Location: 550 Myrtle Ave, Boonton, NJ
FIRST LOOK
AT THE BOONTON ACME!!!
Thanks to the fast work of Dan Asnis!
Acme's massive comeback continues!
Acme President Dan Croce on the scene!
Dan has let us know this spot is the future home of a Starbucks!
Huge new salad and soup bar!
Not sure if Acme replaced the tile on the Deli walls or if is left over from A&P. It doesn't look like this store had the full "fresh" remodel in it's A&P days. The flooring has been replaced in this area of the store. Most likely the entire perimeter.
Now THAT'S a sample station! Grab a roll from the Bakery and lunch is served!
Brand-new-never-seen-before black Acme shopping carts!
Another beautiful new Acme for New Jersey! I hope to be getting here in the next week or two to see it for myself.
WAIT THERE'S MORE >>>
More great photos just in from an anonymous contributor...
These pictures help confirm new flooring was installed around the perimeter.
Look at that selection!
The opening took very long - Longer than it had taken to build the original store as A & P. I do know A & P had many issues with equipment in the last years of being in business at this location. Still the sale of this store was announced before it closed the week before Thanksgiving. I figured mid December or Early January. But still in Spring still closed. I hear the store was totally gutted on the inside.
ReplyDeleteIn one news articles Acme's spokeswoman basically said that they had to replace a lot more than equipment then they originally anticipated.
ReplyDeleteThe little corner cove with all the sodas is what will become the Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteI don't doubt the project ended up being larger than anticipated but still, the store has been closed for almost a year. The only thing I can think of is Acme not having had room in the budget since they've been remodeling at a crazy pace?
ReplyDeleteI can't see this store NOT doing well. It's on the border of Montville in a wealthy part of Morris County where there are very few grocery stores- the only immediate competition is a small Kings a few miles away. By running this store well and keeping prices in check it should be very profitable.
Who'd have thought just two years ago that this blog would not only be celebrating Acme's past but featuring wave after wave of store openings and remodels?
I passed this by on I-287 today- caught a glimpse of the giant balloon they put on the roof.
ReplyDeletePatterson has the same black carts and will be getting a Starbucks! However as beautiful as the Patterson store is, sale prices are not overwhelming shoppers and the regular prices are just as high as A&P!
ReplyDeletePutnam County and surrounding areas just had THREE store Grand Openings, ShopRite in Danbury CT, Acme in Patterson and TOPS in Carmel NY. Acme/Albertsons needs to LOWER regular prices! The Patterson store is a palace like Booton, but has a lot of completion. The beat up ShopRite in Carmel has been doing a million a week for years because of their prices. I don't understand why Albertsons who has the buying power insists on such high prices! It really turns shoppers off. I hope they wake up, BUT maybe, just maybe, it's because they inherited these heavy union contracts?
I've heard it's because of Safeway's influence or something to that effect.
DeleteI stopped by on my way home from work, and although my visit was short, I must agree that prices were not phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteThe layout of cash registers was a bit odd - lane 1 was on the opposite side from the A&P lane 1, and four express lanes were on the sides of the courtesy counter. No self-serve checkout, which I missed given the two items I bought.
With that said, it was crowded, well stocked, and vibrant. Attentive employees in bright red shirts everywhere was a contrast to the two or three seemingly bored employees at the front of A&P.
That is not the reason, more than likely it is the rent. Also Acme promotes via its ad. Hot features on shrimp, meat Items and significant feature prices on selected popular Grocery Ad items.
ReplyDeleteShopRite and Stop & Shop also have Union contracts at least in my area there's not really that big a difference between Stop & Shop, Acme and ShopRite.
ReplyDeleteI must agree, ACME prices are nearly identical to the local PathMark that closed. I have been only shopping at ACME for the past month, and my grocery bill has been 20% higher versus the Independent SuperValu store I normally shop at. ACME does have some good sale items, and if you spend the time to clip some coupons you can get some great deals. But normal shelf prices are sky high.
