Acme Style to return next Friday...

Due to the demands of my day job, I wasn't able to get a post done for today. The next new post will go up a week from today. 

How to be a good supermarket cashier!

I wasn't able to put together a former Acme post for today, so instead I'll leave you with this highly entertaining video from the 60's. It begins with all sorts of scenes from around several 60's supermarkets. It's a wild trip to the grocery stores of the past!

Grand Reopening of Willingboro Acme!

The following announcement was left in the comment section for the original Willingboro post...

ACME Celebrates Grand Reopening of Willingboro Store
WHEN: Friday, October 18th at 9:00 am
WHERE: 2091 Route 130 North Willingboro, NJ 08046

WHO: Dan Croce, VP of ACME Markets Jacqueline Jennings,
Willingboro Mayor Eddie Campbell, Willingboro Deputy Mayor Troy Singleton, NJ State Assemblyman Gregory Rucker, Director of Public Safety, Willingboro Township Police Dept.
Also invited: Bruce Garganio, Burlington County Freeholder Director

HIGHLIGHTS:
• ACME Markets is celebrating the grand re-opening of their Willingboro store.
• ACME Markets will award three $500 donations to Willingboro High School, Willingboro Little League, Alpha Baptist Church, and a bench made of recycled materials to Willingboro Senior Center.
• On Saturday, Oct. 19th, Eagles alumni player AJ Feely, Swoop, and two Eagles cheerleaders will be appearing at the store.

It's a big day for the Willingboro Acme. SuperValu pretty much wrote off this store stopping just short of closing it. Albertsons takes over the company and gets the place remodeled in no time flat. I hope to have pictures of the fully remodeled store in the next couple of weeks. For now you can jump over to the preview post which shows the store in the midst of the remodel.

News Break:

Jewel-Osco Acquires MORE Stores!

New Alberstons, Inc. has purchased four Dominick's stores in the Chicago area and will convert them to the Jewel-Osco banner in the coming months. Dominick's was a family run chain purchased by Safeway back in 1998 and essentially destroyed just like Philadelphia based Genuardi's, which Safeway picked up in 2000. All 72 Dominick's stores are closing. Wikipedia has an interesting write-up on the chain which is well worth the read. "Dominick's was one of the first to experiment with exposed ceiling sales areas, exposed structural elements such as piping and HVAC ducts, large scale state of the art telephone systems and POS systems, video departments, one hour photo, bulk foods, and many other 'new' 1980s concepts." Jump over to Dominick's Wikipedia page to read more by clicking here. You can read more about the Jewel deal over at NBC Chicago by clicking here. The article lists the exact address of each store that Jewel is acquiring. Thanks to Geno for sharing this news on the Runnemede post from last Friday.

Middlesex Acme Getting Spruced Up!

Photos courtesy of Andew K.

Andrew was in the Middlesex Acme recently and noticed that some painting had been done. Some of the white walls have been toned down with a coat of beige paint. A more extensive remodel is may be out of the question for this old store but at least it is getting some attention. I'd hate to see this early 90's decor go anyway. Only two stores remaining with this look... Middlesex and Manasquan.


You can compare the change with the photo below which was taken several years ago...




Andrew also included a picture of the Meat Department but it doesn't appear that any painting has been done here. You can visit the original Middlesex by by clicking here.

New Trucks for Acme!

Photos courtesy of trex354

The investments continue... Albertsons purchased several new trucks with the Acme logo proudly on display. No evidence of the logo returning to the trailers but trex will be sending in pictures if he spots any.

Former Acme — Kensington, Maryland

Photos courtesy of Michael H. of Fairfax, VA

Location: 10504 Connecticut Ave, Kensington, MD

Michael shares the following details...

Open by the late 1960's (actual opening date: February 12, 1958) when the store started to appear in Acme ads in The Washington Post. Now a Hardware City. Not sure how long Hardware City has been at this location or if there was another tenant or tenants after Acme. The inside of the store was packed with customers and employees. Add to that the displays and aisle fixtures went almost to the ceiling. This made taking any pictures difficult. The store still had the trademark Acme air vents lining the left and right of the store that are seen in other stores on Acme Style. What would have been the backroom of the store is now an indoor lumber yard for smaller length stock. There is a staircase in the far back of the store going upstairs to employee areas. The inside shell of the store felt old. It seemed like nothing was done to the bones of the store to get it ready for Hardware City. The exterior looks like other stores on Acme Style of the same vintage. You can tell at the entrance where the "Magic Mats" for the doors once were. It is possible that the entry way and hand rails are original. They certainly have that 1960's grocery store feel to them. The rear of the store has the famous beam that would be used to crane up equipment to the compressor room.

