Acme's 120 years old!

Yesterday I went on a huge Acme road trip and discovered some interesting things along the way...

• It's Acme's 120 birthday! Stores were celebrating with cake and soda at the front end. Store signage was limited regarding the celebration. The image above is a picture of a sign outside one of the stores (hence the slightly odd angle of the logo.) I did see a chip display that had this logo printed all over it and the logo is also on the front of this week's circular. Looks like yesterday was the official kick-off of the celebration.

• 10 for $10 promotion finally over? Acme unveiled this promotion years ago. It was catchy at first but soon every other stores on the planet offered the same kind of deals. As it ran it's course elsewhere, Acme stuck with it. Never really made sense to me... you didn't need to buy 10 items to get them for $10. And there were always more items on special than just 10. Oh well... looks like they've taken a simpler approach and now just have the "$1" sale. The 10 for $10 departments appear to have been rebranded as "Great Deals!".

• Less is more? One of the most interesting things I noticed in store after store, was the mass reduction in random displays up and down the aisles and along the front ends. Was this just a coincidence or is Acme reducing the clutter? Stores seem to be more streamlined and organized. Particularly along the front end. I was in several smaller stores which are normally packed to the rafters with merchandise. That wasn't the case yesterday. Gone too was all the general merchandise that is normally stacked on top of the aisles and on top of the cases around the perimeter of the stores. I was only in about 8 stores so it's hard to declare a chain-wide trend but as Acmes go I was surprised... and impressed... to see so much open space and a seemingly new level of organization.

Soon-to-be former Acme, Fallston MD

Photo above courtesy of Michael Lisicky of Baltimore

Location: 2315 Bell Air Road, Fallston, Maryland

ABC2 News broke the story to Fallston residents
in it's January 4 newscast. 

The following exterior photos courtesy of Drew in Baltimore

The Fallston Acme comes to us through photos from several Acme Style contributors. I had hoped to eventually get to this store to experience it for myself but my hopes were dashed when the recent store closings were announced. Fortunately our contributors did an outstanding job capturing the store.

A classic "33M" format which appears to be in rather excellent condition. The red paint job is certainly an unusual treatment for an Acme. It is a huge improvement over the light green color that was used during the 90's. Interesting to note the shingles as opposed to the standard corrugated metal.

The Fallston Acme is closing largely due to the anticipation of future competition. Walmart is building a huge new store just up the street and the Acme is getting out of town before it opens. Plans have been underway since 2007 but have been delayed due to Walmart acquiring permits to build the store and to make necessary road improvements. The store was initially designed to be 147,000 square feet with room for an a possible expansion of 57,000. I can't find confirmation online as to what the final size will be. Either way... the store will be stocked full of low-priced groceries. Wegmans was also shopping for a site in Fallston but has decided to go with a site 15 minutes away in Abingdon. Construction is well underway there with a planned opening this spring.

The block letter logo sign is a very recent addition to the store. More details on that down below. 

A great exterior shot which gives us a clear look into the store. Can you name that decor? Let's head in and take a closer look...  

Produce shote courtesy of Gary of Delaware

Judging from the interior photos taken by two of our contributors, I would have to say this store is in exceptional shape. The 80's decor has been traded out for the late 90's "We gotta sell this supermarket chain" Convenience Store decor. Doesn't look too bad here. The 80's checkerboard floor is still in and place and is looking as good as I've ever seen it so many years later. 

The shot above is an excellent perspective of the Produce department of the "33M" store formats. During the 70's and 80's, these stores had an additional aisle running just under the edge of the drop ceiling. Produces cases lined the wall mirroring the cases on the left wall forming a narrow Produce aisle. Grocery shelving ran along the other side creating a true aisle 1. This aisle was removed throughout the 90's, sometimes during a remodel and sometimes not, in order to expand Produce. I would be interested to see the tile work here along the area where the aisle once stood. Did they try to recreate the checkerboard pattern where the shelving once was or just put down all white tiles? (Yep, these are the kinds of questions I need answers to.) The removal of these aisles certainly helped open up the Produce area which was often very cave-like in 70's and 80's stores. 

Interior shots courtesy of Michael Lisicky of Baltimore

You can clearly see here how well this store is maintained. Fully stocked shelves with merchandise neatly organized. And... stop the presses... no burned out lights!

Check out those aisle markers. Deluxe versions of the 90's Red/White/Blue aisle markers which I have only ever seen in Convenience Store remodels.

This is the only "Convenince Store" remodel I've seen with "Lancaster" branded Meat Department.

This store did not get the blue stripes and red blocks along the lower portions of the walls.

The Bakery Department in the front corner. Checkout stands straght ahead. (We're not following this guy... the guy you may have seen at the checkouts has a blue shirt and white shorts.)

