News Break:
Whole Foods will open this Spring
in the former Morristown A&P!
Artistic rendering courtesy of Whole Foods
Location: 110 Washington St, Morristown, NJ
in the former Morristown A&P!
Artistic rendering courtesy of Whole Foods
Location: 110 Washington St, Morristown, NJ
Whole Foods announced on its Facebook page that their new Morristown store will be opening this Spring. As reported previously on the blog, the store is setting shop in a former A&P which closed in December 2013. You can visit two Bonus Store posts of the A&P by clicking here and here.
For a fascinating look at the gutted A&P, with the barrel roof exposed, click here.
I hope to cover this store after it opens. I would love to see how Whole Foods configures this very limited space. What I'm not looking forward to is the limited space in the parking lot. This place is going to be an absolute nightmare to get into. Anyone who has been to the Whole Foods in Montclair knows exactly what I am talking about.
Paramus Stop and Shop to open
in Kmart's old spot!
For illustrative purposes only
Location: 859 Route 17 Paramus, NJ
I've heard through the grapevine that Stop and Shop has agreed to move to the portion of the shopping center where the former Kmart currently stands. The Kmart will be torn down and a new Stop and Shop will be built in its place. The rest of the shopping center will be overhauled with additional tenants moving in.
Side note: does anyone know if any North Jersey or Central Jersey Stop and Shops are getting remodeled to Ahold's new look? The package certainly doesn't seem to be sweeping through the chain like it is at both the Giants, although many Stop and Shops have been remodeled in recent years with the purple and yellow fruit bowl package.
Side note: does anyone know if any North Jersey or Central Jersey Stop and Shops are getting remodeled to Ahold's new look? The package certainly doesn't seem to be sweeping through the chain like it is at both the Giants, although many Stop and Shops have been remodeled in recent years with the purple and yellow fruit bowl package.
Mapleshade evacuated!
Location: 300 South Lenola Road, Maple Shade, NJ
Roof collapse on February 16th! Not the whole thing. Apparently just a small portion but the store was evacuated. You can read a bit more about on CBSPhilly.com by clicking here. Thanks to Cpt. Cranky for sending in the link!
Programming Note:
As some of you have noticed, the historic aerial images in posts from a few years ago have disappeared. Back then I posted links to the historic aerial website which would pop images directly into each post. After a year or so, I became concerned that the links might eventually stop working. I switched to posting screen grabs just to be on the safe side. Well... the links have indeed broken and the images are gone. Fortunately I gave up on posting the links when I did but that still a leaves a lot store posts with no historic images. I'm going to start back tracking to replace all of the broken links with screen grabs. I will also be adding historic images to the posts that never had them in the first place. When I get a batch done, I'll post a list for anyone who would like to revisit old posts and see the newly added historic images.
Something else you may have noticed is a large volume of posts lately. I'm cranking them out as fast as I can in order to burn through a mountain of inventory. This harsh winter is working to Acme Style's advantage by keeping me indoors and on my laptop! The frequent posting schedule will continue for the next month or two and won't follow any rhyme or reason. I will still attempt to post current Acme stores on the blog every other Friday. The usual Tuesday/Friday posting schedule will return in the Spring.
Wow! That A&P transformation is crazy! I wonder if they'll do an expansion, too! Safe travels, AcmeLover
ReplyDeleteThere's no where to expand to on the property. They were planning to open their pizza shop in the abandoned dry cleaners on the other side of the parking lot. They have since cancelled those plans.
DeleteSad about Paramus. Similar thing is happening at the old Litchfield, CT store. The Long Island Stop & Shops have been given Ahold's new look at a decent rate. They already did most of the 90's look stores with the decor that shall remain nameless (I have a word for it). Now they seem to be doing the remaining "Ocean&Tide" mid 2000s ones, basically starting with the oldest ones.
ReplyDeleteStores on LI that I know that have the new look:
Delete- Medford (formerly mid-2000's decor)
- South Setauket (formerly late 90's decor)
- Holbrook (formerly mid-2000's decor)
- Deer Park (formerly late 90's decor)
- Northport (I think mid-2000's decor?)
- West Babylon (109) (formerly mid-2000's)
- Amityville (formerly mid-2000's)
- Woodbury (mid-2000's)
- Hicksville (?)
- Merrick (replacement store for a real ancient dump with late 90's decor)
What other ones have it?
It looks like WFM will expand through the rear?
ReplyDeleteThey might be reconfiguring the back of the store but there's no room back there to make much of an expansion.
DeleteFrosted mug opened in Doylestown and glen mills today
ReplyDeleteI sure hope the Acme in Glen Mills stays open for years to come, but it very well may not with the new Wegmans coming soon down the street. And not only that, a very deluxe Giant is nearby, along with both Whole Foods and The Fresh Market (for those of you unfamiliar with this relatively small chain, it almost is like Whole Foods but with much smaller stores, and the focus is on gourmet foods but not so much organic foods.
