Acme – University Plaza, Newark, Delaware

Photos courtesy of Jacob V

Location:1 University Drive, Newark, Delaware 

Just when I think I've seen it all, along comes the University Plaza Acme in Delaware. I believe this is a one-of-a-kind location. Originally built sometime in the late 70's/early 80's as a classic 33M store.  It was then expanded in the late 80's and given an entirely new facade which I thought had only ever been used for newly built stores.

Things get even weirder on the inside. First off, there are remnants from no less than five décor packages. Stranger yet... the store maintained its classic 33M layout after being expanded in the 80's. I don't know of any other location that could be said for.  Not sure how things played out here but my guess is the store was expanded and remodeled before new store construction really took off in the late 80's. Acme must not have fully committed to the new layout that was being used in new stores like Dover and Hockessin and decided to stick with their tried-and-true layout here. Kinda messes with my mind looking around this place because I know of no other Acme like it.

We'll be enjoying photos provided by Jacob V along with additional embedded photos from catnapped retail central.


The checkerboard floors from the 80's remodel remain in place. Some mixing of the colors which we have also seen in Cape May.


Customer Service in the front corner! Virtually in the same spot it would have been in before the late 80's expansion and remodel. Not sure why there's a black strip of tiles along the floor.


We've got some aisle Premium Fresh and Healthy aisle markers... at this side of the store. Hold tight for a mismatched batch on the other side. Odd line up of displays running along the first aisle and there's that black stipe of tile again.




The Deli and Seafood are swapped compared to the standard 33M layout. Notice the keystones left over from the 90's Red/White/Blue remodel above the Seafood sign.


The layout gets a little wonky here. A strange alcove in the Meat Department due to the expansion. Aisle 11 looks to be the start of the newer section of the store which extends further back than the original section.






These frozen food cases date all the way back to the 80's.


Aisle markers left over from the Alberstons Marketplace remodel. Premium Fresh and Healthy category markers along the top shelves.




Yet another strange twist... the Dairy has the Bakery flooring throughout rather than the light blue tiles used in all other 80's remodels.




Fresh Bakery in the front corner! Once the standard placement for the department but completely done away with once the 33M layout was retired in the mid 80's.




Qualty Built checkout lights! Just to add one more element from yet another décor package. I believe this store is officially the most hodge podged store ever seen on the blog.


The front all of windows is oped to the whole front-end.


This area serves as an enclosed vestibule at most the stores with similar facades.

AERIAL VIEWS

You can clearly see here the expansion that happened to the right side of the store. You can also see where the mansard roof was located on the original store, now disguised by the updated facade.

HISTORIC IMAGES

2007

1992

1982

1970

Thanks to Jacob and catnapped for their photos of this most unusual Acme! 

Acme – College Square, Newark, Delaware

Location: 100 College Square, Newark, DE

Today we return to Newark, Delaware to visit the former Pathmark in College Square. The photos in this post are a mix from two contributors. The embedded flickr photos are courtesy of catnapped while the rest are courtesy of Jacob V. I'll be relying on contributors to finish up coverage of both Delaware and Newark stores. And thanks to these contributors, I have photos of all the remaining stores in each state and will be getting them up on the blog in the coming weeks.


Food to Go is Fresh to Go in the College Square store. I'll tell ya what's not fresh... that pink floor.


New lighting has recently been installed above Produce.

The hanging light tubes survived the Quality Built décor swap but have since been removed. Acme does not care for any hanging lights these days. They yank them out every chance they get. I kinda like them.

BEFORE >>>

Pathmark's late 90's décor, which was still being put into stores in the early 2000's, in the "before" photo. As you know, in the 90's everybody HAD to have checkerboards on the walls. A pretty dreadful décor package with its many shades of Pepto-Bismol.

Sorry but these lights are still cool. The floor, however, has got to go!


Old lighting throughout Produce can be see here.






We haven't seen the state and city info on the walls since the early days of the Quality Built remodels! These elements, along with the logo wall, have not been included in the converted store's décor swaps.

BEFORE >>>

Wonder why Pathmark didn't remodel their Delaware stores in decades. They must have been successful to survive to the very end yet this store was passed over for the chain's last 3 remodels.


I find it strange that Acme put these signs in non-food departments.


Health Food department to the rear of Produce.

BEFORE >>>

The floor along the back turned out to be a very nice match for Acme's Quality Built décor, Not so lucky along the front-end.


New Lancaster Meat signage!

No black and white photos along the back of the store.

BEFORE >>>

BEFORE >>>

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BEFORE >>>

I'll say it again... the floor has got to go.






All new registers stands along the front. 

Classic cart!

MORE BEFORE >>>

I'll tell you what I miss about Pathmark... the selection of general merchandise. Acme has wiped it all out. These two photos show how extensive Pathmark's stationary department was. Years ago Pathmark partnered with Staples to run their stationary sections. I don't remember it lasting terribly long but Pathmark continued keep a stellar selection despite the two companies parting ways.




If there's one chain's self-checkouts I had mastered, it was Pathmark. Really miss these old things.




One more Acme to cover in the Newark area. The Acme University Drive, on the Eastern side of Newark which in not shown on the map above, will be coming to the blog soon


For additional coverage of Acme locations in Newark, Delaware, click here.