Zayre was a chain of
discount stores that operated in the eastern half of the United States from 1956 to 1990. The company's headquarters was in
Framingham,
Massachusetts. In October 1988, Zayre's parent company, Zayre Corp., sold the stores to the competing
Ames Department Stores, Inc. chain, and in June 1989, Zayre Corp. merged with one of its subsidiaries,
The TJX Companies, parent company of
T.J. Maxx. A number of stores retained the Zayre name until 1990, by which time all stores were either closed or converted into Ames stores. The TJX Companies is still in operation today.