 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Department stores) |
| Founded | 1872 in Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Founder | Lyman S. Ayres |
| Defunct | September 9, 2006 |
| Fate | Acquired by Macy's |
| Successor | Macy's |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
Number of locations | 14 (at peak in 2006; L.S. Ayres only) |
Area served | Indiana; Springfield, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, home furnishings, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares |
| Parent | Associated Dry Goods (1972–1986) The May Department Stores Company (1986–2005) Federated Department Stores, Inc. (2005–2006) |
| Divisions | Ayres Department Stores, Inc.; Bressmer's (The John Bressmer Company); Ayr-Way Stores; Ayr-Way Quality Foods; Murray Showrooms; and Murray Investments[1] |
| Subsidiaries | Kaufman-Straus, Sycamore Shops, Cygnet Shops, and Wolf & Dessauer[1] |
| Website | Archived official website at the Wayback Machine (archive index) |
L. S. Ayres and Company was a department store based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and founded in 1872 by Lyman S. Ayres. Over the years its Indianapolis flagship store, which opened in 1905 and was later enlarged, became known for its women's fashions, the Tea Room, holiday events and displays, and the basement budget store. As urban populations shifted to the suburbs, Ayres established branch stores in new shopping centers in several Indiana cities. Ayres also acquired retail subsidiaries in Springfield, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Louisville, Kentucky. Ayr-Way, the Ayres discount store subsidiary, became the first discount store launched by a full-line department store. By the end of the 1960s Ayres had become a diversified merchandising business with retail department stores, a chain of discount stores, specialty clothing stores, a home furnishings showroom, and a real estate holding company. A long-time Ayres slogan, "That Ayres Look", promoted the company as a fashion leader, and by 1972 it had become the oldest continuous retail slogan in the United States.
Associated Dry Goods acquired Ayres in 1972. After The May Company acquired Associated Dry Goods in 1986, several Ayres stores were closed. The flagship store in Indianapolis was closed in the spring of 1992 as the remaining Ayres operation merged with May's Famous-Barr division. Federated Department Stores, owner of rival Macy's, acquired The May Company on August 30, 2005. On February 1, 2006, L. S. Ayres was dissolved and folded into the newly formed Macy's Midwest division. On September 9, 2006, the L. S. Ayres name was retired as most stores were converted to Macy's.
- ^ a b Turchi 2012, p. 248.