Clifton, New Jersey
Location: 467 Allwood Rd, Clifton, NJ
The Clifton Acme will be closing in February. While the store's success has been debated on the blog for years, it appeared to be thriving under Albertsons' leadership. This location, among many others, suffered drastically during the SuperValu years. This particular location had become a mess in the late 2000's despite being one of Acme's newest stores. Recent visits here left me extremely impressed with how clean and well stocked the store was with more shoppers roaming the aisles than I had seen in the past. The Clifton Acme was truly getting better! Unfortunately not better enough. Business is apparently not strong enough to make the store profitable. I've been told the store's high rent is a major factor for the closing. For full coverage of the Clifton Acme, please click here.
Well, as far as I'm concerned this is the Acme Jewel of North Jersey. If this store really does close, I will just need to stop shopping ALL Acme's. What a shame and disgrace. LOWER YOUR PRICES ACME.
ReplyDeleteRIP Acme
It really is going to close. And what Acmes do you shop at? There aren't any left around here!
DeleteThe two stores in Morris County will be the last ones in North Jersey.
DeleteThis is Sadly not surprising as both Stop & Shop and Shoprite are at a price war with each other. Due to the proximity of the two stores to the Acme this closing was inevitable.
ReplyDeleteYes high rent and extremely high advertising costs in the ny market with only one store in the area to carry it. It is predictable Gerry
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad day but unfortunately we knew this day would eventually come. Being that I work only 5 minutes away, I would always make a stop into this store every so often as they carried products that aren't sold in the other area stores. Now I have no Acme except for when I travel to the Jersey Shore. I will take one last shopping trip this weekend. RIP Clifton Acme
ReplyDeleteDid this Acme building start as a Two Guys?
ReplyDeleteNo, Acme built this place from scratch.
DeleteIt's too bad- I have shopped there since they opened and appreciate the large variety of kosher and gluten free items
DeleteI live in lower Delaware and all that is left is Food Lion and Walmart, as all other store such as Acme have left. I read the comments stores need lower prices but sometimes that means you get what you pay for as I would love to have an Acme back in the area.
ReplyDeleteI never shopped at Acme in the past because I thought it was priced higher than the competitor. However, I saw much improvement in the past year with lowered prices on many products in the store. I will miss Acme.! I am currently working there and have decided to decline on transferring to another Acme. I will miss it definitely.!!
ReplyDeleteI worked there myself and a lot of people say prices were always high if you knew the situation of what was going in that store you wouldn't be so quick to say such things. This store may not have been perfect but it wasn't bad either but of course what does the corporation care they just want money.
ReplyDeleteWent in there tonight...unfortunate, cause a lot of people are gonna lose their jobs (I highly doubt that many of them are gonna take transfers).
ReplyDeleteI was reading the Clifton Journal article and they mentioned they spoke to a blogger who focuses on old Acmes...might it have been?
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, that was me. Just asked them to correct the photo credit of the old Clifton Acme. They left out "Style".
DeleteSome customer in the article said they "redid" the inside which didn't seem to help business. That never happened. Still has the original interior. It's been cleaned up and a few aisles have been rearranged but the place never got redid.
DeleteUnbelievable! I thought this one was doing well.
ReplyDeletevery sad this store is closing..I would run into Acme just about every other day the convenience alone was a pleasure and they did clean it up in the last year or so ...what a shame ..Can't the corporation give it another year????
ReplyDeleteThis was my Acme. I used to shop there every week.
ReplyDeleteI think, despite the declining conditions over the years, myself and many others like me tried to give the store the benefit of the doubt, but there was a point where you just are not willing to put up with mediocrity when you don't have to. (What other store has a bakery that closes at 7PM?)
Change at companies can be a good thing...but too much change is de-stabilizing and after being bought and sold numerous times over the years, the once customer-centric culture at this company is GONE. The feeling now is tired, corporate, and apathetic--something akin to the feeling at my once-beloved A&P. The local flavor which existed at American Stores, even when it was controlled on the West Coast, is gone. The majority of the employees are clearly demotivated and it shows. As a customer I could feel it. Once I switched to ShopRite, it was nice to be shop at a store where one could feel that people really liked their jobs.
To anonymous' point that we "wouldn't be so quick to say such things" if we knew what was going on in the store--US consumers are not going to patronize a mediocre or sub-par store no matter what the excuses or reasons are for the store being sub-par. This is especially true when there are numerous better options nearby--and in this case there are quite a few--ShopRite, A&P Fresh, Corrado's, Fairway, Stop & Shop.
I feel for the employees--especially the longtime ones from Route 46--who will lose their store, but it is a good opportunity for them to find a company which will respect them and offer them a healthy culture where they can enjoy their work. Unfortunately, Acme is no longer this type of company. On to the future! Bring in a company which treats their customers and employees with respect!
Thank you, Florence, for sharing your thoughtful comments. It's nice to have the perspective of a shopper of the store.
DeleteThis ACME's officially closed... no longer says on store locator. Q: Why does ACME and ALBERTSONS use mywebgrocer for a store locator
ReplyDeleteThat information is wrong. The store is still open. Their last day is Thursday.
DeleteYou making a last trip over there, if you haven't already?
DeleteI stopped by on Monday. Pictures are going up tomorrow.
Deleteit is shame that this store had to close my son has been there for a year and a half part time and it gave him the opportunity how to deal with people in everyday life
ReplyDeleteunfortunately when you have a greedy landlord that charges them a 120,000
Per month......that is insanity