Buffalo in the 90s: An era ends as AM&A’s is sold

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

For nearly 130 years, Adam, Meldrum and Anderson was a Buffalo-based department store. That streak came to an end in 1994. The following year, the flagship Main Street store was closed.

May 16, 1994: AM&A’s chain is purchased by Bon-Ton, Sale ends era

“AM&A’s been sold to a York, Pa.-based regional retailer, executives announced today.

“Bon-Ton will spend $38.5 million to acquire AM&A’s. The figure includes $2.1 million in cash and the assumption of approximately $21.4 million of debt and $15 million in other liabilities.

“… While the sale signals the end of a 127-year-long retailing love affair between Western New Yorkers and the department store, the entry of Bon-Ton Stores is good for the store and its customers, Alford said.”

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Steve Cichon

Steve Cichon writes about Buffalo’s pop culture history. His stories of Buffalo's past have appeared more than 1600 times in The Buffalo News. He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. Since the earliest days of the internet, Cichon's been creating content celebrating the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York.