DeleteAlso, both the Acme in Broomall and the Acme in Newtown Square (these two are not that far apart, and in the same school district) really ought to add Frosted Mug cafes, because Wegmans is opening a few blocks away from the Acme in Broomall, and Whole Foods is opening across from the Acme in Newtown Square. I suspect the Acme in Penn Valley (Narberth) and the Acme in Bala Cynwyd both will add Frosted Mug cafes soon, because Whole Foods is knocking down their current tiny store in Wynnewood (between Narberth and Bala Cynwyd) for a much bigger store.
I definitely think the Super Fresh in Wynnewood, a very old and small store that once was A&P, will close once Whole Foods opens down the street. Also the Super Fresh in nearby Gladwyne (not identical to the Wynnewood store, but also a former A&P that has not aged well) will most likely be hurt if the Acme in Penn Valley adds a Frosted Mug, and the Pathmark in the Overbrook section of Philly (much bigger than either Super Fresh, but still owned by incompetent A&P) will definitely be hurt if the Acme in Bala Cynwyd, which is bigger and only blocks away in a much better location, adds a Frosted Mug.
When did Ahold launch their new look? I ask because the Ridgewood S&S was closed from late July through early September in 2014 for a complete remodel so they may have the new look. While the store is nicer, I don’t see why it needed to be closed for so long as there isn’t that much of a difference. In fact this was an old Grand Union that was completely gutted and rebuilt in the mid 2000’s. The two nearby Kings locations in Ridgewood (one block away) and Midland Park (former Foodtown) also had extensive remodels so that could be the reason.
ReplyDeleteIt's been around longer than July 2014. You can see the new look at the Exton Giant below the pictures of the Exton Acme...
Deletehttp://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/acme-exton-pa.html
With regards to S&S, the first store with that decor opened in 2011 (!!!) in Chelmsford, MA, although they didn't really start rolling that out until partway through 2012.
DeleteI think that look started off in Giant-PA though.
To confirm, The Ridgewood, NJ S&S has the new Ahold décor.
DeleteThanks! I may cover it for a Bonus Store. It's pretty fascinating how many additions have been put on the place over the years.
DeleteThe Whole Foods in Ridgewood (former pitched-roof Acme) is also a very small store but did add a few small additions when they took over the space from Drug Fair. I am not sure if the size is similar to the new Morristown location but I will say for a small store, the Ridgewood store does awesome business. FYI – speaking of Whole Foods, for years they have been trying to build a new store in Closter, NJ at the old Stop & Shop location (former Grand Union) in Closter Plaza but A&P has been holding them up. However, I heard Whole Foods will finally get to break ground in the near future. I wonder what will happen to the Closter Kmart which is in poor shape and is the part of Closter Plaza that is going to get a huge overhaul.
ReplyDeleteI've done further research on the Whole Foods in Ridgewood and have unfortunately found no evidence that it was ever an Acme. The address is not found on any of the numerous directories that I have and the building did not start out looking like a standard pitched-roof model.
DeleteAny chance you could try to cover a ground-up built Stop&Shop? I have never been to one, but I have always wanted to see one. Are they just like Giant stores?
ReplyDeleteKinda did already....
Deletehttp://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post_4661.html
and here...
http://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/update-to-former-acme-style-bonus-store.html
I'll cover it after it's built if they put in Ahold's new decor package. If it's another fruit bowl store, then I'll have to pass.
So one thing I'm surprised you DIDN'T put on here is Jim Perkins is leaving the Acme Presidency to be the COO of the entire East Region of the combined company (Safeway D.C., Jewel Osco, Shaw's, Acme) with Dan Croce succeeding him.
ReplyDeleteI used to service the Paramus Grand Union back in the late 90's as a vendor. It was a bit dated, but it held up well and it actually had a small liquor department. Always thought the Kmart was interesting, but wasn't sure how it survived with all the other retail in Paramus (Garden State Plaza, Fashion Center, etc). Does Bergen County still have blue laws?
ReplyDeleteI don't miss the ShopRites in NJ, but I kind of miss the other stores. I serviced almost all of Bergen County at one point or another, as well as parts of Passaic County. I remember the Pathmark in Clifton opening, as well as the A&Ps in Midland Park (replacement store), Saddle Brook, Lodi (former Acme). $1.49 12 pack sodas. Good times. I wonder if Saddle Brook still has that train that runs around the top of the soda section?
I believe they still do - always interesting to go through that area (on the parkway) and see all the empty lots when you'd expect them to be full.
DeleteOh yes... blue laws still going strong there.
Delete