Anyone Remember Kings?

Moderator: Groceteria

Post Reply
bccdmd

Anyone Remember Kings?

Post by bccdmd »

I would like to hear from anyone who remembers "King's", I think it was a store similar to Walmart, with groceries, one opened up in Shelby NC in the early 70's. I loved this place, but it seemed it didn't last long, when you walked in the front doors it always smelled like popcorn.

Mitch Davis
bccdmd@netzero.com
User avatar
Dave
Veteran
Posts: 315
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 14:08
Location: Richmond, VA
Contact:

Post by Dave »

There was a King's Discount Department Store in South Richmond, VA from the 1960's until the early 1980's. I don't know if it was part of the same outfit. The grocery store adjacent was operated by Farm Fresh out of Norfolk.
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Post by Groceteria »

The King's in Greensboro NC, which is mentioned in the Greensboro section of this site BTW, opened about 1965 and closed about 1981. It had a Big Bear (later Food World) supermarket next door. I'm pretty sure there was also at least one store in Winston-Salem.

The building became a Kroger after King's closed and is now a Food Lion.

To my knowlege, there was no grocery component to any of the NC stores.
BillyGr
Veteran
Posts: 196
Joined: 10 Feb 2006 22:35
Location: Upstate NY

Post by BillyGr »

There were King's stores in the upstate NY area as well - they would have been similar to a Kmart/Walmart - I know of two (Hudson and Albany) - many of their stores were later sold to Ames (including the Hudson store, which had previously been a Barkers [another similar chain]) - the Albany one became a TeleTheater for OTB (Off Track Betting).

To add (in relation to Grocery Stores) - the Albany store was by itself (it sits just back from Central Ave.) and the Hudson one was in a plaza with a ShopRite (though the two were not side by side, there were several smaller stores in between).
Last edited by BillyGr on 26 Mar 2006 21:56, edited 1 time in total.
rich
Veteran
Posts: 673
Joined: 15 Nov 2005 20:51
Location: Washington, DC

Post by rich »

I think King's HQ was in New England. They had a lot of stores in Connecticut. They seemed to be the main low-end discounter, in contrast to Caldor (much like the current Target) and even K-Mart. In New England, they co-located quite a few stores with Finast. They were still in business in the mid-80s.
King's ranged at least as far West as the Warren/Youngstown area in Ohio, where they co-located with food stores called "Queen's" (c. 1970).
Blair Bradford

Post by Blair Bradford »

There was a King's in Hendersonville, NC when I lived there in the late 70's. I remember going in there on several occasions, and it was always busy. The merchandise reminded me of Roses. I don't recall any grocery section though.
danielh_512
Veteran
Posts: 132
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 01:33
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Post by danielh_512 »

There was a King's in LaVale, MD and it closed in 1982. Ames didn't want it as Cumberland was too big for them at the time.

They were run out of New England, and Ames bought many of their stores in 1982. They closed about that time. Ours became a County Market in 1984, which was sold to Giant Eagle in 2002, and closed at the end of 2003, with part next door of the old King's holding a Revco that's still a CVS to this day.
Mr. Tire is now occupying some of the old Giant Eagle/King's, the rest is still empty.

The site in the 60's occupied Akron, OH-based Miracle Mart, another old discounter. This site burned down in 1969 I believe, and then King's was built on the site.
Super S
Veteran
Posts: 463
Joined: 07 Jan 2006 00:40

Post by Super S »

This might be a different chain, but I remember a few King's stores in Idaho during the 1980s. These stores seemed more like a Woolworth or Newberry's type of store than anything else.
User avatar
storewanderer
Veteran
Posts: 569
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 03:24
Location: Western United States
Contact:

Post by storewanderer »

Kings Discount of Idaho is still in business. I was in the one in Winnemucca, NV a couple years ago. It appears to be their only location in Nevada, although I sometimes wonder if they were not in Elko or Wendover in the past. Weird store. Very similar to a Woolworths, even had a basement with some clothing and a layaway counter.

The product mix was a little strange. Pricing wasn't particularly bad but wasn't particularly good either. I was about the only customer in the store. I was by the store again in January, and the lot was once again empty. Not sure how they make it.

I think most of their stores are in Idaho. They once had a website, http://www.kingsdiscount.com with a lot of dead links and no store locator, but the logo on the site matches what was out by the road in Winnemucca.
rrr

Post by rrr »

From their website:
Openings on the training program are available throughout the Northwest and as a successful candidate, you must be willing to relocate. Kings Discount Stores have locations in 6 states, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Post Reply