Location: 350 Young Avenue, Moorestown NJ
The Moorestown Acme opened in March 2003, replacing the "small Acme" located in the center of town. After getting off to a strong start, Wegmans opened a stones throw away in 2006 . The Acme managed to survive for five years but will now call it quits on February 26, 2011. Yet another example of Acme's inability to fend off a competitor.
Moorestown has been previously featured on the blog with a focus on the old abandoned downtown location.
Correction 2.24.11: When I first wrote this post, I questioned the accuracy of the information I included in the original Moorestown post. Namely... how long the old Acme remained in business after this new location opened. A friendly commenter posted the correct information...
"I worked in both Moorestown stores. The small store stayed open about two years after the big one opened. It was part of a deal Acme made with the township. The big store was the biggest store in the chain and was its baby until Wegmans opened up."
Another "Anonymous" commenter really let me have it for getting the information wrong and accused me of not doing the proper research. It's always the anonymous people who do the most trashing of this blog and of Acme. As much as I strive for 100% accuracy in every post that goes up on Acme Style, there are going to be posts that have incorrect information. I always try to correct errors as quickly as possible as additional information comes in but having over 100 stores on the blog now it can be difficult keeping up with every single one of them. I know most of you are understanding of this. The rest of you can either offer friendly corrections to what is reported here or move along to another blog that meets your standards.
Now back to the Moorestown Acme...
This post will provide an extensive tour of the interior which wasn't provided in the original post. The interior pictures are courtesy an anonymous contributor and will provide are very detailed look at the Albertsons Marketplace decor. As noted by a commenter to the original post, the new store has windows along the roof line similar to those in the old store.
This store is absolutely massive. It may very well be one Acme's largest. It does seem unnecessarily large however giving it the feeling of a huge warehouse. Perhaps a more intimate shopping experience here would have helped to counter the overblown shopping experience of Wegmans. Comments left after various articles on the closing of this store reveal that many Moorestown residents would prefer an alternative to the madness of Wegmans yet are not willing to pay the prices at Acme. Wegmans has been very successful in the past few years of changing it's perception of being a high-priced store. Something that Acme has yet to figure out how to do.
The Wild Harvest department not looking too inviting here. Acme's next round of decor, the Premium Fresh and Healthy package, maintains a similar store layout to these early to mid 2000's stores but reinvents the merchandising throughout the store. The newer PFH store loose the warehouse feel and offers a more intimate shopping experience by reducing the general lighting of the store and focusing attention on each department's merchandise.
The Albertsons Marketplace decor includes a big push on hair products.
The decor dies out in aisle 17.
The vitamin department could have used a little more of a
shout-out here.
This photo taken just recently with the store having been cleared out of merchandise.
Unbelievable crowds at both Wegmans and Target. Seems as though Acme could have easily offered a compelling reason to pass by all of this craziness.
The "Small Acme", as it was affectionately referred to, closed the day after the new store opened. It remains abandoned to this day. The nearby Friends School purchased the property and spruced it up a bit by painting silhouettes of children on the windows. It's plans to convert the building into classroom space have apparently fallen through. Township officials would much rather see the building converted into retail space to help revitalize the downtown area. For detailed coverage of this store, please check out the original post.
What was the store cleared of merchandise before its closing date? Seems like there isn't a reason to shop there if nothing is left. Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteThe shoppers cleared it out. New merchandise stops arriving at the store about a month before the closing date. Perishables are the first to go which is what would have filled the section of the store in the picture. In the final weeks, shoppers come in to dig through what's left which is usually 30%-50% off original prices.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. I guess I'm lucky that none of my local grocers have closed a store that I shop at. Which by the way surprises me since there are six traditional grocers plus a Target with the fresh groceries and two soon to be Walmart Supercenters all within a 15 minute drive of my place.
ReplyDeletethat looked liked a nice store...never set foot in it, only passed by. why are they closing the nice acmes and not the dumps? look at save-a-lot in burlington, that's a dump, you wouldn't catch me in there i don't care how cheap it is. wegmans is expensive on everyday items except dairy and name-brand, although they do tailor to high-end items if people are willing to pay the $$$, i guess being in moorestown people are since a lot of people there got money. i would pick acme over wegmans and target and shoprite personally, not to mention shoprite just puts on a good ad, and is not much cheaper if any cheaper on a vast majority of items. some, but not everything. i never knew those little windows actually peaked into the store either...i thought they were just decorative. whatever happened to monopoly laws? i'm sick of driving down route 130 and seeing all of these vacant shopping centers. the whole area in burlington county/camden county is just starting to look like a mini-heart of camden city! maybe they'll open up a camden acme. one lane for wic-checks, one lane for food stamps, one lane for regular orders and one lane for paying by "other means". LOL that acme would prob be the most successful one in the south jersey area!!!
ReplyDeleteI was at the Wegmans in Cherry Hill a couple weeks ago. The crowds were unbelievable there too. Home Depot used to anchor the ShopRite plaza next door, built in 1998, but jumped on the opportunity to be next to Wegmans. Old Navy is gone from there too. Acme has demonstrated over and over again that it has no commitment to Camden County or Burlington County. I keep thinking Acme is trying to get out of all towns in all states except for the immediate Philly suburbs, which are only in PA. They gave up on the city a long time ago too.
