AM&A's

AM&A's
	File:AM&A's Department Store Final Logo.png
Industry	Retail
Founded	1867
Founder	Robert B. Adam, William Anderson, and William Meldrum
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Acquired by The Bon-Ton
Headquarters	Buffalo, New York
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.

Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Company (commonly known as AM&A's) was a department store chain headquartered in Buffalo, New York, operating from its inception in 1867 until it ceased operations in 1995. Established by Robert B. Adam, William Anderson, and William Meldrum, the retailer became a significant presence in Western New York’s retail market, recognized for its high-end product offerings, festive holiday window displays, and its downtown Buffalo flagship store. The company grew through both acquisitions and the opening of suburban locations but eventually encountered intensified competition from national chains during the late 20th century. In 1994, The Bon-Ton acquired the business and rebranded the stores the following year, effectively retiring the AM&A's brand.

History

File:Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co. (from Pauls' Dictionary of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Tonawanda and Vicinity).jpg

Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co., Main Street, Buffalo, NY (1896)

The origins of the company date back to 1867 when it was founded as Adam, Meldrum & Whiting at 308-310 Main Street. Co-founder Robert Borthwick Adam was related to the founder of J. N. Adam & Co. In 1876, following Whiting’s departure, William Anderson joined the firm and the name changed to Adam, Meldrum & Anderson. A significant milestone occurred in 1886 when the company became one of Buffalo’s first commercial enterprises to utilize electricity by installing a Westinghouse generator. The business incorporated in 1892 and became part of the Syndicate Trading Company, a New York City-based retail purchasing cooperative, in 1896. Between 1925 and 1956, AM&A's operated its own financial institution—the Adam, Meldrum & Anderson State Bank—which eventually merged with M&T Bank. Leadership passed to Robert Adam III in 1942; he served as president until 1980 and then as CEO until his death in 1993. The chain was ultimately acquired by The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. in 1994.

Flagship store

File:J.N. Adam-AM&A Historic District Jun 09.jpg

Former AM&A flagship location, June 2009

The original flagship was situated on Main Street at what is now the site of Main Place Mall. In 1924, a substantial $500,000 (~$Template:Format price adjusted) expansion added approximately 70,000 square feet (6,500 m²) to this location. Further growth occurred in 1932 when the company acquired the neighboring Hudson's store at 410 Main Street. From the 1940s through its closure, this store gained local fame for its intricate Victorian-style Christmas window displays. In August 1960, AM&A's relocated its flagship across Main Street to 389 Main Street—a building formerly occupied by J. N. Adam & Co.. After enlarging warehouse facilities nearby, the store underwent major renovations in 1966 and again ten years later. The flagship also featured an on-site dining venue named the Yankee Doodle Room that operated from 1960 until closing in 1993; it briefly reopened as a gourmet market and deli thereafter. Following its acquisition by The Bon-Ton, the store continued under that brand until shutting down in 1995. It reopened for a short period in 1998 as Taylor’s, an upscale women’s department store. On February 20, 2009, this historic complex was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the J.N. Adam-AM&A Historic District. In 2015, a development firm based in New York City purchased the property with plans to transform it into a ten-story hotel and restaurant complex featuring an Asian theme.

Branch locations

In 1948, AM&A's established the first branch of a downtown department store by launching a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) outlet at University Plaza. Two years later, in 1950, a new branch was inaugurated at Sheridan Plaza in Tonawanda. By October 1952, the company assumed control of the former E. W. Edwards & Son premises located at L.B. Smith Plaza—later renamed Abbott Road Plaza—in Lackawanna, which remained operational until its closure in 1971. Another store commenced operations in 1958 at Thruway Plaza, subsequently known as Thruway Mall; this site was shuttered in 1990 following the opening of the Walden Galleria location, which occupied a space originally designed for B. Altman.

Throughout the 1960s to the 1980s, as numerous significant shopping centers emerged across Buffalo’s suburbs, AM&A's expanded its presence to most of these venues. A notable 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m²) store debuted at Southgate Plaza in 1961 and underwent enlargement to 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) by 1964. The chain further extended its reach with openings at Eastern Hills Mall in 1972, Lockport Mall in 1974, and Olean Center Mall in 1976. In 1979, AM&A's added a store as part of the growth of Summit Park Mall. Following the 1982 shutdown of the local Hens & Kelly chain, AM&A's took over its former site at Northtown Plaza. The McKinley Mall branch was introduced in 1985. By 1994, all existing branch outlets had transitioned into locations operated by The Bon Ton.

Beyond retail operations, AM&A's maintained a bedding and furniture warehouse situated within the former Pierce Arrow Automobile Manufacturing Facility on Elmwood Avenue at Great Arrow Street in Buffalo. Customer orders originating from retail stores were forwarded to this warehouse, where items were retrieved from inventory and meticulously examined for any damage. A dedicated pair of furniture refinishing specialists addressed imperfections such as scratches, dents, or blemishes on wooden products. Once prepared, orders were organized for delivery directly to customers’ residences.

AM&A's

History

Flagship store

Branch locations

References

Further reading