Serious old-school clock here. These went into every Acme back in the early 80's. The old fish-eye logo still on the clock. The other section was used for advertisements that would be switched out every couple of months. I would imagine that the company who handled this no longer exists which is why the generic "Thank you for shopping with us" panel is now in the display. Oh, do I remember staring at one of these clocks just waiting for my shift to be done.

Exterior shots courtesy of Gary of Delaware

The red oval sign still on front as of October 2009, making it the last store in the chain to be upgraded to the block letter logo. The Newton and Princeton Junction stores in New Jersey both made it to 2009 with the red oval sign but closed that same year.

Other signs around the store had been changed out with the newer logo. Notice the interesting wordwork which runs throughout the shopping center.

Gary gives us a nice tour around the store...

And now back to Drew's more recent pictures where we sign the other signs having been upgraded as well. The letters have become more bold over the years.

Soon to be alot more space available in this shopping center.

Now for the aerial perspective...

The CVS is right next to the Acme. Somewhat of an odd layout for a shopping center. The stores or offices next to the CVS are tucked away from view from the parking lot.

The shopping center itself is tucked away from the main roads through the area.

Google Maps shows the Walmart under construction.

1971

HistoricAerials doesn't offer much to see for this area. The shopping center had yet to arrive as of 1971.

2005

The next available image is 2005.

The bottom half of this sign could now be replaced by "Shop at Walmart". Sad but true. Acme isn't the only chain being killed by Walmart. Won't be the last either. I've worked for two companies that have nearly been destroyed by the ruthless chain. Two reasons, among many, you'll never find me shopping in one.

Thanks to Gary, Drew and Michael for bringing us the Fallston store!

Update 1.26.11: Some additional photos have been sent in by Will which show the store winding down it's business. Closing signs are up in the windows and shelves are emptying out. We get a look at some additional departments in the store that weren't seen in earlier interior shots...

Blast from the past! Secaucus, New Jersey

Classic Acme photos courtesy of smiley1999

Location: 1300 Paterson Plank Road, Secaucus NJ

The picture above dates back to the late 50's/early 60's. The photo was sent in by smiley1999 along with some other classic photos which will be featured in future posts. The Secaucus store was covered on the blog back in October 2009 in an extensive 3 part series chronically it's demise. A recap of the Secaucus saga can be found at the bottom of this post. Directly below is a picture from the original post which was taken in the store's final days in 2004. 

Although the store appears to have been enlarged over the years (looks wider in the 2004 shot than in the old black and white shot), I am quite certain it was not. The awning that was added since it's early days gives the illusion that the store had been expanded. The Acme building and it's relation to neighboring stores can be seen more clearly in the satellite images below.

The image above are the stores to the right of the Acme. You can see a portion of the strip in the photo below as well circa 2004. 

The Secaucus Acme is currently a CVS as shown above. A very nice farner's market has moved into the store to the left satisfying some of the grocery services that left this part of town when the Acme closed.

Now for a quick recap of the Secaucus Acme's demise... this was one of those rare occasions where the Acme wasn't interested in giving up. In fact, in the early 2000's Acme wanted to expanded and extensively remodel the Secaucus location which had been virtually untouched since it's 80's remodel. At that time it's only competition was a Stop and Shop (formally Edwards) across Route 3. The Walmart and Sam's Club had yet to come to town. 

Acme submitted plans to the landlord which included an expansion into the neighboring stores. The landlord balked at Acme's plans and their intention of evicting other tenants. Acme followed up by submitting new plans which called for the renovations of their current building only. The landlord refused to consider the new plans and informed Acme that their lease would not be renewed.

Quite an unfortunate end to what could have been the beginning of a very successful chapter in the story of the Secaucus Acme. In the years since the Acme left, many other tenants have left as well, at some points leaving nearly half the center unoccupied. A reshuffling of tenants to make room for the Acme expansion would not have been impossible. It also would have been an opportunity for the landlord to fix up the shopping center which to this day is still in sad shape. The Stop and Shop has since closed as well, apparently unwilling to compete with Walmart. The Acme would have been the one supermarket that the town of Secaucus could access without going out on to Route 3.

Soon-to-be former Acme, Cinnaminson NJ

Location: 1105 Route 130 North, Cinnaminson, NJ

Not your typical looking grocery store. This is Acme's third hugely successful location in Cinnamison since the 50's. (Not sure if there were others predating the 50's era store.) Acme set up shop here in the late 90's, retrofitting an abandoned mall into a most unique supermarket. The arrival of a brand new ShopRite two years ago proved to be a devastating blow as Acme has seen a majority of it's business disappear. Ironically, ShopRite built it's new store in the same shopping center where the two previous Acmes were located just two miles away.

The Cinnaminson store is one of the locations that sparked my interest in starting a historical Acme website many years ago. When searching the web back in the early 2000's for old Acme pictures and information (very little to be found in those days), the story of the Cinnaminson Mall... Acme's former home... came up quite often. It was difficult piecing together the information on what stores existed there and where exactly the Acme had relocated to. This, of course, was long before satellite images were available which would have instantly cleared up much of the confusion. Eventually I found photos of the old mall and news of it's planned redevelopment. Pictures of the Acme were still few and far between... until now. After years of trying to visualize this store and the evolution of the Cinnaminson Acme, I was able to finally pay it a visit back in June.

