For the better part of two decades, the majority of Ann & Hope's former department store building in Warwick, Rhode Island has sat vacant waiting on it's next chapter. With redevelopment on the horizon, here's your opportunity to take one last look inside. Through this video you'll get to explore portions of the former department store not seen in nearly 20 years. 0:00 Introduction 0:44 North Side (Closed Outlet Store) 2:08 Outlet Store Offices 3:15 Shoplifter Holding Cell (Jail!) 4:11 Front Checkout Area 5:00 Customer Restrooms 5:57 Main Sales Floor 9:20 Outdoor Garden Center 10:33 Loading Dock & Customer Pickup 12:02 Department Store Offices 17:04 Security, Breakroom, Employee Entrance 20:52 AT&T System 75 PBX (Vintage Telecom) 23:50 Warehouse & Backrooms 33:05 Then vs. Now Pics & History/Update 36:11 Outro Thanks for watching! To learn more about Ann & Hope’s history, you can check out my Down the Rhode episode all about America’s first superstore here: ruclips.net/video/8Jg3Sre7rZQ/видео.html PLEASE SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/marcberm FOLLOW ME for announcements, behind-the-scenes and more! twitter.com/marcberm instagram.com/marcberm facebook.com/marcbermvideo www.tiktok.com/@marcberm
Thanks for sharing. Grew up in Warwick...many memories at A&H. What became the outlet store used to be a grocery store. In the 1970s, my mom would take us shopping to get groceries, have a slice of pizza in the little cafeteria and then we'd go to the main store. Later, my sister worked there as a cashier- her favorite spot was working in the record shop because she could choose the music. I then worked there for a summer (1987). I remember them installing the blue-ish linoleum as I worked a bit scraping up the old floors. Mostly, I worked the soda aisle...it was a PIA because the soda pallets were kept near the loading dock doors - and the forklifts were constantly hitting the stacked soda pallets making it explode all over the bottles. We had to clean each sticky bottle when stocking the shelves...good times...heheh
I miss Ann & Hope. Their Snack Bar had the best Italian Cold Cut grinders and Pizza. The Department Store had great deals on everything! The Outlet also had a lot of merchandise that could supply items that you just couldn't find elsewhere. In my humble opinion at least.
Really sad to see a dept store, once echoing with ambience of shoppers, checkout beeps and chatter, reduced to an empty tattered building devoid of all but an old, faded outline of what once was Ann and Hope. I remember walking the Aisles of that exact A&H as child, memorized but all the choices of cool stuff they sold. Today, as an adult, Sometimes i find myself driving by the old A&H lot and everyone once in a while...i can still hear the Intercom "call on line 3"
I was living in this area before they built A& H. We used to play as kids in the vacant lot where the building and lot are now. A&H was the shopping mecca 10 years before the Midland/Warwick Mall was built. At Christmas the massive lot was full, you couldn't get in. Santa used to arrive by 'copter or firetruck. And who can forget the ridiculous exit lane onto Post Rod - you had to drive on the LEFT, just like in London, to use the exit.
Wow, this was an amazing video. seeing photos at the end of the video showing what the place looked like on the inside when it was still open in its original discount department store format was really cool yet a little bitter-sweet. The fact that you not only had access to the inside of the building, but the left half aswell (former Eckerd/Brooks offices) too was really neat sight to see. Thanks for this video, it was a great watch
You're welcome, and thank YOU so much! I had to dig through lots of old photos to find the ones from when I worked there. There were quite a few shots of the store as it was then, but since most of them didn't make good "then vs. now" I didn't include them in the video. I'll likely end up putting them up on Insta though at some point soon.
For the better part of two decades, the majority of Ann & Hope's former department store building in Warwick, Rhode Island has sat vacant waiting on it's next chapter. With redevelopment on the horizon, here's your opportunity to take one last look inside. Through this video you'll get to explore portions of the former department store not seen in nearly 20 years.