ReplyDeleteShop Rite is lower with almost everything with an occasional exception. The only time Acme or Stop & SHop has a lower price than Shop Rite is on sale items at Acme and Stop & Shop. Still I think prices are a bit lower than A & P in the final years. Acme promised more competitive pricing and I saw some but not as much as I thougt there would be. Initially Acme wanted to buy a few A & P Stores adjacent to Shop Rites but after a few weeks into things last year in terms of business each store Acme newly had was doing they dropped that idea. Fact is Shop Rite dominates New Jersey and they are now dominating the NY State Capitol Region as well. Also Shop Rite has granted the Romano Family franchises in Lafayette/Sparta (which will be about 5 miles from Stop & Shop which already has a Shop Rite 7 miles away) as well as Sussex NJ (which will be next to an Acme). Ronetco Shop Rite is guaranteed to be a huge threat to Sussex Acme (A & P when they were in business was frightened at the prospect of Shop RIte in Sussex - The Romanos even bid on the A & P stores in Sussex and Vernon before A & P filed Chapter 11 July 2015). Acme jumped in with a blanket bid. I still think Acme will be okay in the end. It just wont do as well as they wanted to do and I do not see them getting pre 2010 A & P Business.
ReplyDeleteI want Acme to succeed as well. About 10 years ago or so maybe 15, A&P could and did compete with ShopRite because A&P had great sale prices which made up for their higher regular prices. With a lot of A&P stores closed for days at a time, shoppers hit ShopRite, Hannaford, and Stop&Shop. When Acme opened in many Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess county stores, sale prices were not as good as expected for a new chain and regular prices were not as good as ShopRite or Hannaford. Stop&Shop and Acme are neck and neck in the high price race. ShopRites, individually owned along with non Union Hannafords are highly rated by Consumer Reports for their low prices. Where there is a ShopRite, Acme will get the overflow. Where there isn't, they will do well. The smaller ShopRite in Bedford Hills NY with 15 aisles and 9 registers does more business per sq. ft than the "7 million dollar" Stop&Shop that was aquired from A&P in Mt. Kisco. because of low prices and great sales! Example..... 1/2 gallon milk, Lactose Free @ ShopRite is 2.89 everyday, at Acme the Lucerne Brand is 3.99 everyday! Why such a disparity?
ReplyDeleteShopRite stores work on a lower margin than most other stores, and make up the difference in volume. Can can is almost a wash, but it drives a lot of volume at an otherwise slow time of the year. But they have toyed with the number of weeks it is offered as well as increased prices on the key featured items.
ReplyDeleteShopRite also has some amazing loss leaders on a weekly basis. Where I am (Southeastern PA), ShopRite's regular prices are on the high side (although not near Acme's level..Giant and Wegmans have better everyday prices), but the huge ads filled with loss leader deals make up for it and definitely get people in to buy other items. I still never do a full shopping trip at Acme because even basic items are priced a dollar or two over other stores (Thomas' bagels as one example).
DeleteI had heard Hannafords in the South New York Trading area are either sold or going with Stop & Shop. Parent companies merged causing Ahold to mostly exit Hannafords out of this market - Several stores went to newcomer Tops Markets I was told. Tops was owned by A Hold till about 10 years ago. IN Massachusetts the Hannaford stores mostly got sold to other non union people. Remaining ones are folding into Stop & Shop. IN NH, Vermont, and Maine though Hannafords stays put. Stop & SHop tried going into NH in 2003 and exited several years back. Hannafords will remain there from what I am told. The union will try to get into Hannafords more (Hannafords are union in Rhode Island and the Cape Cod area)
ReplyDeleteNot sure where that info comes from, but first off there are no Hannaford stores in Rhode Island, and the ones in MA don't look to extend out onto the Cape proper, but might be close to there.
DeleteIn the southern NY area they sold 5 stores to Tops - 3 of those were Stop & Shop locations and 2 were Hannaford ones. In MA they sold some Hannaford locations to Big Y and one store (not sure that that one wasn't a S&S) to Tops. Again both names are still in the area.
