Ready Ames, Fire

Ames Department Stores (Rocky Hill, Conn.) announced plans to close 32 stores in February 2001. Most of the locations will be former Hill Stores, a retail chain Ames bought 1998, in Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The company said that nearly all of the 2000 employees affected by the store closings will be relocated. Ames had reported losses of $37.2 million for the quarter ending October 28.