Friday, July 1, 2016

Discussions: 
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Programming Note:
Acme Style will be closed for the month of July. 
Posting will resume in August.
Please scroll down for some last minute updates.
Pictures of Quality Built in the Fort Lee and
Edgewater stores are below.  

47 comments:

  1. Looking at it yesterday to Boonton store still seems a long way from opening.

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  2. Quakertown Update: New Facade is up, TJMaxx sign is up. Third tenant apparently has a third of the space, which is available. I wonder who it will be... (P.S. Happy Independence Day!)

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  3. It looks like the independent markets that use the 'Thriftway and Shop & Bag' banners in the region will soon be history. The buying/marketing co-op have switched to a different grocery supplier which is connected to IGA. It looks like most of the stores that use Thriftway or Shop 'n Bag names have to change to use the IGA name, or a name of their own (eg. George's Shop 'n Bag in Dresher, PA will now be known as George's Dreshertown Market).

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  4. I finally got a look inside the soon to be ShopRite liquor store going up inside the former Clifton Pathmark. I'm genuinely curious as to how much space this is going to take up because I was under the impression that 2/3 of the building was going to be used by the store. The dividing wall they built looks like it's there halfway through the original store with the addition and the other half of the store still in limbo. The only remnants of Pathmark on the property are the cart returns they couldn't sell, the salvage trailer that still is parked on the loading dock, and the pharmacy sign sticker in one of the windows which they never bothered to remove.

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    1. Update: apparently the electrical systems are all systems go, because the sign on the front of the store was lit for the first time that I could see tonight. Don't know what the ETA is of the store opening but it looks like they're just about set.

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  5. I drove past the former Morrisville PA Acme, the building is completely gone. All that is left is huge chunks of concrete. Interesting news about Thriftway/Shop 'n Bag, the Richboro Shop 'n Bag is becoming Murray's Market (IGA) nine months after the Super Fresh on the other side of town became Acme.

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  6. Acme is losing its long-standing monopoly in Tuckerton/Little Egg Harbor with the construction of this new Super Walmart. Acme is mentioned towards the end of the article.

    http://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2016/07/05/super-walmart-opens-little-egg-next-week/86489862/

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  7. Albertsons and Safeway ran a combined full-page ad in today's Seattle Times. The prices require a card for Safeway but they are card-free at Albertsons. This move makes sense because the Sunday Seattle Times now contains circulars for both chains, even though there are no longer any Albertsons stores in my area. If they switch strictly to combined ads and circulars it can cut advertising costs significantly. On the other hand, I'm not happy to see Albertsons become a clone of Safeway.

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  8. A couple updates:
    Hobby Lobby is now officially open in Exton.
    I drove by Boonton last week. From what I could see from the highway, it looked like it was getting close.
    Hallstead is still empty, although the sign from the last tenant has finally been removed.

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  9. When I looked inside the Boonton store on June 30th. It look nowhere near close to ready.
    https://flic.kr/p/HJHfrY

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    1. Just went by that (on 287) yesterday and both the front & side have the Acme signs up - that's about all I could see from the roadway at the moment.

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  10. Seasons Kosher Supermarket opens in the former Acme space in Clifton. Acme is positively mentioned in the article. Kosher-keeping patrons in the area will now have one stop shopping for their needs.
    http://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2016/07/13/seasons-kosher-supermarket/87022490/

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  11. This just in! The Salisbury MD Giant is being sold to Albertsons, as part of the Delhaize/Ahold merger. It will probably be re-opened as an ACME!

    http://salisburyindependent.net/business/salisburys-giant-food-store-sold-albertsons/

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  12. Acme is gaining a new store in Maryland as a result of the Ahold Delhaize Merger.

    http://couponsinthenews.com/2016/07/13/86-stores-to-be-sold-in-major-supermarket-merger/

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  13. Kind of suprised that Weis is buying so many Food Lions and yet they did not buy any of the A&P stores. Would have thought that they would be interested in some of the western NJ stores like Clinton, Califon or Belvidere.

