I hate it! They got rid of Ben Franklin from the Burlington Coat Factory court!!! >:( I am all about keeping traditions. I'm just glad they forgot to change the remaining Franklin Mills sign on the back side of the mall! -- Becca
They're going to rip the old facades in the back side early 2015. And also, There is a Acme that used to be a Super Saver west of franklin mills on Bristol Pike
Does anyone know what the scoop is with Bottom Dollar Food? They are supposed to close up sometime this month, although there really doesn't seem to be any real indication of that (they still have Facebook postings going up to check out their specials/weekly ad).
I sort of have a feeling Aldi may try to run Bottom Dollar as-is at this point, given the lack of any real updates to the situation. It sort of doesn't make sense that Aldi would come in and scrap everything including an established brand (that is only a couple of years old) to just convert stores to Aldi.
Well, considering that they're transferring the stores from one European chain to another, it may have something to do over there. Or maybe a dispute between Aldis (there are two different Aldis; Aldi Sud runs Aldi stores here, while Aldi North runs Trader Joe's) is holding things up. I really don't know.
Aldi is so big in relation to Bottom Dollar, 1300 stores and 60 stores, I can't see why they would want to have two separate operations in the same segment. I am guessing that some or most of the Bottom Dollar stores will be converted. In Edgewater Park, NJ they have both stores within spitting distance of each other so I'm waiting to see which location they keep.
Looks like I spoke too soon. They announced today all stores will close by January 15th, and their social media pages have been deleted. Hopefully other discount grocers (maybe we will see A&P's 'Food Basics' brand come alive again?) will be able to fill in where Aldi chooses not to open up locations.
Aldi bought the chain to eliminate their competition. Bottom Dollar never made any money anyway, and was a drain on Delhaize America.
I always thought Bottom Dollar was a great concept that would have worked in certain areas where Food Lion stores took a big hit from increased competition. But it looks like Aldi figured out how to move into those areas, while Food Lion floundered.
The King of Prussia Bottom Dollar is a really nice store, it would be a shame for it to sit empty.
It's a shame that Chester finally got a real grocery store and then they are going to up and close it.
Please make your Bonus Store post of this month be the former Sparta Grand Union/Stop & Shop now as an Ocean State Job Lot! Include historic aerials of the former Grand Union/Stop & Shop and images of the new Stop & Shop!
...yes, 'cause it's a great way to be polite. Using the magic words. I would love to see a Bonus Store post of the former Sparta Grand Union/Stop & Shop as an Ocean State Job Lot!
Chester Springs- Produce spotlighting and the tube lights over the coffin cases along the back of the store have been removed. Overall, it leaves the store feeling fairly dark. Any idea what is going on? Could this be the first stages of a remodel? Or could they just be replacing the lights?
It has Albertson's Marketplace, opened 2005 if I remember correctly, and it does have a Sav-on. One thing I forgot to mention was that the coffee stand was also just removed. Sometimes the store is also referred to as the Eagle store.
Update: they just replaced the produce lights with ones like over the rest of the store. I was hoping for a remodel. At least the store is getting some attention!
The former Acme in Collegeville, PA is finally being repurposed as Acme's lease has finally expired. It is now in the process of becoming a Rascals Fitness. The Acme sign scar is still visible on the front of the building.
Not sure if you've seen the email I sent yet, but what appear to be two Long Island Acme locations have come to my attention. Both are '50s models, and one is an identical match to the '50s flat roof model stores that you have shown on here. One is the Dollar Tree at 1953 Middle Country Rd. Centereach, NY 11720 and the other is the Best Market (Best Yet Market) at 871 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, NY 11769. Anyway, I thought these stores were cool especially since I had no idea Acme had a presence out here. The Centereach one was discovered by driving behind the building and seeing the beam, windows, etc., and all that can be seen on Google Street View as well, and it is exactly like the back of the Woodstown store you featured. After that, I remembered that when Harrow's occupied the store, the front of it had the same flat awnings as your '50s Acmes. As always, looking forward to more great posts. Happy 2015, Acme Style!
