L. S. Ayres & Company was an Indianapolis, Indiana, department store founded in 1872 by Lyman S. Ayres and taken over by his son Frederic in 1896. The former Ayres locations are now part of Macy's. During the first half of the 20th century, Ayres grew to be Indianapolis' premier department store. Its fashion leadership was portrayed in a series of "That Ayres Look" ads that appeared nationally and locally from 1930s to the 1970s. The 1905 landmark downtown store, at One West Washington Street, was enlarged several times, with the largest expansion after World War II. Ayres was the first... department store in the U.S. to operate an Economy Basement Store in 1905. The L. S. Ayres Tea Room, which operated at the downtown department store from 1905 to 1990, served a clientele of fashionable shoppers in a formal setting. It has been recreated at the Indiana State Museum using the original tables and chairs. Indianapolis competitors were the William H. Block Company, H. P. Wasson and Company and L. Strauss & Co.. In September 1954, Ayres opened a new wholly owned subsidiary called Murray Showrooms, open only to the professional decorator trade.
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