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    1. Also rather interesting is that Tops Markets is getting 6 Stop & Shop locations - 5 in the Hudson Valley of NY and one in Gardner, MA! I don't think that chain even came up on radar as one for those stores, though the 5 in the Hudson Valley aren't a huge jump from the handful of scattered former Grand Unions they already have in & around the Catskills, but the one in MA is kind of odd.
      One might have thought of Acme for those NY locations, with their recent A&P purchases in that part of NY.

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    2. I don't think that Weis is really serious about NJ. I am honestly surprised they are still operating there.

      What is also surprising is that they are going into southern Delaware. Mostly in the beach towns where Giant and Food Lion compete. And that they initially wanted to sell the Giants in Fredericksburg VA, but Weis swooped in and made an offer on the Food Lions.

      Shop N Save (Supervalu chain mostly in SW PA) is buying a bunch of stores and spinning them off to their franchisees. Publix is making their grand entry into Virginia by buying 10 of the Martin's stores. Giant really ran the Ukrop's chain into the ground, much like Safeway did with Genuardi's.

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    3. Perhaps the beach areas in DE work for MD like the ones in NJ do for PA and they figure that people coming from MD (where Weis already has stores) will go there if they see one near the beach areas (as Acme does in NJ beach areas)?

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    4. Weis is non-union, so it would have probably have been difficult for them to pick up any A&P stores, at least early on.

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    5. They would make sense, or so it would seem, but is there a lot of competition in those areas? Weis seems to operate stores where there are no major supermarkets (although they'll go head-to-head with Shoprites in NJ).

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  14. Per the wboc news website Acme is acquiring the Giant store in Salisbury Md

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  15. Giant in Salisbury to Become Acme
    Posted: Jul 14, 2016 11:41 AM EDT
    Updated: Jul 14, 2016 12:23 PM EDT
    By Chris WeimerCONNECT
    SALISBURY, Md.- Acme Markets has announced it is in the process of acquiring the Giant Food Store located on South Salisbury Boulevard in Salisbury. The move comes as the parent company of Giant Food Stores LLC, a company called Ahold, and Food Lion await approval from the FCC over a deal to merge the two companies.

    The potential merger had put the Giant location in Salisbury in jeopardy because the FCC would not allow multiple stores owned by the same company to monopolize the market. As a result, Giant had been working to sell the location.

    Eric Masten, a representative of Local Union 27, says his organization has been working tirelessly to make sure those employed at the Giant location would not be out of a job. Masten said his union is planning to meet with Acme in the near-future to discuss a new contract with the grocer.

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  16. Weis is taking 38 Food Lions involved in the merger as well.

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  17. The supermarket bought is confirmed to be an Acme.

    http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2016/07/14/salisburys-giant-store-sold-albertsons/87073006/

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  18. ShopRite of Danbury will open in the last A&P Superfoodmart on Aug 3, 2016!
    Acme of Patterson NY should open shortly thereafter! There's less than 10 miles apart.
    Hannford in Carmel NY will become Tops as Ahold divests of overlapping stores due to the upcoming merger.
    Tops is also getting S&S stores in Rhinebeck, Wappingers Falls as well!
    Let the supermarket wars begin!!!!
    Stop&Shop will suffer the most as a result of ShopRite and Acme upcoming openings! They have already begun to send out 5 dollar off coupons also giving away free merchandise as well.

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    1. They're getting Rhinebeck? That store was the best! Weird layout, but still a very nice and clean store. Sad to see it go. The supermarket wars shall begin. ACME will win!!!

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    2. Interesting moves for Weis- this, and the purchase of five Mars stores in Baltimore. They're expanding into a new market in a very big way. They're a dangerous competitor because the company doesn't have any major debt, unlike most grocers.

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  19. Acme branded bread is gone. It now carries the Signature name.

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    1. That is a shame. Hope they realize their mistake and revert it.