I did get your email. I am currently unable to work on the blog or respond adequately to emails. If all goes well, Acme Style will be back in business next week.
IIRC, the Oakdale Best [Yet] Market was also a King Kullen, then abandoned for most of the 90's until a shortlived independent store, Corbisiero's, moved in. That didn't last long and it ended up becoming Best Yet.
Hmm, thanks for that, DerangedHermit. I was wondering what filled in that gap. Figured it was probably a chain like King Kullen. I remember Corbisiero's though. I have to check out the Best Market that just opened in Lake Grove, in the old Burlington/GU store. New Giunta's in Holbrook too in the A&P.
Do you think that acme will keep the trend going and close stores in February? The recent closings of new Britain and warminster and early last years closing of exton and wettstown may account to the amount of stores closing this year. Also, when will the New Britain photos and Warminster photos be posted? Just curious because im excited to see! Best of luck to the blog in 2015!
Giant closing the store in upper Gwynedd (ex Genuardi's) and pharmacy in North Wales: http://www.thereporteronline.com/business/20150105/giant-food-stores-to-close-upper-gwynedd-supermarket-north-wales-pharmacy-jan-24
Was noted on the Ames forums that this Genuardi was quite small (33,000 Sq Ft area) and was likely taken by Giant when they bought the chain to keep others out, and perhaps to see how it would do.
It does appear that we're weeks away from another round of store closings. I've been informed of one store that will be closing but the company has not yet announced it publicly. Once an official announcement is made I’ll put the list on the blog.
I don't know if there is some crazy person going around the Internet or what, but someone keeps posting on Philadelphia-area related supermarket news articles that A&P plans on closing a bunch of stores in the area (possibly all SuperFresh locations). It wouldn't really surprise me, but has anyone heard anything of the sort?
I haven't heard of any concrete plans for A&P closings in the Philly area. There have been rumors floating around that they do want to get rid of those stores. I've been hoping Acme would pick a couple if A&P did close them but then again I'm not sure Acme has any desire to open a new location ever again.
That person's been going around to news sites for years now, posting usually false information to get a reaction; what's more, most of the comments seem to be from him as well under different names.
Sears upped their 2015 closing tally to 235 stores. Couldn't find any lists. JCPenney is cutting back 40. Turns out that lower store counts are good for stocks (?) (according to ABC). I wonder if this could explain the more recent ACME closings? There has been talk of Cerberus taking them public....
You can bet with the merger with Safeway some Safeways will close in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore the remainder' ,will simply be renamed Acme . It would be more economical to run one advertising program in the area and Acme is more dominant in the area. Dover, Namans Road inn Wilmington as well as Glasgow- Bear all have Acmes and Safeways, Across the street from each other or very close to each other. So its going tom get real interesting, real soon. Gerry
I think it would be more likely for the Eastern Shore Acmes to be rebranded as Safeways due to the higher penetration of Safeway in the adjacent Baltimore and DC markets.
Progressive Grocer posted an article last week stating that Safeway-Albertsons deal will result in 168 stores being sold off, all in western states. Most of them are going to Haggen, which is going from 18 stores to 164 stores! That's a huge undertaking.
No real overlap with Acme since Safeway closed up shop on Genuardi's. The only stores that stick out in my mind are north Wilmington, where Acme and Safeway are across the street from each other. The Acme and Safeway in Dover are probably far enough away from each other, as well as the Safeway in Glasgow and the Acme in Elkton.
According to federal regulations stores in the same zip code one needs to be devested. The Safeway in Dover does half the volume that the Acme does and is in bad shape and in a dead area of town. The Safeway in Easton is only 5 blocks from the Acme is small and is out of the 50!s and does about a third of what the Acme does. Is Glasgow in the same zip as Bear? It is the best of a poor lot and does not do as much as the Acme, that does about 600 thousand a week and is profitable. The remainder Kent Island and Rehoboth will more than likely change banners to Acme some time next year, Gerry
I have serious doubts that the FTC uses zip code as a determinant for divestment. They’re just too variable in size and totally unrelated to market conditions. There are plenty of chains that have more than one store in a given zip code.
