Acme

[videogamer75]

Yes that would be me, thanks. :) There is only one inside pic, and you cant see the murals in it. Search up EHC Acme, thats the pic's title.

Clayton, NJ's Acme is still open as of July 22, 2008, that's when I visited the store and took pictures. It's a cool store, though i've never been inside of it. It is very close to a much larger Acme with a Sav-on in Glassboro, which is maybe 10-15 minutes up the road.

[Mobil]

Originally posted by acme style

Originally posted by videogamer75
Here is the 1960's style Acme in Clayton, NJ!

Is this Acme still open? Didn't think any of these pitched roof style Acmes were still open. Certainly have never seen one with the current logo on it. I looked this up on Google earth. This store sits on a large piece of land with no other buildings. The parking lot is quite big for a store of this size. Surprised Acme has kept this location open without expanding it. Wonder what it looks like inside. I have never been in a pitched roof style Acme that had any upgrades or remodels done since the 70's. Every one that I was ever in was a dump and is long gone now.

The one in Salisbury, MD is still open with the current logo.

[acme style]

SuperValu announces the closing of 4 Acme Markets. From Philly.com:


"Acme markets will close three area supermarkets following  news that its parent company, Supervalu Inc., lost nearly $3 billion during the last quarter.

Stores in Ambler, West Chester, and Collegeville will be shut down during the next two months, according to a report  on KYW Newsradio. A fourth store in Newton, NJ, will also be shuttered.

A company spokeswoman did not offer details about how many employees would be affected.

Acme's market share in the eight-county Philadelphia region is 14.48 percent; the chain has 130 supermarkets in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania"

I was just out at the Newton store over the holidays. This store received a full remodel and slight expansion in the mid 80's which proved unsuccessful in significantly increasing sales. The store has been falling apart ever since. I was pretty shocked at the conditions when I was there month ago. I figured it would be either closing soon or receiving a remodel because it clearly could not continue on in the state it was in. The interesting thing about this location is that it's right in the middle of a residential neighborhood... like Acmes used to be in the 50's and 60's. Still has a metal beam tower with the Acme sign on top (not as big as Acmes had been know for though).

Road trip! I am going to go back out there to get pictures of it before it closes. I'll try to get some interior ones too. This store has the classic Acme layout of the 70's, checkerboard tile floor and the newer blue and beige "convenience store" wall decor. Even has a bakery were the customer service/office used to be.

Is anyone near these other stores that are closing? Can you get pics before they close?

[acme style]

Oh... forgot to mention...

This philly.com article states that Acme's market share as at 14.48 percent in the Philly region. Not too long ago it was much higher, somewhere in the 24-26 percent. I remember reading an article that said Acme had one of the highest regional market shares in the country.  I think it started it's downfall after Albertsons took over.

[videogamer75]

That sounds like an amazing store! I'd love to see pics of it!

[Mobil]

Originally posted by acme style
SuperValu announces the closing of 4 Acme Markets. From Philly.com:


"Acme markets will close three area supermarkets following  news that its parent company, Supervalu Inc., lost nearly $3 billion during the last quarter.

Stores in Ambler, West Chester, and Collegeville will be shut down during the next two months, according to a report  on KYW Newsradio. A fourth store in Newton, NJ, will also be shuttered.

A company spokeswoman did not offer details about how many employees would be affected.

Acme's market share in the eight-county Philadelphia region is 14.48 percent; the chain has 130 supermarkets in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania"

I was just out at the Newton store over the holidays. This store received a full remodel and slight expansion in the mid 80's which proved unsuccessful in significantly increasing sales. The store has been falling apart ever since. I was pretty shocked at the conditions when I was there month ago. I figured it would be either closing soon or receiving a remodel because it clearly could not continue on in the state it was in. The interesting thing about this location is that it's right in the middle of a residential neighborhood... like Acmes used to be in the 50's and 60's. Still has a metal beam tower with the Acme sign on top (not as big as Acmes had been know for though).