Acme left it's former home in the Cinnaminson Mall (now called "The Shoppes of Cinnaminson") and moved to what I believe was called the "Clover Mall". The Clover Department Store located there closed in the mid 90's and was replaced by Ames which abandoned the location a few years later when the chain went under. VF Outlet then opened in the building but has since closed as well leaving the Acme as the only major tennet. Plans underway to redevelop the shopping center although I was not able to find any specifics other than a Sonic being built in a portion of the parking lot. 

Back in the mid to late 90's, Acme moved into the portion of the property that was origianlly an enclosed mall next to Clover. You can see the mall-like set up in the photo above. The doors to the rear were an entrance to the mall and now lead to the Acme. Other store fronts, many of which are abandoned, can be seen on either side of the main entrance as well as inside the entrance. 

Cart corral prior to entering the Acme.

And in we go! 

Looking out into the store from Produce. When touring the store, you can instantly see many leftovers from the original 90's Red/White/Blue decor package. Overall, very little decor was put into the store in favor of allowing the architecture to create the store's atmosphere. The 90's department signs have since been replaced with the "Albertsons Marketplace" signage. The hanging lights in Produce and over the checkouts have had they're red/white/blue theme painted over in beige.

The picture above as well as many of the interior shots below were sent in by an Acme Style fan. I had a tough time getting interior shots as employees far outnumbered shoppers the Saturday morning of my visit. I abandoned my mission when a Meat Department employee saw me taking pictures.

Check out the 90's clock and floor tile. The wood paneled walls are quite beautifull and reminded me of Grand Union's 80's remodel. The most striking aspect of this store is the exposed wood beam ceiling and the windows along the raised section of the roof (referred to as clerestory) which allows natural light to flood the interior of the store.

Looking out from the Bakery...

The "a la carte station" was added in as an upgrade to help compete with ShopRite. It has since closed with it's prep areas disassembled.

Small seating area here which is not as common in Acmes as in other chains like Giant and Wegmans.

Looking down the center aisle that splits all the grocery aisles. Still a common feature in large Acmes but rarely seen in other chains.

Seafood and Deli line the rear of the store.

"Premium Fresh and Healthy" aisle markers and category signs have been added. 

Perhaps someone familiar with this location prior to it's Acme days can explain how the mall was set up. I would guess that the stores lined the permitter of the building with the center area below the clerestory section serving as a courtyard. You can see from the old satellite photos down below that there was parking and an entrance at the rear of the building. There is also another raised section with additional skylights in the back corner of the building.

The natural light in the building is definitely a nice change from fluorescent flooded stores.

Front end with the Pharmacy over to the right. 90's box lights still in place above the checkouts. Yep, hardly a soul here on a Saturday morning. I wound up leaving with a basket full of sale items which I was not expecting to find.

The Pharmacy side entrance and exit with an interesting water fountain in the corner...

Front window where employees look to have gotten a bit creative with the C and E. These windows do not look into the store and are remnants of the origianal mall stores.

Not sure how much work Acme put into the exterior, although the two arched areas were probably added on as they were common features in mid-90's styled Acmes.

Here you can see the clerestory that rises above the store. Skylights back in the right-hand corner appear to have been covered over. This is not the first mall that Acme has taken over, although it's certainly the most unique. Acme has also taken over a couple of former department stores.

Former mall parking to the rear now goes unused. The Acme does not have a rear entrance.

2007

As I mentioned in a recent "News Break", HistoricAerials.com has revamped it's service. Clickable thumbnail images are no longer available to be embedded in websites. Beginning with this post, I have switched to posting plain old screen grabs from the site which include watermarks. Regardless, these images still provide a wealth of information regarding the evolution of Acme locations.

2002

Acme's parking lot filled to near capacity in the early 2000's.

1995

Back when the Clover Mall was still a mall.

ShopRite opened in January 2009. Below is an image from Google Maps showing the completed shopping center.

For a more detailed view of the new shopping center,

visit The Shoppes of Cinnaminson.

 Bing Maps still shows the shopping under constrcuction.

 2007

2006

The 70's era Acme is still standing here to the to far left.
The 50's era store is in front.

  

2002

1995

©Tom Asher

The old Cinnaminson Acme! This image comes from tomasher.net. My request for permission to post images from this site have gone unanswered. The site hasn't been updated since 2003 so it may be as dead as the malls that are pictured on it. Check it out for yourself... there are fascinating pictures of  Caldor and the old Cinemas once located at the Cinnaminson Mall . 

1970

 As of 1970, the Acme stands alone.

1967

1963

1957

 No Acme in 1957... and once again, no Acme as of March 2011.