Saco Valley shopping center is the largest shipping center in Saco and has always been thriving. It opened in 1964 and was then anchored by Zayre. Like other Zayre stores in Maine, it became Ames after 1989. The store kept everything from the Zayre style seen on this picture of a Zayre store in Dubuque Iowa. The front of the store still had a partial Zayre labelscar, at right of the Ames logo.  Ames went out of business and closed in October 2002 leaving a large vacant retail space in the center of Saco. 

Shaw’s, which had a supermarket at the plaza, acquired the store and demolished it in 2004. Shaw’s built a brand new supermarket with an Osco pharmacy inside. Meanwhile, the entire plaza was renovated with the same style and colors of the Shaw’s building. Reny’s closed it’s small Biddeford store and re-opened in the former Shaw’s. The large Ames pylon sign has been replaced with a new one that displays the name of all tenants.