Road trip! I am going to go back out there to get pictures of it before it closes. I'll try to get some interior ones too. This store has the classic Acme layout of the 70's, checkerboard tile floor and the newer blue and beige "convenience store" wall decor. Even has a bakery were the customer service/office used to be.

Is anyone near these other stores that are closing? Can you get pics before they close?

The one in Ambler, which I think is an early 50's design. The closing of the West Chester store comes as a shock to me, but there are three in West Chester. One of them is in a plaza with a newly-remodeled Kmart.

[acme style]

Thanks Mobile for posting the Ambler pic. That is definitely a 50's store. It's amazing that the front windows are still intact all these years later. This store would have been remodeled in the 70's and would have had several windows on the right side paneled over to allow for a larger Produce dept. (if the layout was consistent with most 50's stores.) It's surprising that a store this small has made it this long. Must have received some kind of remodel since '99 since it has the new logo.

[videogamer75]

It looks like most of the closing stores are going to be the classic ones. Well, at least Clayton, NJ is going to stay open.

[Mobil]

Originally posted by acme style
Thanks Mobile for posting the Ambler pic. That is definitely a 50's store. It's amazing that the front windows are still intact all these years later. This store would have been remodeled in the 70's and would have had several windows on the right side paneled over to allow for a larger Produce dept. (if the layout was consistent with most 50's stores.) It's surprising that a store this small has made it this long. Must have received some kind of remodel since '99 since it has the new logo.

Would this style store have had the tower, or would it have looked like the one in Egg Harbor? I am not quite sure. By the way, my name is MOBIL, not MOBILE.

This Acme in Aston, PA closed August 4, 2005 and has a similar design.

[Mobil]

This Acme is in Sharon Hill, PA and appears to have a classic tower. These stores appear to have all been modified somewhat in the 60's.

[store215]

Originally posted by acme style
Oh... forgot to mention...

This philly.com article states that Acme's market share as at 14.48 percent in the Philly region. Not too long ago it was much higher, somewhere in the 24-26 percent. I remember reading an article that said Acme had one of the highest regional market shares in the country.  I think it started it's downfall after Albertsons took over.

I told ya Acme isn't doing so well. Note that West Chester has a Wegmans and Collegeville is also getting a Wegmans later this year. Acme cannot compete. Ambler is a lower-middle class area, which actually has another Acme store, and a Genuardi's,  so no real surprise. It also has awful reviews--it seems the store wasn't well stocked or maintained. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=grocery+ambler,+pa&jsv=141e&sll=40.176512,-75.212402&sspn=0.123028,0.30899&ie=UTF8&latlng=40157203,-75217208,6342023780619150824&ei=hmtuSbGoFIz0NajuhbkH&cd=1&dtab=2&pcsi=6342023780619150824,1
I think the last time Acme closed a store was back in 2007 or early 2008 when they closed their Quakertown location (their most Northern store in PA anyway). They had 2 Giants to compete with (and a Redner's).

[standa]

I wonder if ACME will merge with Shaw's, like Stop & Shop did with Giant MD. (keeping their separate names, but having same logos and headquarters)

[videogamer75]

Originally posted by MBZ321

Originally posted by acme style
 

I told ya Acme isn't doing so well. Note that West Chester has a Wegmans and Collegeville is also getting a Wegmans later this year. Acme cannot compete. Ambler is a lower-middle class area, which actually has another Acme store, and a Genuardi's,  so no real surprise. It also has awful reviews--it seems the store wasn't well stocked or maintained. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=grocery+ambler,+pa&jsv=141e&sll=40.176512,-75.212402&sspn=0.123028,0.30899&ie=UTF8&latlng=40157203,-75217208,6342023780619150824&ei=hmtuSbGoFIz0NajuhbkH&cd=1&dtab=2&pcsi=6342023780619150824,1
I think the last time Acme closed a store was back in 2007 or early 2008 when they closed their Quakertown location (their most Northern store in PA anyway). They had 2 Giants to compete with (and a Redner's).

