Location: 80 South White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ
Today, I present one of the most requested former Acmes in all the land. Guess this one had a pretty good following back in the day. Unfortunately, I do not have much information about it. Will just have to let the pictures do most of the talking. Opening and closing dates are a little sketchy. According to the historic aerial images the store was built after 1970. Closing date was in the late 90's according to several people I have heard from about the store. When I first researched the location through aerial imagery, I had it pegged for a 50's/60's model. Seeing it in person, I realized it was from a later era. Looks to have been an official 33M model.
Produce and Deli side now home to a Jumbo Buffet and Grill. Jumbo's entrance is in the exact spot of Acme's exit door. The old entrance was a bit to the right. Evidence can be viewed below...
Scar from the magic carpet from Acme's exit.
And another from Acme's entrance.
Left side half of the building is now an Advanced Auto Parts store. The current entrance appears to be in the exact spot as Acme's emergency exit. Bakery possibly in this corner. Not sure of the remodel history here. Hope someone can fill us in with the details in the comments section. Windows across the front are all left over from the Acme.
Around back...
I believe this was a gymnastics studio for kids here on this end.
Break room and bathrooms up on the second floor. No one is escaping out of those windows.
Village Super Market ShopRite at the other end of the shopping center. One of the more tolerable owners of ShopRites. Their stores have relatively attractive interiors and have much better selection than the Inserra owned ShopRites which are located in my area. Was this store a former Jamesway? We'll see from the historic aerial shots that this building looks to have originally been a big box store.
Aerial views...
Now for a look at what's across White Horse Pike...
Walmart and an abandoned Super Fresh...
The Walmart looks ripe for an expansion into a super center. The place is kind of a dump. Most of them are even after the last round of remodels. I went in to use the bathroom before starting the next leg of my journey. It's the only thing I'll ever do in the Walmart.
Back down to Earth to have a look around...
The Hammonton Super Fresh was closed when the ax first fell at A&P back in April 2011. The store continues to sit empty with "Caution" tape around the perimeter to keep people away. Didn't work on me.
The decals here on the windows seem to be a carry over from the "Future Store" look of the 80's. The Super Fresh around 1995, long after the "Future Store" look was retired.
A look inside...
I would guess that the decor never changed throughout the life of the store. Looks to have had A&P's standard issue package of the 90's, examples of which can be seen just below...
The above shots are from the former A&P and former Acme in Lodi, NJ. You can visit that store by clicking here. Looks like the Hammonton store had a nearly identical layout.
Bakery was probably located in that far back corner. Tended to be the spot in many smaller 90's A&P's. Kind of a terrible spot since Bakery purchases are often impulse buys.
Wonder why Acme didn't make the jump to a larger location. Could have moved to the other end of the center before ShopRite moved in. Wonder too if Super Fresh knew Walmart was to be setting up shop right next door. In the end I guess Super Fresh had a decent run here considering direct competition from a Walmart and a ShopRite.
Historic aerials...
2007
2002
1995
Acme still open with ShopRite yet to arrive.
1995
A look across the street reveals the Super Fresh under construction You can see the outline of the store if you look closely under ".com" in the center of the image.
1970
Whole lotta nothin' in 1970.
Updates...
Zach reports in the comment section that the store had the 90's logo and exterior treatment.
Nintendo85 also added some very valuable information in the comments section. The Acme closed in 1999. The ShopRite did not open until 2002 and did, in fact, move into a former Jamesway. Be sure to check out the photos he has posted of the SuperFresh when it was opened by clicking here.
Below is a satellite image of the building Zach believes was the former Super Fresh. It's just a 1/2 mile south on White Horse Pike. Now occupied by a Joe Canal's liquor store and Goodwill store. I am not sure of the location of the former Acme building in downtown Hammonton.
Zach reports in the comment section that the store had the 90's logo and exterior treatment.
Nintendo85 also added some very valuable information in the comments section. The Acme closed in 1999. The ShopRite did not open until 2002 and did, in fact, move into a former Jamesway. Be sure to check out the photos he has posted of the SuperFresh when it was opened by clicking here.