Those couple small areas (a bit of eastern MA and NY south of Red Hook) are the only two places that the chains had overlap. Hannaford is in ME/NH/VT and the rest of NY, while S&S is in the rest of MA, RI, CT and NJ.
The parent companies did merge, but it was a joint one, not one taking over the other. They could change names at some point (most likely in those couple overlap areas if anywhere to eliminate one or the other) but then again they could just do like others have and run two separate banners.
Stop&Shop/Hannford sold the Carmel NY store because Stop&Shop plans to build a new store in Mahopac NY.....five miles or so north of the Stop&Shop in Somers NY.
ReplyDeleteStop&Shop does not have any Putnam County stores. Hannaford was low volume compared to the million dollar a week ShopRite in Carmel. So here's the Putnam County Roundup..... ACME has three stores, ShopRite has one and Tops Friendly Markets has one. ACME Patterson has a former Grand Union now Hannaford two miles up the road in Pawling NY. Also in Wappingers Falls, Hannaford had a high volume store on Rt 9 next to an all but dead for years outdated Stop&Shop. That S&S was sold to Tops also.
Rhinebeck and New Paltz had Hannafords non Union stores nearby so both S&S stores also went to Tops..... LaGrange NY Hannaford has a S&S the next town over in Poughquac. Hannaford also went to Tops... They compete now with. ShopRite and Acme both former A&P stores one mile apart on RT 82.... No exaggeration only one mile apart.
ONe store in Massachusetts Gardner STop & Shop went to former A Hold company Tops. Most of the Hannafords stores in Massachusetts (because of their proximity to Stop & Shop)went to Big Y or Market Basket or Price Chopper from what I hear. It seemed the non union stores were sold to non union operators and the union shops were sold to union operators with a few exceptions. I hear the union is close to getting into Price Chopper but do not know how true this is. They almost got Hannafords but lost in the vote. Too many employees worry that having a union would mean laying off of full timers and a loss of labor in a store overall. This is what employees are told by managers that are towing company lines.
ReplyDeleteIn New York, ShopRite, Stop&Shop and Acme are union stores. Hannaford is not, ShopRites in CT are not and neither is BIG Y. I hear the non union stores pay more per hour.
ReplyDeleteMost Connecticut Shop Rites are union. There is one Shop Rite owner that is not. I know a few people that work for Shop Rite owners there and theirs are union. I am unsure of the amount of non union stores the one non union owner has. I am told that owner though only buys the merchandise from Wakefern and is not a full member of the ownership association. That is how that owner gets away with not having a union and his workers voting the union down when they have the chance. I am sure the owner threatens layoffs if they organize (like all non union owners of any store do). Some non union stores do have higher start rates but top rates are far lower. At one time they mostly had benefits for part timers but that has gone away as well (which is now happening at some union companies in some regions) The unions are sadly becoming weaker because of the fact so many non union companies exist. If The unions could get more to organize that would strengthen contracts. If the union ever unionized Walmart that would do wonders for the rest of the union stores in terms of better wages and contracts.
ReplyDeleteThe ShopRite stores known as Grade A ShopRite in Fairfield County CT are non Union! The family is a full members of Wakefern. The stores are all high volume and the employees all speak highly of the owners, the Cingari family. I don't know where you're getting tie info from.
ReplyDelete@mtn: Mark D is correct--the Grade A stores are the only Connecticut ShopRite stores which are non-union. That is 10 stores out of 28 in Connecticut that are non-union. The other 18 stores are union. I cannot speak to any anti-union activity within the Cingari stores, but even the brand new stores this family builds are outdated by Wakefern standards (you can look at the "brand new" ShopRite of Danbury here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/115637162@N02/29596649505/in/photostream/). It looks like a store built in the 1980's and it opened last month. They certainly are not up to Wakefern standards of new stores in other areas.