The divestments were announced, nearly all of them in the West Coast where there is heavy Albertsons/Safeway crossover, and about a dozen more in Dallas/Fort Worth. The East Coast I don't think got any divestments. No Acmes will convert to Safeway, or vice versa, because both will be in separate divisions, at least for now.
Does that only apply to supermarkets? Since during the merger of Eckerd and Rite Aid, very few stores were required to be sold off, and there were many locations where the two were across from each other or just a block or two apart.
The only times Rite Aid had to divest stores during the Eckerd merger was when they were the only two pharmacies in that particular town; as long as there's other competition it's not usually a problem. In Yardley, PA there are two Rite Aids in adjoining shopping centers, pretty much back to back, but there are also two other CVSs and a Shoprite in town, plus independents.
I was in Baton Rouge when Rite Aid was converting Eckerd stores. Rite Aid had stores in town (many from K&B Drugs), but there was also CVS (having grown greatly in Texas in the last few years, acquiring numerous former Eckerd sites). I'm not sure if Rite Aid divested any of the old Eckerd stores to CVS.
Does anyone know about the former ACME in Quakertown? Before the new store was built... I saw the former SuperSaver styled awning, but it wasn't very clear if it could be an ACME.
The Acme was located across the street right where Kohls is located now. You can see images on http://www.historicaerials.com. The building was still standing in 1999.
Does anyone have photos of the Acmes in the Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton)? Also, is there a master list of the stores with store numbers? For instance, I know that store #1804 was located at 16th and Liberty Streets in Allentown, PA.
Can you please revisit the Milltown Acme because I feel that there is a remodel coming soon. The produce section has been reconfigured so that the shelves are all straight, but they have replaced the shelves with temporary - looking ones. Also, the sign for the shopping center on Main Street still has the Savon logo on it, while the Ryder's Lane sign's savon logo was painted over.
I will swing by there in the next week or two. It's one store that I can get too pretty easily. I doubt they're doing a remodel. A lot of stores are being reconfigured but decor packages are not being changed. They just a big ol' grand opening celebration for the Media store but it still has the Industrial Circus decor.
There are some great discussions going on here!! Mine is unrelated, but I am In bay area California (i grew up in NJ, which is why I am fond of Acme) and there is a Safeway here that I swear looks like an Acme pitched roof transplant from my childhood; it is the prettiest Safeway i have ever seen! I tried to take pictures once, but a guy saw me from inside and came out to the parking lot to stare at me, Lol!! I have to try again now that I have a better phone. I wish I lived closer to that particular Safeway that I could shop there all the time!
Since I am finally posting (i have been reading your wonderful blog since 2011), I do have a burning question... are there any more New Jersey Morris County Area Acmes that you haven't covered yet? I first discovered your blog to try to see pictures of the gorgeous pitched roof Acme my Mom would take Me to when I was little. We didn't go often enough for my Mom to remember where it was, but we lived in Madison and then Randolph and shopped at this Acme until we moved to California in 1992. All I remember is that there were trees around the store and that there was a Cumberland Farms across the street. I remember my Mom speaking fondly of the store when I was little, saying how pretty the store was so she liked going there when we were in the area, even though the prices were a little higher than the A&E we frequented in Randolph much closer to our house.
I have very early fond memories of walking towards the check out area and looking up at the beautiful windows at the front of the store, the sun shining through the glass, lighting up the whole store. I can remember walking to the left towards the 25 cent machines (asking for quarters before we left), and then walking through that little room with the "Thanks for shopping at Acme" clock and all the newspaper racks on our way out. :)
I often click through all the New Jersey Acmes on your blog to try to make sense of my memory, but none seem to be the store I remember. Every so often I pick my parents' brains too, because there was a fantastic hoagie place nearby as well, and wish I could recreate that taste out here in California! ;)
Hey YakkoJo, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. The comments for this month’s discussions have been coming in faster than I’ve been able to keep up. Most of the Morris County Acmes have been covered although there are still some missing. More importantly is pinning down the pitched-roof store you used to shop in. Thing is there was hardly a pitched-roof store built in the part of New Jersey. I think the closest one would have been in Verona. The building is now a Chrysler dealership and completely unrecognizable. The next closest pitched-roof was in Garfield. That one is on the blog. Let me know if Verona is the one your looking for. If not, I give it another go.