ReplyDeleteit will probably just be shore stores and pa stores i agree with the poster above. maybe only a select few jersey stores. but people keep saying willingboro, glassboro, morrisville, burlington, dresher are on a chop block eventually. i think any store making less than 500k a week is in danger...especially leased stores. in new jersey i think bordentown, and previously stated shore stores (they are crazy in summer), and mt.holly if yardley or yardville whatever it is, and mercerville will be spared.
ReplyDeletei guess all new jersey acme employees may as well re-settle in PA since eventually everyone will have to travel hours for a job. maybe make $300 and in the end really just be taking home $50 after gas, mileage, tolls, etc.
ReplyDeletei heard they re-modeled this store like 3 times? it looked like a very beautiful acme. i only have seen a few nice ones in new jersey cinnaminson, this one, new bordentown, and mount holly) now seeing this one it is definately a toss-up between moorestown and cinnaminson. they both have their different unique looks. i think cinnaminson would have won when fully functioned, but moorestown would win up until whenever they started closing things down. cinnaminson had all those things at one point too, they just took them away faster. some area stores are really in need a lot of remodeling...they may get the "hand me downs" but as to why they would spend millions between moorestown and cinnaminson (i heard the cafe a' la' carte' station cost 2 million dollars for cinnaminson) to be put in...then close these stores makes no sense to me...? why didn't they just put like a hot food bar and small seating station instead? it was not even set up right in my opinion. shoprites cafe area is how acme should have setup theirs if they where going to be seriously competitive. guess i can't complain since i don't own acme. i would have to start my own grocery chain, maybe i just might do that! (than you can put my stores up on here too) lol. thank you for the posts. keep up the good work, and appreciate all the effort you do for the customers and employees, not many people have the heart and soul to do preserve things like this anymore. acme is definately one to preserve though, and i am so happy somebody sees that.
ReplyDeleteI worked in both Moorestown stores. The small store stayed open about two years after the big one opened. It was part of a deal Acme made with the township. The big store was the biggest store in the chain and was its baby until Wegmans opened up. After 25 years with the company I recently took a buyout offered by the company. I feel bad for those still there, as I think this company is going downhill quick. The only thing I miss about working there is the great people I worked with.
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ReplyDeleteTo the "Anonymous" commenter above... if you don't like here, then go somewhere else.
ReplyDeletewhy did supervalu put all this money into rennovating stores they just ended up closing? i mean every acme employee with brains in their head sees what is being done wrong every waking day they still work. they claim they want input from employees but have they listened ever once? nope! thanks for the years i put up with all the stress, lack of help, disgruntled customers and leaving us all in the dark with no power to help except say, "sorry for the inconvience"...i hope to god somebody buys acme out who really cares about running a business correctly and seriously and who has real experience. i wouldn't say a walmart person would. i know for a FACT former acme store directors work at walmarts once the company gets a jist they where exploiting money from acme stores...good that is where they belong! the right company for them monsters.
ReplyDeleteDon't let the negative comments get to you; I've made some mistakes on my Flickr page over the years and while most people are polite about correcting me, I've had a few who've been rude about it. All you can do is post an update and move on. :)
ReplyDeletethat store looked like a very nice store. i think they had not chose to put it up on a hill they may have had a better chance. i think this video is from moorestown...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RoPaCqWWkk
man what a nice store to close down...i understand they just couldn't compete with the wegmans basically hovering over them like a giant "WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU!!!" sign. this is why new management who knows how to deal with cost structures and demographics needs to be in charge. the people really running the show need to go.
ReplyDeleteI frequented the Moorestown Acme on Young. I will say that it was convienent although there were alot of problems there from the beginning. The deli counter people were not friendly neither were the meat counter people. It seemed like a bother to help customers.A lack of customer service. Wegmans emloyees are very nice. There prices on many thngs are lower. From a consumers poin of view I would prefer to be treated better and lower prices. I am not surprised. I saw it coming.
ReplyDeletei work at the dover de acme. its the same in this area competition coming in and sales going down. the bosses just keep blaming the wages and benefits that the employees receive. one thing the average employee at acme is doing the jobs of many and that should make up for it. they don't have a clue how to run this company and I think its to late to save it. Supervalu was the final nail in its coffin.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice store, i only went in it once before it closed, just because i was in the area and wanted to check it out. i would honestly say the store was TOO big for its own good. For a acme the perfect size is probably the Lower end of the 90s era stores like Browns Mills and the converted Cape May CH jamesway,Mount Holly Converted Jamesway, and the Burlingon Converted Bradlees. Just enough space to be able to make a profit with competition near by.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they have to close it on my birthday?!
ReplyDeleteWow! There Is Actually Still A Lot Of Extra Space In This Acme! They Could've Put In A Starbucks, And A Bigger Lancaster Sect.
ReplyDeleteThe store's only about 67k square feet, which is large but nothing extraordinary.
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