If you grew up in Olean, you didn’t just shop at Hills.
You experienced it.
For two decades, the big red Hills sign at the Olean Center Mall meant excitement, family tradition, and a kind of hometown magic that’s hard to describe to anyone who didn’t live it.
A Local Landmark from the Start
When the Olean Center Mall opened in 1976, Hills was one of its original anchor stores.
For families across the Southern Tier, the opening was a big deal. A bright, modern department store felt like a promise of growth and community energy.
And Hills delivered.
It became a weekly ritual for many households: a Saturday trip to the mall where chores, errands, and family time blended into one easy afternoon.
Kids knew exactly where they were going first: the legendary toy aisles.
Whether it was back-to-school season or the holidays, Hills had a rare gift for making everyday shopping feel like an event.
The Chain Behind the Tradition
Hills as a company started in 1957 in Youngstown, Ohio, eventually growing to more than 200 stores throughout the Midwest and Northeast.
By the time it arrived in Olean, the chain was in its golden years, thriving, expanding, and becoming a fixture in communities just like ours.
To this day, people remember Hills not just as a store, but as a part of childhood.
Where Christmas Began: The Layaway Counter
If you ask longtime Olean residents what they remember most about Hills, one word comes up often: layaway.
In the months leading up to Christmas, parents would quietly visit that counter — often starting in October — to set aside gifts they hoped their kids would wake up to on Christmas morning.
No apps. No online carts. Just careful weekly payments and a whole lot of love.
For many, the layaway counter at Hills was where the holiday season truly began.
It symbolized pride, sacrifice, and the joy of giving.
Around Olean, those memories run deep.
The Popcorn Everyone Remembers
There’s another detail nearly everyone can recall as if it were yesterday: the popcorn.
Walk through those glass doors and boom, that buttery aroma hit you instantly.
The concession stand near the entrance was irresistible, and plenty of Olean kids tugged their parents straight there before venturing anywhere else.
The scent of popcorn mixed with winter coats, vinyl toys, and fluorescent lights became a sensory soundtrack for an entire generation of local families.
The End of an Era
By the late 1990s, the retail landscape was shifting.
In 1998, Hills was purchased by Ames, and the Olean store — just like every other Hills location — was soon rebranded.
The familiar red logo disappeared by 1999, ending over twenty years of Hills memories in Olean.
Ames operated there for only a few years before announcing in 2002 that it would close all remaining stores nationwide.
When the Olean Ames went dark, it left behind more than an empty anchor space — it marked the end of a beloved chapter in local life.
Over time, other retailers filled the spot, including JCPenney, but for many longtime residents, nothing ever quite replaced the charm of Hills.
A Legacy That Still Lives in Olean
Ask around town, and the stories surface quickly. Saturday toy runs, grabbing popcorn before shopping, meeting friends at the mall, or waiting by the layaway counter while parents whispered with a clerk.
Hills wasn’t just a department store.
It was a community gathering place.
It was childhood.
It was Olean.
And even though it’s been decades since the red sign came down, the memories still glow.
Just like those colorful aisles we used to run through.
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