Oops, A & P ! Not A&E! Thanks for reading my long post :) I have been wanting to post for a long time , if anything just to share my happy memories of Acme with you!
I got another New York Acme for you. The Dollar Tree in East Syracuse, at 6430 Kirkville Road East Syracuse, NY 13057, appears to be a pitched roof store.
Former A&P in Downingtown, currently a Honda dealer is being redone. I got a brick from the once-beautiful Centennial façade. Sadly, it is almost unrecognizable now. On the bright side, it shows the cars are selling!
What is your thoughts on SIMON renaming the mall from Franklin Mills to Philadelphia Mills.
ReplyDeleteI hate it! They got rid of Ben Franklin from the Burlington Coat Factory court!!! >:( I am all about keeping traditions. I'm just glad they forgot to change the remaining Franklin Mills sign on the back side of the mall!
Delete-- Becca
They're going to rip the old facades in the back side early 2015. And also, There is a Acme that used to be a Super Saver west of franklin mills on Bristol Pike
DeleteDoes anyone know what the scoop is with Bottom Dollar Food? They are supposed to close up sometime this month, although there really doesn't seem to be any real indication of that (they still have Facebook postings going up to check out their specials/weekly ad).
ReplyDeleteI sort of have a feeling Aldi may try to run Bottom Dollar as-is at this point, given the lack of any real updates to the situation. It sort of doesn't make sense that Aldi would come in and scrap everything including an established brand (that is only a couple of years old) to just convert stores to Aldi.
Well, considering that they're transferring the stores from one European chain to another, it may have something to do over there. Or maybe a dispute between Aldis (there are two different Aldis; Aldi Sud runs Aldi stores here, while Aldi North runs Trader Joe's) is holding things up. I really don't know.
DeleteAldi is so big in relation to Bottom Dollar, 1300 stores and 60 stores, I can't see why they would want to have two separate operations in the same segment. I am guessing that some or most of the Bottom Dollar stores will be converted. In Edgewater Park, NJ they have both stores within spitting distance of each other so I'm waiting to see which location they keep.
DeleteLooks like I spoke too soon. They announced today all stores will close by January 15th, and their social media pages have been deleted.
DeleteHopefully other discount grocers (maybe we will see A&P's 'Food Basics' brand come alive again?) will be able to fill in where Aldi chooses not to open up locations.
Aldi bought the chain to eliminate their competition. Bottom Dollar never made any money anyway, and was a drain on Delhaize America.
DeleteI always thought Bottom Dollar was a great concept that would have worked in certain areas where Food Lion stores took a big hit from increased competition. But it looks like Aldi figured out how to move into those areas, while Food Lion floundered.
The King of Prussia Bottom Dollar is a really nice store, it would be a shame for it to sit empty.
It's a shame that Chester finally got a real grocery store and then they are going to up and close it.
Please make your Bonus Store post of this month be the former Sparta Grand Union/Stop & Shop now as an Ocean State Job Lot! Include historic aerials of the former Grand Union/Stop & Shop and images of the new Stop & Shop!
ReplyDeleteI've already responded to this request under one of the numerous places you've posted it. Nice of you to FINALLY say "please".
Delete...yes, 'cause it's a great way to be polite. Using the magic words. I would love to see a Bonus Store post of the former Sparta Grand Union/Stop & Shop as an Ocean State Job Lot!
DeleteExactly, which is why you should have said "please" the 10 other times you left this request.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChester Springs- Produce spotlighting and the tube lights over the coffin cases along the back of the store have been removed. Overall, it leaves the store feeling fairly dark. Any idea what is going on? Could this be the first stages of a remodel? Or could they just be replacing the lights?