Aerial Views...

Strange layout at this shopping center. You would think the smaller, stand-alone building was added in recent years but it was actually the very first building on the property!


Hard to believe Acme would have built in a spot where their store front was completely blocked from the road AND the entire parking lot. Not sure if this store had a entrances on both sides. Certainly should have.

Historic Aerials...

2002

1970

1963

1957

The land has been cleared for the Acme. Seems like it would have made more sense to build at the other side of the property.

Acme – Runnemede, New Jersey

Location: 501 E Evesham Road, Runnemede, NJ

Our tour of the remaining New Jersey stores continues with a stop in Runnemede. Not one of the more exciting Acmes out there, this standard 90's model has the basic Albertsons Marketplace remodel inside. We have been seeing a lot of that decor package lately and will continue to as the last of the Jersey stores make their way to the blog. Hoping to stumble across a store with the Industrial Circus sooner rather than later!


Opening date of this store unknown. Historic satellite images are showing the store arriving after 1995. The images also reveal that this 90's model was built on the site of a pitched-roof model. I don't have an opening date for that store either.


We're headed inside, although we're going to start at the far and make our way back to this entrance...




Rummenede is an impeccably clean and well stocked store. It's hard to know though if this store has always looked this good or if recent changes by the new owners has helped. What I can say for sure, the changes in store conditions from my road trips in 2012 compared to those in the second half of 2013 are dramatic. It's nice to see Acme being set up for success rather than continually being sabotaged by the former owners.






You'll notice a lack of customers throughout the store. I was here very early in the morning. I also strive to take people-free pictures which helps to explain the lack of shoppers in the photos.




Unusual to find the 90's panels above the Bakery, and over in Seafood, no longer here. The new letters were usually just stuck on them as you can see in the Glasboro Bakery by clicking here. Could the panels have never been here in the first place? They were often removed in these remodels. Some stores got more significant signage which you can see at the Mount Holly store by clicking here.






Looks as though the Wild Harvest Department got the boot leaving the hardwood floor behind. Health food gone in favor of deals, deals, deals. We saw a similar situation in the Sicklerville store.




The flooring gets even more odd at the back of the aisle.


No 90's panel above Seafood & Meats which used to be just Seafood back in the 90's.




Coffin cases in frozen not seen a lot these days. It's usual they have been removed and replaced with the upright freezers like in most stores.




Seasonal at the back of the store.




Center aisle...




Sad Dairy sign. They really should have made these signs standard issue!






Walk-in Floral department right near the entrance. Similar set up here as in the former Glassboro store.

Aerial Views...

I wasn't able to track down any nearby competitors when touring the satellite images. Hopefully someone can let us know. There certainly aren't any significant shopping centers close to this Acme.

Historic Views...

2007

2002

1995

Pitch-roofed model standing back in 1995! The place looks closed here, perhaps ready to be torn down.

1970

No store back in 1970 which makes the pitch-roof model above among the last to be built. 

Update: 10.12.13:

Runnemede Gets More Interesting!

We had some commenters fill in the blanks here. Turns out, the Runnemede Acme did begin as a pitched-roof store at this very location. It was eventually closed and used as a storage facility for the company. At some point, a new store opened over in Deptford, about 2 miles west of the Evesham Road location. In 1995, Acme returned to this site, tearing down the old pitched-roof store and building this 90's model as a replacement to the Deptford store, which is now a Babies R Us... 

Location: 1120 Hurffville Road, Deptford Township, NJ

I had no idea this was a former Acme location. Drove right by this shopping center on the way to Runnemede. At the time, the Kmart here was having its liquidation sale. There are several shopping centers in this area, including a Walmart Supercenter. Somehow missed all of this when I was searching the satellite images. I was looking closer to the Runnemeed Acme for competition. It seems in the last decade or so, ShopRite has favored opening stores as close to an Acme as they can get.



Here are some comments explaining the history...

Zach: I’m not 100% sure but this might have been a replacement store for an Acme that was located at Clements Bridge Road and Hurffville Road (Route 41) in Deptford. The former Acme is currently a Babies R Us and is about 2 miles west from where the Runnemede store is now.

DaileyFit: Zach, you are correct. This store opened in 1995 and was one of the most successful stores in the district until it plunged in the mid 2000's. The original Runnemede Acme sat at this site as storage until torn down and built as the current store. Most Deptford personnel came to work here as the replacement store. I believe Acme owns this property.

"...until it plunged in the mid 2000's"
Love this comment! Can't this be said by absolutely EVERY Acme?