Over the past few days in the Boston area (and on social media), you may have noticed a Bradlees truck sighting. Yes, Bradlees – the chain of discount department stores from our youth. You remember there was one over in the Puritan strip mall on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester. (Our mother definitely battled it out with your mother over a Cabbage Patch Doll in 1984.)
We are not sure if someone has a time machine and found this 18 wheeler abandoned on the side of the road, but Bradlees went bankrupt back in 2000 and went the way like so many other stores of its kind. Remember Ames and Caldor?
So why is this truck in the Boston area? Not sure – maybe it’s some sort of publicity stunt and Bradlees is making a comeback. Maybe someone is hauling freight in a truck they got at an auction and it’s a coincidence that it’s back in the area.
Fingers crossed we get to see Mrs. B and those awesome commercials one more time.
We’re loving the response to seeing the Bradlees truck on social media. Everyone is taking a trip down memory lane! But our favorite one is this one from Dot Cucinatta:
In 1966/67, I bought a suit at Bradlees as I needed something for a weekend trip to a hotel in the Catskills. The suit was a tan colored faux suede pants and 3/4 jacket. Jacket came to about 5 inches above the knee. I wore it with a cream blouse. The suit was $15. At the hotel on Saturday morning we were in the area of the stores, hair dresser, jewelry etc., when a woman, a stranger, smiled at me and said “Oh, you bought the suit”? My first thought was “she was in Bradlees? But she pointed to the Boutique and asked if I got it there. My friend and I went in and checked the seams, hem, all the same and the lining was the same printed material. The suit was $129.00. Nice memories.
Brick and mortar is dead our malls and department stores will be turned into rehabs and homeless shelters , Bradley ‘s went tits up 17 years ago so it isnt likely they had the means to hang onto trailer’ s all those years or paid people to remember they had trailers just think in 20 years you may see a kids r us truck and sat to yourself wasnt it that oranotang president put them out of business
I hope that it is not, after the deal the top excutives got. Remember the first bankruptcy? The one were the employees lost all their benefits. Then came the reorganization and the top 3 executives then patted each other on the back with a MILLION DOLLAR BONUS. Does anyone remember what happened next? These same executives put the company back in bankruptcy and again screwed their employees. SORRY BUT I SAY LET IT STAY DEAD.
If only!! I worked at Bradlees in Westborough, MA from the late 80s to mid to late 90s. It started as a part time job. Cashier, front end supervisor and cash office. I became full time as an assistant manager of the children’s ( infants to girls size 16) department. When I went out to apply for a part time job, I made a beeline for Bradlees because it was my fav place to shop. I use to buy my 45s at the one in Danbury CT as a kid, my albums and clothes there as a teen and adult. When I went to work there, I had a toddler and a newborn. Always the best place to go for clothes, toys, bikes, pool diapers, etc for them. I know this is just a tease. Someone did buy the trailer and it is for a purpose other than delivering Badlees goods, but oh would that be wonderful!!
Bradlees never did have the best quality merchandise. It’s probably best to let it go.
I worked for Bradlees for 12 years. When they still went out of business after chemical bank tried to help them it was very sad. I loved working for Bradlees.The team there was like a family. I no longer live in N.E. it would be great if they came back but I don’t see it happening.
Bradlees unfortunately is gone forever. I worked at Bradlees for nearly 15 years until our store closed in early June of 1996. I started part time, just 16 hours wkly in Oct of 1981 as a cashier and also was trained in layaway, service desk, ladies fashions, cash office and supervisor. I trained quite a few of their seasonal hires as well. I remember when the uniform “jackets” were blue, then we had the ones with the brown letter “B” and finally the grey with maroon trim. I was offered full-time in 1985 and gladly accepted. Employee morale was great, employee turnover was low in our store here in Lewiston Maine and customer loyalty was high! Years later, I STILL run into the occasional customer who will remember me and reminisce about “the old days”, senior citizen discount days when we would get quite busy and ” you guys had good quality merchandise! ”
As far as John’s comment above, I know of no basis for truth in his statement about executives getting rich and employees losing their benefits! We were a union store and that just did not happen! Besides, the executives that I knew would have MUCH preferred to have the security of a steady job until retirement rather then take some big payout, go on a major splurge and then be in the unemployment line and employees would not have stood for losing benefits without voting to strike!