News Break: 
NEWARK SUPERFRESH
TO BECOME FOOD LION!

This location was initially on Acme's list of acquired stores. For reasons not quite confirmed, Acme wound up passing on the store at the last minute. Could they not secure a lease guarantee? This was an issue at many locations Acme was interested in buying. Some of the stores had leases that would be expiring within the next few years and Acme wasn't able to lock in pricing for renewing the leases when the time came. Another factor could have been the store's need for costly upgrades. The building was among the oldest and most outdated of all the stores Acme was interested in acquiring.

Now news have come that Food Lion will be taking over the store. No word on how much work they will be doing prior to moving in. The landlord will be spending $4.5 to upgrade the shopping center. 

To check out the article on Newark Post Online, please click here. 

TURNING BACK TIME...

The Newark Superfresh appeared on the blog in March 2016
thanks to Will aka B-More Retail on flickr

Location: 407 New London Road, Newark, Delaware

Thanks to Gary for the news on the future of the former Newark Superfresh/almost Acme Market!

ACME + Plated signs!

The photo above was taken at the Edgewater store and the one below is from Weehawken. Truth be told I didn't read the small print and just assumed the signs were announcing the arrival of Plated at Acme. After taking a closer look while preparing this post, I see that is not the case. The signs simply announce that Acme and Plated have teamed up. To what end? It's not clear. I went to the website and found no mention of Acme at all. I assume both stores will be carrying the meal-kits but can't be sure.  Guess I'm just too anxious to see how this whole thing plays out!

MEAL KITS AT WEIS MARKETS >>>

Sopped in the Hillsborough Weis recently and found this display just inside the entrance. Their very own meal-kits! Have to say the pictures on the boxes did make the meals quite tempting. I happened to grab the Fettuccini Alfredo with Kale for a closer look and was shocked at how light the box was. Dinner for two? Felt more like lunch for one. Still, it was interesting to see how one supermarket chain is jumping into the meal-kit game.

Progressive Grocer has an interesting, in-depth article on the new trend of supermarkets teaming up with meal-kit companies. You can check it out by clicking here.

Acme – 19th & Oregon Ave, Philadelphia

SELF-CHECKOUTS

ARE BACK!

Photos courtesy of newshadow119

Installation in progress last Wednesday. 

Open for customers on Friday! Looks like they're all brand-new and haven't been pulled out of storage. 

Former Grand Union – Lake Hiawatha, NJ

News Break:

Location: 435 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 

Exterior photos are courtesy of Google maps street view. Interior are courtesy of unknown at this time. I downloaded these a while back from a link that was sent in but I unfortunately deleted the email somewhere along the way. If these are your photos, please hit me up and I will credit them as you wish! A few more former Grand Unions will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

Super Foodtown has made minimal changes to the interior after Grand Union left the building. Their late 90's remodel is alive and well here. I've never been to this store so the photos below might not all be in the correct order. Unsure of what department is to the right just above. Bakery, Produce and Deli are just beyond the dramatic archway.

Unlike Grand Union's cookie-cutter 80's remodel, many elements of thethe late 90's décor packages varied from store to store.

I believe this area of the Produce Department is to the left of the Bakery but I'm not entirely sure.

The Pharmacy sign appears to have been updated since the GU days.

Frozen Food is in the last aisle just like we saw at the Waldwick Stop&Shop. Dairy is in the second to last aisle which was pretty standard for Grand Unions particularly after the 80's remodel. 

This store did not receive the ultra-deluxe/totally retro register lights that were common for this remodel. I unfortunately do not have a photo of them on the blog. 

For a look at a more deluxe Grand Union with the same décor package, jump over to the East Rutherford post and scroll down below the Acme pictures.

HISORIC AERIALS

2002

1987

1979

1970

1963

UPDATE:
FORMER ACME LOCATED
RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET!

Now I remember why I had been holding on to the Grand Union photos for so long. I was planing on getting out this way to photograph the former Acme to include in this post. Completely forgot it was there. Got an email earlier today asking me if I knew about the Acme on Beverwyck Road and then it hit me... it's right across the street! Oh well. There isn't much to see here anyway. The Acme was relatively short lived. Opened in 1963 and was gone by 1979. Certainly done in by the much larger Grand Union. For additional information on this location, click on Josh's photo above to jump over to flickr. 

1963

Just Acme in 1963.

1970

Grand Union has opened by 1970.

1979

And Acme is gone by 1979. You can see the awning for the bank's drive-up area sticking out of the left side of the building.