)

Videosmith - Movie Rentals 

Quarterdeck - Seafood Restaurant - York, ME

Wal-Lex - Bowling Alley - Waltham, MA

You Do It Electronics - (Dec 2024)
Zayer - Department Store - Waltham, MA (1990)

Toys R Us, Winchester MA 7/2/19


Sears, Leominster MA 11/22/22


Bed Bath & Beyond, Leominster MA (2/26/23)

Below are some stores that turned online-only, out of Massachusetts, closing stores, or on their last legs (a shame, too)

Arthur Treacher's - Fish Restaurant - Woburn, MA

Baskin Robbins - Ice Cream (one is in a Dunkin Donuts, Lexington MA)

Bed Bath & Beyond - home goods (now online only)

Bob's Stores - (2024)

Boston Chicken (now Boston Market) - Lexington, MA

Carvel - Ice Cream (shops) - Woburn, MA

Friendly's - Family Restaurant (most Boston area locations closed)

Jo-Ann Fabrics 

Office Depot - Online only

Papa Gino's - Pizza Restaurant... many locations have closed 

Tower Records - Record Store (online)

Toys R Us - Toy Store - Winchester, MA (online, various attempts to get back into brick & mortar sales)

Rotman's Furniture, Worcester MA 12/11/22


Papa Razzi, Concord MA (6/30/23) (DEMOLISHED)

Papa Gino's, Bedford MA 7/26/21 (DEMOLISHED)

A Store That Is No More: Ames Department Stores

A Store That Is No More:  Ames Department Stores

Empty Ames store in Seabrook, NH (3/27/11)

Founded: 1958
Bankrupt: 2001
Stores Closed: 2002

From the Ames website in 1996:  "It all began in 1958 when two Connecticut brothers, Milton and Irving Gilman, opened their first store in the closed Ames Worsted Textile Co. mill in Southbridge, MA. Since then, Ames has grown into the nation's fifth-largest discount retailer with annual net sales of $2.1 billion. "

From the Ames website in 1998:  "Ames' original business strategy was radical: bring discounting to the underserved smaller towns and rural areas of the Northeast. Ames’ broad product mix, discount pricing and convenient shopping hours were enormously popular with customers.

Ames’ success spurred an aggressive growth period from 1978-1988. Combining a new store building program with acquisitions of other discount chains such as Neisner Brothers, Kings and G.C. Murphy, Ames grew to 450 stores by 1985.

The 1988 acquisition of the 392-store Zayre discount division, however, brought a sharp reduction in profitability, and Ames filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in April 1990.

After successfully emerging from bankruptcy on December 30, 1992, the company returned to profitability in fiscal 1993 and operating performance has continued to improve.

Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph R. Ettore, a 36-year retailing veteran, management is focusing on targeted expansion (Ames acquired 155 Hills stores in December 1998); maintaining a customer-friendly environment with appealing merchandise presentations, customer service, and strict chainwide operational and financial controls."

From the Ames website in 2001:  "Ames is a regional, full-line discount retailer with an associate base of 21,500 and annual sales of approximately $2.7 billion. Ames operates 327 stores in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West"

An AMES price tag on a Matchbox car