ReplyDeleteIf you look back at the older photos, you'll notice that some of the décor (at least the signs for the various departments) are ones that were already there in the A&P and just reused. Looks like they did other décor to go with what was being reused?
DeleteI's also suspect that since so many of the ShopRite stores (like this) are independently owned, the company has less control over what a particular owner does than many chains would when the corporation owns all the stores (or even some of the other stores that Wakefern themselves operate).
Mark D stated that ShopRite in CT was all union, I stated they were not. I should have specified that Grade A stores were not union. Grade A runs immaculate stores with the lowest prices and they compete directly with Stop&Shop, Big Y, Stews in Danbury as well as Costco and BJ's. The parking lots at Grade A SR are always filled and the stores are very busy. Customer service is top notch and the prices are the best around. I don't think Wakefern has "standards" about decor one way or the other. The stores are run in an excellent fashion, they're profitable and are well reviewed by customers. Google any Grade A in CT and check the customer reviews and see what I mean. That Danbury store you refer to, does remarkable business and is also well received by customers.
ReplyDelete@mtn: Please re-read Mark's first line. He did not state, as you claim, that "ShopRite in CT was all union"; he stated (and I quote): "Most Connecticut Shop Rites are union." Most and all are two different things. And he is correct. All CT stores are union except for the Grade A stores.
ReplyDeleteI am told Grade A non Union Shop RItes are not part of the ownership association and just buy the product from Wakefern and buy rights to use the Shop Rite name. Still why these employees refuse to vote the union in is beyond me. Probably the threat of layoffs to part time and the potential for some to actually lose something at the expense of others gaining. Putting a union in someplace will hurt some of the non union employees in a place while helping others. Its unclear the percentage though.
ReplyDeleteMark, the Cingari's and Grade A are full members of Wakefern. They would not be able to use the ShopRite name if they were not. Wakefern does not license out the ShopRite name to non-members (though it does do that with PriceRite). The co-op does have 3rd party wholesale relationships with non-members who they supply (retailers like Kings, Gristede's, Heinen's, Morton Williams), but they are strictly a wholesaler and have no role in marketing or branding.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to labor issues, Wakefern generally avoids "stepping on toes" when it comes to store operations within its memberships' companies. Outside of wholesale, marketing and merchandising, the store groups are left to run their stores in whatever fashion they wish. For newer members like the Cingari's, who joined Wakefern in the 90's and Klein's in Maryland, who joined in the 2000's--if they were non-union before they joined the co-operative, they generally will be non-union once they are ShopRite. Non-union ShopRites are subject to protests and organizing drives, just like other non-union retailers. Interesting to note here that Wakefern's corporately-owned PriceRite stores are non-union (and allegedly anti-union), while the 2 PriceRite stores run by Wakefern members are union. Wakefern's corporately-run ShopRite stores (run by SRS Inc.-ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.) are all unionized. Wakefern has been under some scrutiny in the Massachusetts and Connecticut press for the way it treats its non-union PriceRite workers in those states.
#1. Grade A is part of Wakefern and has been for years. The family was on the Board of Directors.
ReplyDelete#2. Wakefern also operates non union Price Rite store such as in Danbury.
#3. It is up to the individual owner whether their chain is Union or not. Wakefern has no say.
#4. The Cingari family is well known and respected in CT and treats employees well and pays them well also. I know several people who work for them and have for years.
#5. Your information is incorrect.
#6. I stand corrected about my comment.
#7. I don't know why they are not a union chain but many of their employees are with them for years.
Perhaps #4 & #7 are the reasons - if the employees stay around and don't vote for union representation, they must be OK with the way things are going so why add something (the union) that would change it?
DeleteI was able to visit this store on Friday coming back from NYC, and it is a beautiful store. The employees seemed very friendly and helpful as well. Well done!
ReplyDeleteAcme now actually uses this store as their 'flagship' (I guess you could say) on their store locator for the store picture.
ReplyDelete