Location: 1400 East Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Acme Style has made it to Philadelphia! While there are a few Philadelphia stores covered on the blog, I haven't covered one that was actually in the city. Thanks to this recently remodeled store for getting me to make the trip!
10th and Reed opened in the early 70's as a replacement for a pitched-roof store just across the street. It has since expanded into neighboring stores on the left. From the aerial images, it looks as though there may be two stores on the left at some point. Regardless, a CVS was located here and moved into the old Acme when this store was expanded. I'm not sure of the time frame but the expansion may have happened when the store received to the Chalkboard Market remodel in the late 90's.
Sav-on lives on here but just on the front of the store. It is gone from the inside. The blue "Pharmacy" and wave were added with the recent remodel. Fresh paint job as well. The Grand Reopening was held on March 28th.
My plan was to post this store when Acme Style had its grand reopening. I wound up going with the Devon store since the remodel there is more unique. 10th and Reed was the first store to be remolded under Albertsons official ownership and it looks as though this package is more of a carry over from what they have been doing in their stores out west. Devon's remodel is a little more tailored to Acme and has better design overall. It also has more of a vintage vibe than what was done here. That's not to say this store doesn't look great! There is also a spectacular surprise waiting for us when we finish up in the dairy aisle that you won't see at the Devon store.
New flooring in Produce and around the perimeter of the store. Grocery aisles kept their tile from the previous remodel.
Interesting floral cases here. Haven't seen anything like it before.
Classic photos of Philadelphia on the walls just like at the Devon store. Great looking signage directly above the produce cases.
"Prepared Foods" now is "Food to go"...
The Corner Deli is back in South Philly! The signage isn't as fun here as it at the Devon store. Harder to see in the photos with the lights shinning so brightly.
Bakery right across from the Corner Deli.
Back in the Devon post, I was wondering about some objects that were hanging over the bakery cases. They looked like frosted windows (as you can see below). Apparently they are sign holders without any signs in them. They look similar to what's hanging in 10th and Reed both in the Bakery and Corner Deli.
Exposed ceilings in the areas where Acme expanded into.
Cheese all the way to the rear.
And just around the bend it's… The House That Quality Built! Photos of classic Acmes on the wall...
Aisle 1 of grocery. No "Wild Harest" signage here.
Blurry shot here but I wanted to include it since it looks as though this is where the original Acme building joined with the stores next door.
Have to say, I don't like this signage at all. Too generic considering how much personality the rest of the store has.
I didn't get a close-up of the aisle markers. They are different than the ones in Devon but they do have "ACME" on them.
Photos on the back wall...
Are you ready for this?
"Proudly Serving You Since 1891" accompanied by a parade of all of Acme's logos!
Gotta say it's hurts a little to see all these great logos right above SuperValu's "Essential Everyday" brand. The logos are not quite in chronological order. Not sure if that was on purpose or a mistake.
So SuperValu spent years stripping Acme of it's name in every possible way. Alberstons comes in and puts every Acme logo up on the wall. Love it!
The Pharmacy was moved to this location during the remodel. Not exactly sure where it was previously. It was probably back in the corner where the paper products are now.
No self-checkouts. The store used to have them but they were removed at some point.
More custom designed register lights here with Acme logo included!
Heading around back...
I think this is a first for me… a compressor beam on a 70's store! I always assumed they went out with the pitched-roof models. Then again, I have had the opportunity to explore the backs of 70's stores as much as I have with the older models.
Here you can see the store(s) Acme expanded into...
Aerial Views...
The former pitched-roof Acme across the street...
Update 6.24.14: For a look at this building when it was an Acme, jump over to a picture on phillyhistory.org by clicking here. (Thanks to "Kate-Declan/Aidan mom" for the link!)
Disguised by a new facade on the front.
Some windows have been added to the side.
All Acme in the back!
I didn't venture any further to look for scars of the second floor windows. No compressor beam to be seen!
Aerial Views...
Historic Images...
2008
2002
1970
1967
1965
More Philadelphia Acmes are coming to the blog soon!
The old acme facade looks like penn fruit more than an acme
ReplyDeleteWhat was originally on the sight of the new Acme? Between '67 and '70, it looks to have disappeared. A wartime plant, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteIt was a prison.
ReplyDeleteIt is just so exhilarating seeing yet another example of Acme’s rejuvenation and also right in the city of its birth. South Philly in general has seen an increase in larger scale retail, so I’m assuming Cerberus noticed that and wanted to capitalize on its existing location in the increasingly more profitable neighborhood. You can see a Walmart, Home Depot, and Ikea, among other larger stores right along South Columbus Blvd. I’m definitely going to this Acme the next time I go get a cheesesteak from Geno’s!
ReplyDeleteThe array of logos from Acme’s history is quite remarkable. At times I think so much of this history was forgotten during the Supervalu days. The Acme Style blogger and the other reviewers on this blog have done an extensive amount of investigative work piecing together Acme’s history, but it seems that the people at Acme did always remember the glorious heritage they have even though they weren’t so keen on expressing it for a while.
The only thing I would have changed is the logo on the façade of the store. I would have used the newest logo that you see next to the “Thank you from South Philly” sign inside, instead of the lackluster slanted letters logo.
The older Acme was apparently a Pep Boys in the late 70s and 80s; it became CVS in 1993. The old CVS next to the current Acme opened in 1980, so it may have been added on then.
ReplyDeleteThe other two stores present before the expansion were CVS and a Wine and Spirits shop.
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of the 10th and Reed Acme. When I was a little boy, I would go food shopping with my grandparents here all the time. Even though my grandparents lived closer to the old Acme on 3rd and Oregon (and for that matter, the Pathmark right next door), they always preferred going to this Acme.
http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=145041
ReplyDeleteNice to see the pics. I wish you had the picture of the grand opening of 10th and reed. My great grandmother, Mary DePasquale cut the ribbon on it. ��
ReplyDeleteIf you look closely at that Phillyhistory image, you can see the remains of columns in the foreground. These were from the "Debtors Wing" of Moyamensing Prison which stood on what is now the site of the current store. This prison was abandoned in 1963 and was demolished in 1968, supposedly for a park. However this Acme was built in it's place.
ReplyDeleteAs for the store itself this remodel is a night to day improvement (to put it lightly) compared to what it was like before. It used to be a DUMP! Now it's even better than 20th and Oregon where I work (at the moment at least, a remodel is currently underway in order to prepare for beer sales)
We love Arthur!
ReplyDeleteAcme at 10th and South Street under Construction. The other one in center city is at 5th and Spruce. I believe that is also under construction. Come check it out.
ReplyDelete