[3] Pay 'n Save proceeded to shutter Rhodes' flagship store in downtown Seattle in July 1968 as it shifted its focus to the suburbs.

[5] After steady expansion through the 1970s and 1980s, Lamonts finally came into its own when Pay 'n Save Corp. was taken over by New York investors led by brothers Eddie and Julius Trump.

[6] Searching for more capital to expand, Lamonts was sold to Dallas, Texas based Aris Corp., owned by the Thompson family of 7-Eleven fame in 1989.

In November 1992, after a financial restructuring in which the company traded most of its common stock to lenders for a reduced debt, Lamonts proposed an ambitious plan to open three to four 25,000-to 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) stores a year in existing malls in Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Company officials blamed a bad inventory mix and poor sales due to unusually cold spring and summer seasons that finally pushed them over the edge.

After emerging from bankruptcy in early 1998, in attempt to modernize and improve their image, they rolled out a brand new store design that was brighter and more shopper-friendly.

The stores, usually opened within malls, featured bright colors and graphics, play areas and specially designed fixtures targeted to children.

Wide aisles, extra large dressing rooms to accommodate double strollers, and in-store restrooms with changing tables for infants were also included.

The focal area in the store's center, dubbed "Lamonster Land", included video monitors with cartoons and other entertainment for kids, as well as books and stuffed animals.