Super Fresh/Farmer Jack, Hampton, VA (closed 1999)

{Original Post}

Question: The Shortest-Lived Stores in Your Area

What do you think was the shortest lived [chain] store(s) in your area? A store that seemed to open and then close months or a year or two later?

My three off the top of my head would have to be:

• Hills in Hampton, VA. Lasted from late 1995 to January of 1997. Still vacant, save for that one time the Salvation Army used it for a drop off place during the holidays.
• Frank’s crafts and nursery also in Hampton, actually not even a mile away from Hills. I think this place was seriously only open for a few months in late 2000. It was across from Coliseum Mall. I think the building is now a skate shop and a Panera Bread.
• FX electronics storein Virginia Beach, Hampton, and somewhere else probably. Apparently only lasted for a nanosecond in 1989.
• Now I don’t know, since I was a little kid (around six) when the chain left the Hampton Roads area, but how long did Bradlees stay in Hampton?

Bill’s Flea Market (former FX), Virginia Beach, VA

I can’t believe I never brought this place up in here … and now its gone, well, in the process of being gone, its on fire (or at the very least suffering smoke damage) right now as I type this.

This was my original Flickr description of the photo when I took it this past Summer (a friend works nearby, and she took me to the building afterwards):

FX was a very very very very very (I mean VERY! like only a few months) futuristic looking electronics store owned by the big local furniture store, Haynes.

I have the opening week ads somewhere in my house from 1989. The only reason why we have them is because it was also the same week of the San Francisco earthquake. I need to try to scan those sometime.

This is now a flea market called Bill’s.

I think I was originally going to do a big article about FX, and dig up those old newspapers of my dad’s, but I never got to it, and now I don’t know WHERE those newspapers are since we moved back in December.

I don’t know where the other FX locations were at the moment. There was one in Hampton, at Todd’s center where Big Lots, Office Max (and I think) the Northern Tools (formerly Paul’s Arts & Crafts and before that Service Merchandise) building is at today. I swear I think I may of zipped through the opening day coverage in the Daily Press or VA Pilot microfilms I was looking at last year when I was doing Newmarket Fair Mall research.

I recorded the news tonight, but I recorded it on a DVD so I don’t know when I’ll be able to make screen caps since the DVD is not finished. It was something seeing smoke circle around that FX tower.

Yeah, I’ve also been thinking about Ames

Ames Department Store Final Voicemail video {not mine, from bigmikey128}

I think the clips of the silly girl in Ames comes from the Ames Department Store Training video {from user biffbulkie}

//edit, March 13//

I watched this video today (and its a parody)

Ames Department stores closing commercial {not mine, from vibe88}

I’ve Been Thinking A Lot About Bradlees Lately…

Bradlees Final Days Commercial (2001) {Not mine, from user moldymac}

NBA 1974 Boston Celtics Bradlees Commercials {not mine, from user TRJ22487}

Bradlees After-Thanksgiving Commercial (1995) {not mine, from user MBZ321}

The Caldor Rainbow: Bradlees Store Locator PLUS 

Flickr tags for Bradlees 

{the previous times we’ve mentioned Bradlees}

A&N Going out of Business Article (From January)

I found this in my photobucket a few moments ago. I forgot to post these back in January when I originally Posted about A&N going out of business:

I have a couple of photos I’ve taken with my iPhone of the Williamsburg location (now closed and labelscarred):

This was back in January:

This was just taken 30 minutes ago:

“Closing of A&N apparel chain likened to ‘a death in the family’”

(Daily Press photo by Joe Fudge)

Closing of A&N apparel chain likened to ‘a death in the family’

Daily Press article that ran Saturday. I have the article scanned, I just couldn’t upload it to photobucket the other day, so expect an edit on this entry in the next couple of days.

But enjoy the video on the link while it is still up. The dude showing off the sweatpants he bought (around the 53 second mark) is wearing a Sanford & Son T-shirt which makes him my best friend forever. This video was filmed at the Newmarket South Shopping Center location, which is down the street from Daily Press’ headquarters. We visited this store way too much growing up. My best memory of the store was when I was 12 (1996), mom and I were looking at shoes in there (I had a massive shoe collection back then), and I saw these ancient platform Converse Sneakers. I think they were red velvet. These had to be three, four years old — and they were still on the shelf. They were barely marked down, I wouldn’t even call it clearance. We asked if there was a pair in my size (10), but there wasn’t.

So, yeah there’s my A&N story.

//edit #1//

Virginia Pilot article.

Some Bags

I found some old bags in with our Christmas decorations last month:

From the 2.5 seconds (ok, more like a year and a half) we had a Hills in Hampton. Bag is either from 1995 or 1996.

Stuarts died in the late 90’s I think. My mom and I spent way.way.way. too much money at Stuart’s Plus in the 90’s on clothes for me. We went to both the Newmarket Fair and Coliseum Mall locations until they closed in about 1997.

I guess Marianne and Jean Nicole were what Stuarts was in other states?

I remember these from the 90’s. It seemed like every store had blue bags back then, something to do with recycling.

I found one of these in a rickety barn in our yard the other day, next to a Pepsi can from the 90’s.

—-

AT&T iPhone bag. November, 2007.

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Bath & Body Works Christmas 2007 bag. I found a Bath & Body Works bag from 2000 in a box of things the other day.

Some newer bags:

1982 Montgomery Ward Day After Thanksgiving Commercial (not mine)

Since its usually just me, mom and dad on Thanksgiving, one of our highlights is to look at the salespapers Thanksgiving morning.

It’s hard to believe that back in the day after Thanksgiving sales started at 8 a.m.. We’re so used to them starting at like, six a.m. or some cases now midnight or four a.m.

Eckerd Rite Aid Walgreens Synergy (Franklin, VA)

September, 2006
November, 2006
June, 2007
September, 2007
May 2007
June 2007 More coming soon when the conversion is finally finished.