Below is a satellite image of the building Zach believes was the former Super Fresh. It's just a 1/2 mile south on White Horse Pike. Now occupied by a Joe Canal's liquor store and Goodwill store. I am not sure of the location of the former Acme building in downtown Hammonton.
I passed by this former Acme when I was little and I only remember a few things. It did have the updated 90's logo and the exterior wasn't a super-saver. The Shoprite was indeed a Jamesway.
ReplyDeleteAlso I believe the Super Fresh relocated from an older location further down on the White Horse Pike. The old store is currently occupied by a Joe Canal's and a Goodwill store.
I took interior photos of the Super Fresh back when it was still open, you can check them out here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/search/?w=28913385@N08&q=super%20fresh%20hammonton
This Acme on the White Horse Pike replaced an older 50s Acme downtown. That store opened in 1952 and closed in 1972. The building is now being used by the county government.
The Jamesway where ShopRite is today opened in November 1972 and closed in December 1995. ShopRite opened up shop in the ex-Jamesway in 2002.
Sorry for double posting, but I left out something: This Acme closed in 1999, and throughout its existence didn't look all too different from what it looks like today - just like a big white box. Flickr user mts83 actually has a picture of it when it was still open, but he hasn't posted it yet.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the older a&p was in the plaza where shoprite is. Look at the shape of the plaza sign on the top of the shoprite plaza sign
ReplyDeleteThat sign does look a lot like an A&P (or Superfresh) one from years back - though there doesn't seem to be any place for such a store in the plaza (given that the ShopRite was Jamesway as noted by other posters and the Acme) - the space in between looks too small for something like that?
DeletePerhaps this spot was where the Jamesway sign one was (with Acme where the ShopRite logo is now)? Haven't seen many Jamesway signs - the only pictures I see online were more rectangular, but they might have gotten this one in that shape (maybe a bargain reuse of an old sign from somewhere)?
You sure this was a 33M?
ReplyDeleteSize on historic aerials is about 25000 sqft.
That and the fascade would point more towards colonial cottage. The windows in the front seem kind of like manalapan or port reading.
Originally I speculated said that the store probably wasn't 33,000 square feet but that it looks as though it had the 33M layout. It definitely wasn't Colonial Cottage The window here are huge and extend all the way across the former front-end. CC stores had smaller square windows with panes on each one separated by brick columns. The windows here are more like Berlin, Middlesex and Mantua.
DeleteI worked in this store for many years the company never cared about this store it was only remodeled one time checkered board wallpaper and the box lights over registers .Very hard store they only sold the specials so tough for them to make money here !!
ReplyDeleteopened in 1973 i believe
I worked at this store. When the Walmart opened, the landlord assured us that Walmart would not be allowed to have an expanded grocery section, as this would hurt Superfresh, and from the landlord's perspective, potentially cost him a renter. That lasted a few years, but over time Walmart expanded their grocery section in a manner that literally killed the Superfesh. You could see the slow death of that store.
ReplyDeleteThe former downtown Hammonton Acme is located here:
ReplyDeletehttp://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=952&bih=891&q=310+Bellevue+Avenue,+Hammonton,+NJ&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89c1281850e343b1:0xd6cb7fd0b9969b4e,310+Bellevue+Ave,+Hammonton,+NJ+08037&gl=us&sa=X&ei=lipzULugKeaK0QH4_YDwDw&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA
Thanks Nintendo85!
DeleteDon't care for Inserra stores, the family is entirely too demanding ($$$ and otherwise) of DSD Vendors (of which I am one). I remember them trashing our $2,000 racks in every store because we didn't pay them off one year. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThe Shop-Rite at Fairless Hills had the exterior design like the Super Fresh at hammonton, NJ. Only differences are that the Fairless Hills, PA one has the Entrance at the left, and the unusual shape, (like the Morrisville, PA ACME, except the one at Fairless hills affects Aisles 14 or 15 to Aisle 18.
ReplyDeleteVillage Supermarket is ShopRite's largest member, with around 25 or 30 stores. They also own the brand-new ShopRites in Cedar Knolls and Union; they owned the former-Acme ShopRite on Morris Ave. in Union also.
ReplyDelete