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this Chester Springs store? What decor does it currently have, and when did it open? And does it have a Sav-on?
DeleteIt has Albertson's Marketplace, opened 2005 if I remember correctly, and it does have a Sav-on. One thing I forgot to mention was that the coffee stand was also just removed. Sometimes the store is also referred to as the Eagle store.
DeleteUpdate: they just replaced the produce lights with ones like over the rest of the store. I was hoping for a remodel. At least the store is getting some attention!
DeleteThe former Acme in Collegeville, PA is finally being repurposed as Acme's lease has finally expired. It is now in the process of becoming a Rascals Fitness. The Acme sign scar is still visible on the front of the building.
ReplyDeleteIf possible you need to get to Lewisburg pa and see that old acme.
ReplyDeleteIts a save a lot run by weis to keep giant out
Not sure if you've seen the email I sent yet, but what appear to be two Long Island Acme locations have come to my attention. Both are '50s models, and one is an identical match to the '50s flat roof model stores that you have shown on here. One is the Dollar Tree at 1953 Middle Country Rd. Centereach, NY 11720 and the other is the Best Market (Best Yet Market) at 871 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, NY 11769. Anyway, I thought these stores were cool especially since I had no idea Acme had a presence out here. The Centereach one was discovered by driving behind the building and seeing the beam, windows, etc., and all that can be seen on Google Street View as well, and it is exactly like the back of the Woodstown store you featured. After that, I remembered that when Harrow's occupied the store, the front of it had the same flat awnings as your '50s Acmes. As always, looking forward to more great posts.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2015, Acme Style!
I did get your email. I am currently unable to work on the blog or respond adequately to emails. If all goes well, Acme Style will be back in business next week.
DeleteIIRC, the Oakdale Best [Yet] Market was also a King Kullen, then abandoned for most of the 90's until a shortlived independent store, Corbisiero's, moved in. That didn't last long and it ended up becoming Best Yet.
DeleteHmm, thanks for that, DerangedHermit. I was wondering what filled in that gap. Figured it was probably a chain like King Kullen. I remember Corbisiero's though. I have to check out the Best Market that just opened in Lake Grove, in the old Burlington/GU store. New Giunta's in Holbrook too in the A&P.
DeleteDo you think that acme will keep the trend going and close stores in February? The recent closings of new Britain and warminster and early last years closing of exton and wettstown may account to the amount of stores closing this year. Also, when will the New Britain photos and Warminster photos be posted? Just curious because im excited to see! Best of luck to the blog in 2015!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping for no closings for the foreseeable future :)
DeleteDid you hear about this?
Deletehttp://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/morning_roundup/2014/12/whole-foods-wegmans-acme-local-stores-sued-over.html
Giant closing the store in upper Gwynedd (ex Genuardi's) and pharmacy in North Wales:
Deletehttp://www.thereporteronline.com/business/20150105/giant-food-stores-to-close-upper-gwynedd-supermarket-north-wales-pharmacy-jan-24
Was noted on the Ames forums that this Genuardi was quite small (33,000 Sq Ft area) and was likely taken by Giant when they bought the chain to keep others out, and perhaps to see how it would do.
DeleteIt does appear that we're weeks away from another round of store closings. I've been informed of one store that will be closing but the company has not yet announced it publicly. Once an official announcement is made I’ll put the list on the blog.
DeleteI don't know if there is some crazy person going around the Internet or what, but someone keeps posting on Philadelphia-area related supermarket news articles that A&P plans on closing a bunch of stores in the area (possibly all SuperFresh locations). It wouldn't really surprise me, but has anyone heard anything of the sort?
DeleteI haven't heard of any concrete plans for A&P closings in the Philly area. There have been rumors floating around that they do want to get rid of those stores. I've been hoping Acme would pick a couple if A&P did close them but then again I'm not sure Acme has any desire to open a new location ever again.
DeleteThat person's been going around to news sites for years now, posting usually false information to get a reaction; what's more, most of the comments seem to be from him as well under different names.
DeleteLOL I've been reading those comments too and was wondering what was up.