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    2. I think that was the last hold out item from Supervalu to go.

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    3. Oh crap that's why it was on sale lol! Sad. That's the only thing that was ACME branded :(

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    4. The bread was one of the things that was SuperValu-owned, like the white bread was red on the end and had the company name in the square. I recently saw a picture of a Shoppers Food & Pharmacy with the exact same bread design that I saw in a Louisiana Albertsons. Hopefully ACME bread will make a comeback as they start formulating a new plan.

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  20. Every chain that Safeway becomes linked with, it takes over. There is little left that is unique to ACME. SuperValu started, New Albertsons finished. Now we have SafeWay with an ACME logo and a few bits here and there about their history. SuperValu sucked because they didn't have the resources or management. Albertsons sucks because they aren't making Acme into Acme. They are making Acme into Safeway, all at the highest retail prices in the industry.

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    1. I'll take Safeway's products over SuperValu's any day. Overall product selection in stores has increased significantly since SuperValu's ownership. Yeah, not all the prices are great but saying they're the highest in the industry is a bit of a stretch,

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    2. I thought SuperValu's products were basically rebranded versions of Albertsons products, and that those were decent (like Culinary Circle or Wild Harvest).

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    3. @Sean, I don't know where you live or what Safeway banners you shop at, but in Southern California VONS has adopted several practices from Albertsons. Examples include hand-trimmed chicken breast, fresh-cut fruit prepared in the store, fresh salsa and guacamole prepared in store, expanded produce selection (sunburst squash, various types of potatoes), and generally better meat. They also have added lighting to the stores.

      Albertsons adapted the Safeway house brands because they didn't have any of their own after breaking away from Supervalu. It would have made no sense to develop a new program when they acquired one through Safeway.

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  21. Another interesting thing in the disappearance of Thriftway and Shop 'n Bag...it appears four stores are still using the brand with a new website (www.thriftwayshopnbag.net) and are once again, using 'Best Yet' as a private label. the rest went to IGA or broke away from both groups entirely.

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  22. Again, I don't have much to compare to because the 3 Acme's near me are King of Prussia, Phoenixville, and Paoli. And Paoli was a great store to begin with. But there has not been a single change at Phoenixvile and King of Prussia. And I'm sorry, but if you get the same basket at Shop Rite, ACME, Wegmans, and Giant, you are going to pay far more at ACME. Any of the Signature products I have purchased have been pretty decent and is most likely better than Essential Everyday. But O Organics is crap compared to Wild Harvest

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  23. The former Penn Fruit in Frankford (Holiday Thriftway) with it's preserved interior could be a historic landmark: http://www.phila.gov/historical/Documents/5129-35-Frankford-Ave-nom.pdf
    ^Really good read there plus vintage photos of PF stores (including Audubon-now Acme)

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  24. Patterson is now hiring and will open August 19th. Unfortunately, they seem to be almost entirely part time jobs.

    http://news.hamlethub.com/brewster/places/2496-acme-supermarket-in-patterson-is-hiring

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  25. who bought superfresh??? there is a new superfresh moving into the former Edison A&P in Tano Mall

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  26. Acme Style, I have heard something about the Acme in Moorestown across from the Wegmans. Other than it being a monthly halloween outlet, I have heard that Whole Foods was interested in using the building. I got inside the interior during the time that they were redecorating for the halloween store an found that they put a wall separating the deli from the rest of the building. Do you know anything about this? Maybe a separate pharmacy going in there or just a room that they would cover off. I heard that they closed down for good in 2012 after a rat infestation in the deli area which could play apart. You should try to get inside of the building if you can. Lights are still on.

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    1. I haven't heard anything about the former Moorestown store. No plans for me to go back there. Too far of a trip.

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  27. I saw a fish eye shopping cart behind the MacDade Mall store. It looks like it's destined for the scrapyard, since the store has a whole new fleet of carts. If anyone wants it, I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to get.

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