Self-checkouts to the rescue in Fort Lee!

Location: Location: 2160 Lemoine Ave, Fort Lee, NJ  

What a beautiful sight! 5 brand-new self-checkouts in the exact spot where A&P had theirs. This area has been completely dead space since Acme took over.  Despite having a beautiful Quality Built décor update, Fort Lee did not receive a new Customer Service/express register desk which would have made perfect sense in this area. And check this out... they even have an express register open beside all the self-checkouts! More often than not, this store has zero express registers open.

The self-checkouts could not have come sooner. Fort Lee has been getting hammered on yelp for its lack of open registers. Same complaints that we've been seeing at so many other stores... only 2 to 3 registers open, long lines, employees standing around doing absolutely nothing. It's been the Acme way for two years now. This past Saturday, Fort Lee had NINE registers open and ready for customers. Hopefully this store can win back disgruntles shoppers!

For a full tour of the Fort Lee store, please click here.

This Just In >>>

QUALITY BUILT IN FORT LEE! 

Location: 2160 Lemoine Ave, Fort Lee, NJ  

Stopped in here a few days ago to grab a couple of items and was surprised to see the Quality décor package! The store looks beautiful. The dingy feeling that was still hanging around a bit from the A&P is completely gone. Like Edgewater, this was mostly just a décor swap. No new cases, no new configurations of departments and no new flooring, which the store COULD really use. New shelving is going into the grocery aisles and a full reset does appear to be underway.

These pictures were taken quickly as I ran through the store. I'll get back for some better coverage once the store is completed. 

Fort Lee must sell a ton of fresh flowers. Every single time I've been in this store since last October there has been a floral delivery waiting to be unpacked. When I first photographed the store back in January, I completely skipped Floral because a huge delivery had just arrived and the whole department was a mess.







One note about Produce, which I didn't bother to take a picture of since nothing has changed... Acme is not putting Produce signage in the A&P and Pathmark stores were the produce aisle runs along the first grocery aisle. I thought they would create a hanging version of the "So and So's Freshest Produce Market" but I haven't seen such a sign in any updated store. A sign like they have at the Devon store would be even better for these converted stores. Take a look by clicking here.




Surprised to see the A&P''s spot lights still remaining around the store.






I had wondered too if Acme would do away with the lighting directly above the aisles and install new lighting along the ceiling. No signs of them doing that. There are areas of the store that still feel a little dark.






The Dairy department looks particularly good! A&P's old flooring works well here too.




Health and Beauty was completely being reset when I was here.

The front-end has yet to get some much needed upgrades. Nothing has been done to the Customer Service desk and the store's original registers still remain.




The store has a terrible express lane situation. As you can see here, no express lanes were even open. I really hope new registers are coming yet.


More shelving being delivered outstide!

Acme – Fort Lee, New Jersey

Location: 2160 Lemoine Ave, Fort Lee, NJ

Opening date: October 14, 2015

Today we return to the Fort Lee A&P fresh which was covered prior to its conversion in last September's Future Acme Markets post. It's the last store in the area to be revisited from that post. It it also one of the stores that Acme has done the least to which was a little disappointing to see. Perhaps a more extensive remodel is in the works. While this store is in pretty decent shape, if you look closely you do start to see how rough things are around the edges.


A 'before" shot when it was still an A&P fresh. Acme painted the area under the arches when the new signs went up. The sections are slightly darker brown the rest of the awning. Starbucks remains but the liquor department has been removed.


I've only been to this store a handful of times in the past ten years or so. It was definitely busier on this visit that I remember seeing in the past. A ton of employees working throughout the store with a little too much restocking going on for a busy Saturday morning. The Floral Department was completely unaccessible due to a huge delivery that had just arrived.






Open 24/7 thanks to this Premium Fresh and Health Version 3 sign.


Acme worked their streamlining magic in Produce. All of A&P's clutter is gone. You can see a "before" picture below from a nearby spot...




A nice open aisle between Produce and the service departments along the right wall.


"Starbuc" still burned out.


Probably the nicest salad bar I have ever seen in a standard supermarket. Some of the mixed salads were as nice as the offerings at Whole Foods.


An extensive selection of grab and go foods.


The Boar's Head display remains here. Jersey City had theirs removed years ago.




Unfortunately Acme got stuck with La Brea breads. I don't understand it. These breads are already available at all of Acme's competitors in the area including ShopRite, Stop and Shop and Kings. They also don't gel with Acme's "We Love Local" as the bread company is based in California. I've said it before and I'll say it again... the worst thing to happen with Acme and SuperValu parting ways is the loss of the fresh baked Culinary Circle and Wild Harvest breads. Some of the best breads to be found in a supermarket. Fortunately that's the only bad thing to have happened. And on a positive note, Acme is doing a much better job keeping these breads stocked and available at their stores than ShopRite has ever been able to do.


The liquor signage is still up but there isn't a drop to drink around these parts.


Most of the former liquor dept has been turned over to health foods. The beer cases have been packed with an enormous amount of San Pellegrino...


This certainly can't stay like this forever.


A look at this aisle during the A&P days.




No new lighting needed in this area of the store.




About 2/3 of the store still has the original flooring which is showing its age in many areas. The rest was replaced during the "fresh" remodel.






"NEW Lower Prices" signage still going strong.








The spot lights in Health and Beauty survived!


How about this for ceiling design? It's tucked so far back the corner it's hardly noticeable from other parts of the store.


Looks like this may be the sign for the front-end that either fell off or never made it up to it's spot. Seems like a pretty random area to stick it.






Former home to the self-checkouts. This is the first converted store I've been to where no new registers have been added.


Also the first converted store I've seen without updated express register signage.

AERIAL VIEWS

The Fort Lee Acme a stone's throw from the George Washington Bridge.

HISTORIC IMAGES

2006

2002

1995

The new A&P hadn't been built by 1995. The original A&P is on the left side of the image. It has since been torn down. A clearer image from 1987 is below...

1987