DeleteSears upped their 2015 closing tally to 235 stores. Couldn't find any lists. JCPenney is cutting back 40. Turns out that lower store counts are good for stocks (?) (according to ABC). I wonder if this could explain the more recent ACME closings? There has been talk of Cerberus taking them public....
ReplyDeleteAcme reopened the Media store today! I didn't even know it was closed
ReplyDeletehttp://www.delcotimes.com/business/20150106/renovated-acme-in-media-to-unveil-friday
I hope it has the Quality Built decor
It never closed, just got remodeled. Hopefully I can swing by there on an upcoming road trip.
DeleteTurns out it didn't been get remodeled! Still has the Industrial Circus decor. Apparently they just rearranged things.
DeleteYou can bet with the merger with Safeway some Safeways will close in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore the remainder' ,will simply be renamed Acme . It would be more economical to run one advertising program in the area and Acme is more dominant in the area. Dover, Namans Road inn Wilmington as well as Glasgow- Bear all have Acmes and Safeways, Across the street from each other or very close to each other. So its going tom get real interesting, real soon. Gerry
ReplyDeleteI think it would be more likely for the Eastern Shore Acmes to be rebranded as Safeways due to the higher penetration of Safeway in the adjacent Baltimore and DC markets.
DeleteProgressive Grocer posted an article last week stating that Safeway-Albertsons deal will result in 168 stores being sold off, all in western states. Most of them are going to Haggen, which is going from 18 stores to 164 stores! That's a huge undertaking.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.progressivegrocer.com/industry-news-trends/national-supermarket-chains/albertsons-safeway-divest-168-stores-advance-merger?cc=10
No real overlap with Acme since Safeway closed up shop on Genuardi's. The only stores that stick out in my mind are north Wilmington, where Acme and Safeway are across the street from each other. The Acme and Safeway in Dover are probably far enough away from each other, as well as the Safeway in Glasgow and the Acme in Elkton.
According to federal regulations stores in the same zip code one needs to be devested. The Safeway in Dover does half the volume that the Acme does and is in bad shape and in a dead area of town. The Safeway in Easton is only 5 blocks from the Acme is small and is out of the 50!s and does about a third of what the Acme does. Is Glasgow in the same zip as Bear? It is the best of a poor lot and does not do as much as the Acme, that does about 600 thousand a week and is profitable. The remainder Kent Island and Rehoboth will more than likely change banners to Acme some time next year, Gerry
ReplyDeleteI have serious doubts that the FTC uses zip code as a determinant for divestment. They’re just too variable in size and totally unrelated to market conditions. There are plenty of chains that have more than one store in a given zip code.
DeleteThe divestments were announced, nearly all of them in the West Coast where there is heavy Albertsons/Safeway crossover, and about a dozen more in Dallas/Fort Worth. The East Coast I don't think got any divestments. No Acmes will convert to Safeway, or vice versa, because both will be in separate divisions, at least for now.
DeleteDoes that only apply to supermarkets? Since during the merger of Eckerd and Rite Aid, very few stores were required to be sold off, and there were many locations where the two were across from each other or just a block or two apart.
ReplyDeleteThe only times Rite Aid had to divest stores during the Eckerd merger was when they were the only two pharmacies in that particular town; as long as there's other competition it's not usually a problem. In Yardley, PA there are two Rite Aids in adjoining shopping centers, pretty much back to back, but there are also two other CVSs and a Shoprite in town, plus independents.
ReplyDeleteI was in Baton Rouge when Rite Aid was converting Eckerd stores. Rite Aid had stores in town (many from K&B Drugs), but there was also CVS (having grown greatly in Texas in the last few years, acquiring numerous former Eckerd sites). I'm not sure if Rite Aid divested any of the old Eckerd stores to CVS.
DeleteDoes anyone know about the former ACME in Quakertown? Before the new store was built... I saw the former SuperSaver styled awning, but it wasn't very clear if it could be an ACME.
ReplyDeleteThe Acme was located across the street right where Kohls is located now. You can see images on http://www.historicaerials.com. The building was still standing in 1999.