0:00 Introduction
0:44 North Side (Closed Outlet Store)
2:08 Outlet Store Offices
3:15 Shoplifter Holding Cell (Jail!)
4:11 Front Checkout Area
5:00 Customer Restrooms
5:57 Main Sales Floor
9:20 Outdoor Garden Center
10:33 Loading Dock & Customer Pickup
12:02 Department Store Offices
17:04 Security, Breakroom, Employee Entrance
20:52 AT&T System 75 PBX (Vintage Telecom)
23:50 Warehouse & Backrooms
33:05 Then vs. Now Pics & History/Update
36:11 Outro
Thanks for watching!
To learn more about Ann & Hope’s history, you can check out my Down the Rhode episode all about America’s first superstore here: ruclips.net/video/8Jg3Sre7rZQ/видео.html
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/marcberm
FOLLOW ME for announcements, behind-the-scenes and more!
twitter.com/marcberm
instagram.com/marcberm
facebook.com/marcbermvideo
www.tiktok.com/@marcberm
Thanks for sharing. Grew up in Warwick...many memories at A&H. What became the outlet store used to be a grocery store. In the 1970s, my mom would take us shopping to get groceries, have a slice of pizza in the little cafeteria and then we'd go to the main store. Later, my sister worked there as a cashier- her favorite spot was working in the record shop because she could choose the music. I then worked there for a summer (1987). I remember them installing the blue-ish linoleum as I worked a bit scraping up the old floors. Mostly, I worked the soda aisle...it was a PIA because the soda pallets were kept near the loading dock doors - and the forklifts were constantly hitting the stacked soda pallets making it explode all over the bottles. We had to clean each sticky bottle when stocking the shelves...good times...heheh
I miss Ann & Hope. Their Snack Bar had the best Italian Cold Cut grinders and Pizza. The Department Store had great deals on everything! The Outlet also had a lot of merchandise that could supply items that you just couldn't find elsewhere. In my humble opinion at least.
I live really close to here! I miss Ann and Hope so much! It was a great store!❤❤
As a former employee thank you for this video.....
Very welcome! I worked there myself if only for a short time from 1997 to 2000.
Really sad to see a dept store, once echoing with ambience of shoppers, checkout beeps and chatter, reduced to an empty tattered building devoid of all but an old, faded outline of what once was Ann and Hope. I remember walking the Aisles of that exact A&H as child, memorized but all the choices of cool stuff they sold.
Today, as an adult, Sometimes i find myself driving by the old A&H lot and everyone once in a while...i can still hear the Intercom "call on line 3"
Been so long.......lots of memories, friends, and.......
great video worked there for 35 yrs in warehouse loved seeing it again what memories
I was living in this area before they built A& H. We used to play as kids in the vacant lot where the building and lot are now. A&H was the shopping mecca 10 years before the Midland/Warwick Mall was built. At Christmas the massive lot was full, you couldn't get in. Santa used to arrive by 'copter or firetruck. And who can forget the ridiculous exit lane onto Post Rod - you had to drive on the LEFT, just like in London, to use the exit.
What a great exploration! My area of the US never had an Ann & Hope's, but I love knowing they were around: It is my daughter's and my names. 😃
Rhode Island's official state motto is even "Hope" and it appears on the state flag.
Wow, this was an amazing video. seeing photos at the end of the video showing what the place looked like on the inside when it was still open in its original discount department store format was really cool yet a little bitter-sweet. The fact that you not only had access to the inside of the building, but the left half aswell (former Eckerd/Brooks offices) too was really neat sight to see.
Thanks for this video, it was a great watch
You're welcome, and thank YOU so much! I had to dig through lots of old photos to find the ones from when I worked there. There were quite a few shots of the store as it was then, but since most of them didn't make good "then vs. now" I didn't include them in the video. I'll likely end up putting them up on Insta though at some point soon.
Hope you kept those blueprints.
They aren't mine to keep, unfortunately. But I did look through them and take more pictures than appear in the video.
really