ACME STYLE HAS CLOSED

As most of you know, I announced at the beginning of 2018 that this would be the final year for the blog. My intention at the time was to go out with a bang by having a year chock full of big posts. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. By May, I was already beginning to move on to some new projects and interests and just couldn't seem to get back to the blog despite several attempts. I have also been busy plotting a major a career change which will be taking all of my free time and energy in 2019.

I am not sure of the future of Acme Style at this point. My plan to move operations over to flickr is currently on hold. After 10 years of running the blog, I've realized I need a complete break in order to pursue some others things in life.

I truly appreciate all of the support and assistance I have had from so many of you over the years. The blog never would have lasted this long without all of you joining in on the fun!

All good things must come to an end...

Location: 80 Pemberton Browns Mills Road, Browns Mills NJ

After years of sitting abandoned, the former Brown Mills Acme has met it demise. While this store was absolutely despised by the people of Brown Mills (and rightfully so as it became a horrendous  eye sore), it has always been the biggest attraction in the history of Acme Style! 

Photos were sent in from several people visiting the site during demolition. Steve G even got some photos from the rear of the building confirming the survival of the psychedelic Acme sign facing the inside of the store! 

The Brown Mills Shopping Center has had an interesting history which has been fully detailed BurlingtonCountyTimes.com. 

Here is is!  I don't even want to think about those tiles getting thrown into the dump.









For past coverage of the Brown Mills Acme, please click here.

This will be the last post for Acme Style. Official closing announcement will go up on the blog next Friday.

Lawereceville Acme's Final Days...

Photos courtesy of Mike S. 

Location: 2497 Brunswick Avenue/Route 1, Lawrenceville, NJ

The PF&H version 3 refresh wasn't enough to save the Lawerencville Acme. The store closed this past August. (Exact closing date unknown at this time). Acme had taken over this location from Pantry Pride in 1981. You can check out a photo of the Pantry Pride by clicking here. Word came just a while back that Acme had signed a long-term lease here. Apparently they didn't and have now left the building just as major upgrades are underway at the shopping center.






















You can check out additional coverage of the store by clicking here.

Big Changes at Acme!

NEW POS!

NEW SCANNERS!!

AND NEW SHORTER RECEIPTS!!! 

Safeway's POS system has been getting rolled out to Acme over the past few months. It arrived at the stores I shop at just in the past few weeks. A huge investment considering the previous systems were only 3 years old in all of the stores acquired from A&P. The new POS systems definitely offer some nice enhancements. First off, receipts are a good 25% shorter than they used to be. The additional receipt you would receive if your used a credit card has been completely done away with! The credit card terminals also have an improved interface and will now accept Apple Pay prior to the cashier finishing the order!


The monitors haven't been replaced but the graphics are all new. Not as nice as what Acme previously displayed on the screens. Already sick of seeing "Got Gift Cards?" on every screen I glance at. Acme used to fill closed register screens with eye catching promotional graphics giving the entire front-end a really cool look. Safeway's screens are more functional looking.

New and drastically improved shelf tags! So much easier to read. The tags are larger with less information packed onto them. Big improvement with the font as well.

BEFORE >>>

The Xtra Savings logo is still used on larger sale signs.


Since the system switch it seems like just about everything is on sale! It really feels like Acme is putting more focus on pricing since adopting Safeway's tags. At least from a visual perspective. I have been noticing some very low sale prices on some items I buy regularly.

Discussions: 

Have an off-topic comment or question?

Post it here for all to see.

View previous monthly discussions by clicking here.

ACME STYLE IS BACK! 

Hope everyone had a good summer! 

Posting will fianlly resume this week. 

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ

Location: 2497 Brunswick Avenue/Route 1, Lawrenceville, NJ

Despite reports that Acme had signed a long-term lease for this location, the company announced a few weeks ago that they are shuttering their Lawrenceville store by month's end. Acme claims the stores has not been meeting company goals for a few years now which seems odds since a decent amount of work was done to refresh the interior in 2017. The store's closing comes just as the facade is undergoing renovations. Those renovations have apparently been scaled down from the initial plan that appeared on the blog in October 2017. You can see them below.

THE PLANS WENT FROM THIS >>>

TO  THIS >>>

This rendering has me wondering... why bother? 

Discussions: 

Have an off-topic comment or question?

Post it here for all to see.

View previous monthly discussions by clicking here.

Discussions: 

Have an off-topic comment or question?

Post it here for all to see.

View previous monthly discussions by clicking here.

Apologies for the lack of posts and updates over the past month.
Summer swept me away sooner than I expected.
Acme Style will be closed for the month of July
with posting resuming in August. 

King of Prussia Acme's Final Days...

Classic photos courtesy of John from WISL1480.com

Location: 320 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia PA 

Extensive tour of the King of Prussia store it its final days! The photos were taken by John's brother last week. He was told by the manager that the store was doing a self liquidation until the 10th and then equipment and supplies would be distributed to other local stores. Still can't wrap my mind around this place closing. As I've mentioned before, this was the very first 90's store I ever stepped into. Never saw an Acme as big, bright and BUSY as this place! Back in those days the store had the Red/White/Blue décor. As far as I know, it was only remodeled one time in the 2000's with the Industrial Circus (cursive font) décor. The remodel was one of the most extensive ever done to a 90's store. 

The Reading Center in the alcove to the right was removed a few years back. Produce was originally located in the spot where the Deli now. This store did have the windows along the far wall.





















Wild Harvest department located behind Produce.








Premium Fresh & Healthy aisle signs added sometime during the SuperValu years. Not sure when or why this store's downfall began although according to comments left on the blog, the issues with this store were due more to bad management than to competition moving into the area. Reviews on yelp and google tend to support this theory.
















Frozen cases relocated from the center of the store to the left side during the remodel.






Floral got booted to the Produce side with the Pharmacy being moved to the corner. I would imagine Acme would have remodeled many of the 90's store this way if they had had the budget to do so.








Self-checkouts were removed a few years back. Like so many others locations, you can find a lot of reviews online complaining about the change which only brought longer lines to the minimally staffed front-end.




For full coverage of the King of Prussia store, please click here.

Thanks to John and his brother for sharing these great photos of this once great store!