DeleteDoes anyone have photos of the Acmes in the Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton)? Also, is there a master list of the stores with store numbers? For instance, I know that store #1804 was located at 16th and Liberty Streets in Allentown, PA.
ReplyDeleteCan you please revisit the Milltown Acme because I feel that there is a remodel coming soon. The produce section has been reconfigured so that the shelves are all straight, but they have replaced the shelves with temporary - looking ones. Also, the sign for the shopping center on Main Street still has the Savon logo on it, while the Ryder's Lane sign's savon logo was painted over.
ReplyDeleteI will swing by there in the next week or two. It's one store that I can get too pretty easily. I doubt they're doing a remodel. A lot of stores are being reconfigured but decor packages are not being changed. They just a big ol' grand opening celebration for the Media store but it still has the Industrial Circus decor.
DeleteThere are some great discussions going on here!! Mine is unrelated, but I am In bay area California (i grew up in NJ, which is why I am fond of Acme) and there is a Safeway here that I swear looks like an Acme pitched roof transplant from my childhood; it is the prettiest Safeway i have ever seen! I tried to take pictures once, but a guy saw me from inside and came out to the parking lot to stare at me, Lol!! I have to try again now that I have a better phone. I wish I lived closer to that particular Safeway that I could shop there all the time!
ReplyDeleteACME ran the alpha-beta chain out in California around the pitched-roof era, so there is a good chance it could be one of those...
DeleteSince I am finally posting (i have been reading your wonderful blog since 2011), I do have a burning question... are there any more New Jersey Morris County Area Acmes that you haven't covered yet? I first discovered your blog to try to see pictures of the gorgeous pitched roof Acme my Mom would take Me to when I was little. We didn't go often enough for my Mom to remember where it was, but we lived in Madison and then Randolph and shopped at this Acme until we moved to California in 1992. All I remember is that there were trees around the store and that there was a Cumberland Farms across the street. I remember my Mom speaking fondly of the store when I was little, saying how pretty the store was so she liked going there when we were in the area, even though the prices were a little higher than the A&E we frequented in Randolph much closer to our house.
ReplyDeleteI have very early fond memories of walking towards the check out area and looking up at the beautiful windows at the front of the store, the sun shining through the glass, lighting up the whole store. I can remember walking to the left towards the 25 cent machines (asking for quarters before we left), and then walking through that little room with the "Thanks for shopping at Acme" clock and all the newspaper racks on our way out. :)
I often click through all the New Jersey Acmes on your blog to try to make sense of my memory, but none seem to be the store I remember. Every so often I pick my parents' brains too, because there was a fantastic hoagie place nearby as well, and wish I could recreate that taste out here in California! ;)
Hey YakkoJo, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. The comments for this month’s discussions have been coming in faster than I’ve been able to keep up. Most of the Morris County Acmes have been covered although there are still some missing. More importantly is pinning down the pitched-roof store you used to shop in. Thing is there was hardly a pitched-roof store built in the part of New Jersey. I think the closest one would have been in Verona. The building is now a Chrysler dealership and completely unrecognizable. The next closest pitched-roof was in Garfield. That one is on the blog. Let me know if Verona is the one your looking for. If not, I give it another go.
DeleteOops, A & P ! Not A&E! Thanks for reading my long post :) I have been wanting to post for a long time , if anything just to share my happy memories of Acme with you!
ReplyDeleteI got another New York Acme for you. The Dollar Tree in East Syracuse, at 6430 Kirkville Road East Syracuse, NY 13057, appears to be a pitched roof store.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is! Opened in 1962.
DeleteWow! That's awesome. I wonder how intact it is. Probably not too much left inside unfortunately, but I still might pay it a visit.
DeleteDoylestown is getting a renovation right now- adding a liquor section.
ReplyDeleteFormer A&P in Downingtown, currently a Honda dealer is being redone. I got a brick from the once-beautiful Centennial façade. Sadly, it is almost unrecognizable now. On the bright side, it shows the cars are selling!
ReplyDelete