Location: 601West Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA
The newest Acme on the planet finally arrives at Acme Style! I apologize for the delay of this very momentous occasion. The store opened on June 1, 2012 but I wasn't able to make the trip there until just a few weeks ago. After all the anticipation, I have to say... this new Acme did not disappoint.
The former Bryn Mawr Acme, a 1956 model which stood on this site for 55 years, was closed on May 12, 2011 to make way for its big fancy replacement. The old location was covered on the blog in May 2011 and can be visited by clicking here. Grand Opening of the new store was June 1, 2012, several month pasts it's original opening date. Construction was met with delays in Fall in 2011 due to an unusually rainy season which included Hurricane Irene. The project was delayed by years due to Acme waiting to acquire the land just next door where a Jaguar dealership stood. Once that deal went through, it was out with the old, in with the new!
Busy Saturday afternoon here. By far the busiest store I visited that day. The store was very busy on a Saturday afternoon. The new parking, much larger and easier to navigate than the old one, was 3/4 full. The entrance is straight ahead...
Below is a floor plan I put together to give you an idea of the layout before seeing the interior pictures...
This is done from memory and not 100% accurate. I seem to remember there being only one aisle that extends from front to back. I have two pictured above in an effort to make up for all 16 aisles. The new sales floor space is twice the size of the old. Click here for a look at the former store's layout. And yes, he checkout lanes are angled to save space! The only other store I've seen this done in is the Weis Markets in Clarks Summit PA.
Market Deli is immediately to the left when you walk through the entrance. It's tucked slightly in the corner. The Prepared Foods section just beyond the Deli seems to grab your attention first when you walk through the doors. Did for me anyway.
Both Deli and Prepared Foods were staffed with tons of employees in black chef coats. Extremely classy looking. Have to say I was surprised at the volume of employees behind the counters, not to mention throughout the entire store. Made for some challenging picture taking.
Impressive Salad Bar and Olives Bar located between the service departments and Produce. The layout here is tremendously better than the "Albertsons Marketplace" layout where these bars were often located up against the walls.
Stunning Produce Department. Quite large and roomy considering the overall size of the store.
Does anyone know if this latest decor package has a name? It may still be called the "Premium Fresh and Heathy" package, although that's so old at this point it may have been retired for a new and more exciting term. As I've mentioned before, this package has to be one of the least expensive to come along in years. Referring to the decor here and not the higher end cases that are being used throughout the store. Must be much less expensive than the previous decor here with all of it's highly detailed department signs and decor items mounted to the walls. Click here for a look.
Huge selection of cakes in the back corner. There's even bags of cookie dough! Really cool freezers too which are hard to see from this distance. Some of the doors around rounded outward. Not something I've seen before.
Here you can see the rounded doors with the "Ask us..." banners at the top. Wall treatments could not be simpler. Hang a couple of prints and a sign from the ceiling and call it a day. Yet they look really good. They can also be easily changed out down the line to freshen up the store. No more disasters like at the Sharon Hill store where the water department is called "Bakery". See here.
The store is pleasantly clutter-free despite it's smaller size.
"bread and rolls" run right behind the produce cases seen earlier. This section faces the back of the store.
Looking along the back of the store. Several aisles are located to the left of where I am standing.
This decor package is being rolled out in all of SuperValu's grocery store chains like Shaws and Jewel Osco. You won't find any other chains with Lancaster Brand Meats as far as I know. Surprised SuperValu hasn't stripped this name out. They've already gotten rid of everything branded "ACME" except the sign on the store. Oh, the grocery bags still say ACME but I'm sure their days are numbered too.
The "PFH" wave style category markers appear to have been retired in favor of this new oval shaped signs. The wave remains on the aisle markers with the Albertsons leaf long gone now.
Dairy runs along the back of the store and part way down aisle 16.
Grocery aisles 8-16 are very short. It's in these aisles that you realize the store is pretty small.
Wide Frozen Food aisles with no displays in the middle. Very nice.
Looking towards the front of the store. Rest Rooms and Manager's Office straight ahead.
Angled registers! Very spacious front end. Check out those register lights! (More views below) A gazillion times better than the awful generic ones that Acme started using in the late 90's and continued to use in all of it's new stores up until this one. I can't say enough bad things about them. You can see them here in the now defunct Moorestown store. This store does have video screens at each register. Another thing I cannot stand! Why do I need to have something shouting at me when I'm standing in line to pay for my groceries? Huge turn off. I avoid my local ShopRite for this very reason. Well, one of many reasons.
We're back at Produce here looking across the front end. Customer Service has a a cool, curved drop ceiling over it it.
Finally! A store with self-checkouts AND and an express lane. I love self-checkouts but hate the fact that stores let anyone use them no matter how much crap is in there cart and then have ZERO registers designated as express.
Looking out the front windows to the parking lot. The Deli and Bakery lined that wall in the old store. Now for a look outside...
Have to say, the completed building looks even better than renditions shown online prior to construction. This back section looks like a repurposed warehouse.
Windows above Frozen in aisle 16. Some of the brick looks purposely aged for a nice effect.
Fake windows along the back and the far side...
Not quite the tower that once stood here.
No aerial shots are available of the new store just yet...
Here's a look at the old store with the former Jaguar dealership next door.
bing maps reveals the new store under construction. Looks as though the store has a basement on the left side.
Back around front of this brand new beauty. Probably the last brand new Acme we'll ever see.
