Location: 9600 Long Beach Boulevard, Beach Haven, NJ
It's finally here... the tour of the brand-new Beach Haven Acme! These photos were taken a week after the store opened. If you're a new visitor to the blog and haven't seen the old store, which stood at this same location for over 56 years, please click
here for look.
This is easily the most exciting Acme to have opened since the 90's. The store is designed beautifully and is chock full of Acme spirit which has been sorely missing from the chain for years.
"Summer is better at Acme" banners on the light poles throughout the parking lot. Not sure if these are going up at all stores or just the Jersey Shore locations.
Jet sky parking is available.
The parking lot is going to take a little getting used too. The only entrance is under the Acme sign yet more people were parking on the far left area of the lot which is connected to the store's main entrance from the street. The other entrance at this end sneaks up on you pretty quickly as you're coming south on the boulevard.
An outdoor season merchandise cage is located under the awning, similar to what the old store had.
The ramp up to the entrance and exit. The store is built up a good 3 feet from the ground. The entire property has been built up higher so the new Acme might be 4 or 5 feet higher than the old store. No water is getting into this place the next time the ocean flows over the island!
Vestibule display appeared to be in transition. A little surprising this wasn't taken care of first thing in the morning.
Yep, you're at Acme and you're going to be reminded of that from one side of this place to the other! Albertssons has thankfully done a complete 180 from the disastrous SuperValu days. While Acme branded products are not back on grocery store shelves (yet?), the Acme brand is everywhere in this place.
Not a great opening shot of the Produce Department. Some better views to come.
A small "Fresh Flowers" case just across from Customer Service...
Multiple express registers at Customer Service. This is being done at other remodels as well. While the self checkouts are all getting removed, some interesting register configurations are going in as replacements, as we will be seeing in the coming weeks.
Over now to the front corner of the store but wait... where's the updated logo at the Corner Deli? Not here. Guess Devon is the only one getting that treatment. As beautiful as this store is, some of the department signage could use a little more pizazz, as far as I'm concerned. Compare this sign to the one at Devon by clicking
here.
Acme has a big "local" push going on, as you can see on the black signs hung throughout the fresh departments. At the top of the sign is a heart with "Acme Signature" and then a fresh product, anything from meat to cookies. The bottom says "Acme. We Love Local" with the "o" in love being heart. Here's a close-up look of an outdoor version of the signs...
While the department signs may be a little lacking, the tile on the back walls of the service departments is not! The Corner Deli is all done in white subway tile. Foods To Go and the Bakery are done in a angled brown glass tile. Not captured well at all these pictures but absolutely beautiful in person.
Impressive Bakery selection especially considering the other store didn't even have a Bakery.
Looking across from Foods To Go. No department signage for Produce except for "Organic" which is hanging above the cases on the right side of the photo.
Gorgeous tile wall behind the meat counter. The new cases you see here are going into stores that are being remodeled. Kind of an interesting mix of fresh foods up top and packaged products below.
The freezer cases to the left line the back of the produce cases. Aisle 1 is right beyond the last freezer door...
I'm a big fan of the polished concrete floors. They look really great here. Keeps the floor nice and neutral. Notice the monitor on the wall up at the front-end. These are going into all Acmes. They scroll pictures of store employees.
A look along the back of the store. Milk cases just beyond the Meat cases.
Dairy runs along the back of the store with 1/2 of an aisle of Dairy across from Frozen Foods.
Now this is a nice sign!
Taking a page out of the Wegman's playbook with paper good being in the very last aisle.
New feature going into stores! Not sure if anyone is going to see it with such muted colors but it is very cool nonetheless.
"The House that Quality Built" wall! The black and white photos around the store are all scenes from Long Beach Island. I didn't see any pictures of old Acmes. This an alcove in the front corner with seasonal merchandise, greeting cards and magazines.
A look all the way down the front of the store with the logo wall on the right...
The skylights added great atmosphere to the store but made some of the photos a little hazy.
Back down the ramp.
The new store still needs some additional storage! Several "PODS" located around back.
If you have a chance to to get to the new Beach Haven Acme, grab it! It is worth the trip!!
Finishing up with a billboard out on route 72 announcing the new Acme . The sign cycles through several other business including ShopRite. Tough getting a full picture when the Acme board is up. Nice to see "From city to shore"!
