Step inside the old Moorestown Acme!

If there is one former Acme on this planet that I've been dying for a look inside, it's the old Morrestown store. The closing of this store back in 2006 was the moment I realized I had to do something to preserve the history of these old stores. Thanks to an article at phillyburbs.com regarding the sale of Acme, we can finally have a look inside. They include an interior picture of this store under the headline "Troubled grocery Acme sold; county has 8 supermarkets". This, obviously, isn't one of them but lucky for us we still get a look inside of this classic!

Click here for a look inside!

Ahhhh... the Checkerboard Arch Decor in all it's glory! Looking most exceptional here thanks to the high ceiling giving way to ample wall space. The store also has the package's flooring which was very unusual. Most stores that received this package kept their 80's Remodel checkerboard floor. Not sure if this store was skipped in the 80's. Some that were skipped did get upgraded to this decor. The cases here do look to be left over from the 80's Remodel. Another thing I am not sure of is the orientation of the store in this photo. I believe the customer is facing Schooley Street with front-end of the store behind him. Along that far wall, it looks as though the store had an impossibly small service Deli, if one at all. Tough to see there in the distance. In another unusual move, the store did get the custom designed aisle markers. Most stores kept the aisle markers that were put up long before the 80's Remodel. To view the original Moorestown posts, please click here. For an update on what's to finally become of this building, visit the Moorestown Patch.

Soon-to-be former Acme, Moorestown NJ

Location: 350 Young Avenue, Moorestown NJ

The Moorestown Acme opened in March 2003, replacing the "small Acme" located in the center of town. After getting off to a strong start, Wegmans opened a stones throw away in 2006 . The Acme managed to survive for five years but will now call it quits on February 26, 2011. Yet another example of Acme's inability to fend off a competitor. 

Moorestown has been previously featured on the blog with a focus on the old abandoned downtown location.

Correction 2.24.11: When I first wrote this post, I questioned the accuracy of the information I included in the original Moorestown post. Namely... how long the old Acme remained in business after this new location opened. A friendly commenter posted the correct information...

"I worked in both Moorestown stores. The small store stayed open about two years after the big one opened. It was part of a deal Acme made with the township. The big store was the biggest store in the chain and was its baby until Wegmans opened up."

Another "Anonymous" commenter really let me have it for getting the information wrong and accused me of not doing the proper research. It's always the anonymous people who do the most trashing of this blog and of Acme. As much as I strive for 100% accuracy in every post that goes up on Acme Style, there are going to be posts that have incorrect information. I always try to correct errors as quickly as possible as additional information comes in but having over 100 stores on the blog now it can be difficult keeping up with every single one of them. I know most of you are understanding of this. The rest of you can either offer friendly corrections to what is reported here or move along to another blog that meets your standards. 

Now back to the Moorestown Acme...

This post will provide an extensive tour of the interior which wasn't provided in the original post. The interior pictures are courtesy an anonymous contributor and will provide are very detailed look at the Albertsons Marketplace decor. As noted by a commenter to the original post, the new store has windows along the roof line similar to those in the old store.

This store is absolutely massive. It may very well be one Acme's largest. It does seem unnecessarily large however giving it the feeling of a huge warehouse. Perhaps a more intimate shopping experience here would have helped to counter the overblown shopping experience of Wegmans. Comments left after various articles on the closing of this store reveal that many Moorestown residents would prefer an alternative to the madness of Wegmans yet are not willing to pay the prices at Acme. Wegmans has been very successful in the past few years of changing it's perception of being a high-priced store. Something that Acme has yet to figure out how to do.

The Wild Harvest department not looking too inviting here. Acme's next round of decor, the Premium Fresh and Healthy package, maintains a similar store layout  to these early to mid 2000's stores but reinvents the merchandising throughout the store. The newer PFH store loose the warehouse feel and offers a more intimate shopping experience by reducing the general lighting of the store and focusing attention on each department's merchandise. 

The Albertsons Marketplace decor includes a big push on hair products. 

The decor dies out in aisle 17.

The vitamin department could have used a little more of a

shout-out here.

This photo taken just recently with the store having been cleared out of merchandise. 

Unbelievable crowds at both Wegmans and Target. Seems as though Acme could have easily offered a compelling reason to pass by all of this craziness. 

The "Small Acme", as it was affectionately referred to, closed the day after the new store opened. It remains abandoned to this day. The nearby Friends School purchased the property and spruced it up a bit by painting silhouettes of children on the windows. It's plans to convert the building into classroom space have apparently fallen through. Township officials would much rather see the building converted into retail space to help revitalize the downtown area. For detailed coverage of this store, please check out the original post. 

2nd Most Unique Acme Ever, Moorestown NJ

The old Moorestown Acme closed down in February 2006. A massive replacement store was built about a mile out from downtown. Prior to the new store opening, Acme said it intended to keep the old location open as well which pleased residents who were within walking distance to this store. The old location remained opened for several months but was eventually closed. In the end, claimed it did not make sense to keep both stores operating since they were located so close to each other.

Unlike the store in Haddonfield, this Acme was not retrofitted into an existing building. This store was designed and built from the ground up to be an Acme. Moorestown had strict building codes that required new buildings to have the same style as others in town. In order to accomplish this, the company hired a prominent architect from Philadelphia to design the store. I don't know if this same architect worked on the Haddonfield store as well or if the Haddonfield store served as inspiration for the Moorestown store.

The old Acme is located at 119 Chester Ave about a block off of Main Street. The building has been purchased by the Friends School whose campus is located across the street. Not sure what relation the Friends School has with the former Friends Meetinghouse in Haddonfield. The murals you see on the windows were added by the Friends School who announced renovation plans back in 2007. At that time, their intention was to persevere the structure and to not make any significant changes to the facade. So far, no work has started on the building.

Impossible to get a glimpse inside. The indoors reflect the outer doors. I am about 100% positive this store had the Checkerboard Arch decor.

One lonely cart remains. Just about the only concrete proof that this store was an Acme. Wonder what else was left behind inside the store.

I believe the checkout stands ran along this side wall.

No loading docks. Not even a double-wide door to be found on either side of the building.

The fish-eye logo sign used to be up at the top. Not sure if this store had an updated logo in it's later years. I do have a picture of this store when it was opened but unfortunately I don't have permission to post it at this time. Maybe the owner would be willing to provide an unwatermarked version and allow me to post it, credited however he wishes?

Couldn't see a clue as to what logo was underneath the paint.

No main parking lot here. Just a bunch of smalls ones located around the property. Would have been a long walk from the rear most parking lot to the front doors.

The center section looks to be a second floor were the breakrooms may have been located.

And now for the brand-new Moorestown Acme...

As new Acmes go these days... this one is quite unique too.

The windows along the top are seen from the inside of the store as well. The decor inside is Albertson's Marketplace. The store is so huge, many aisles are extremely wide.

Located at 350 Young Avenue, this Acme must have been a huge success when it first opened. Competition has since opened up nearby. Rumors are this store is not doing very well these days.

Wegmans and Target opened up just across the street. Check out those crowds. Target with their low grocery prices and Wegmans with it's extensive fresh food offerings leave shoppers with little reason to go to Acme.

Here's a very outdated aerial shoot. The new Acme is located at the orange dot but had not been built yet when this photo was taken. The Wegmans and Target would be built in the section at the bottom of the image near the ponds. More stores were built all along to lower half of the image along the main road. Today this entire area is jammed with shopping options.