The Acmes near me seem to do a good business. They closed most of the older stores in favor of big new Acme Sav-ons. I think with Supervalu backing it, Acme will be OK for at least a couple more years. I hope they can beat Giant and Shop-Rite

[Mobil]

Originally posted by MBZ321

Originally posted by acme style
Oh... forgot to mention...

This philly.com article states that Acme's market share as at 14.48 percent in the Philly region. Not too long ago it was much higher, somewhere in the 24-26 percent. I remember reading an article that said Acme had one of the highest regional market shares in the country.  I think it started it's downfall after Albertsons took over.

I told ya Acme isn't doing so well. Note that West Chester has a Wegmans and Collegeville is also getting a Wegmans later this year. Acme cannot compete. Ambler is a lower-middle class area, which actually has another Acme store, and a Genuardi's,  so no real surprise. It also has awful reviews--it seems the store wasn't well stocked or maintained. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=grocery+ambler,+pa&jsv=141e&sll=40.176512,-75.212402&sspn=0.123028,0.30899&ie=UTF8&latlng=40157203,-75217208,6342023780619150824&ei=hmtuSbGoFIz0NajuhbkH&cd=1&dtab=2&pcsi=6342023780619150824,1
I think the last time Acme closed a store was back in 2007 or early 2008 when they closed their Quakertown location (their most Northern store in PA anyway). They had 2 Giants to compete with (and a Redner's).

Where is this other one in Ambler? Storehistoryguy is from Ambler.

The Acme in Kennett Square recently closed as well. They had a Giant right nearby to compete with, as well as Genuardi's and SuperFresh. There was also an A&P in Kennett Square that I think was demolished recently.

[acme style]

Originally posted by Mobil
This Acme is in Sharon Hill, PA and appears to have a classic tower. These stores appear to have all been modified somewhat in the 60's.

Sorry Mobil about getting your name wrong.

I would say that this store did not have a tower and probably looked just like the Acme in Egg Harbor... although it would have started out with the script logo letters across the awning. I have seen alot of pictures of Acmes online with towers but have never seen one in person... and I've been to a ton of 50's and 60's styled Acmes.

[store215]

Originally posted by Mobil


Where is this other one in Ambler? Storehistoryguy is from Ambler.
 

My mistake...Google had the incorrect town listed. They had a store listed in Ambler but it's actually 6 miles away in Lansdale.

[acme style]

Correction...

I mentioned in an early post that the Newton NJ Acme has a tower. This is not true... I realized that the towers you guys refer to are not that kind of towers I was thinking of. The Newton Acme has large metal structure with a big Acme sign on top, similar to the one at the Egg Harbor store but not as large. It does not have a tower rising above the store building. Like I also said earlier, I have never seen one of these towers in person, only in pictures on the web. I think that by the time Acme started it's rapid expansion in NJ and PA in the 60's as stand-alone supermarkets the store based towers gave way to the steel towers in the parking lots.

Will post pics of the Newton Acme on Saturday. It still has the red oval logo (in horrible condition), possibly the last store to still have that version, as far as I know. They did paint the awning that awful green color that can be seen in the Ambler store pic posted earlier.

[videogamer75]

Maybe in a month or so, I'll go visit the Acme in Clayton and take better pics.

[Mobil]

There are actually quite a few classic Acmes that still exist. I can name at least 7 with the peaked roof. They all have been modified in some way though.

[videogamer75]

Yeah but Clayton is the one closest to where I live, and it's not modified at all besides the old logo being replaced with the current one.

[acme style]

As promised... pics of the Newton Acme which is scheduled to close on Feb 24th. There were no signs informing customers of the closure. I was at this store at 4:00 on Saturday and was surprised to see how busy it was. I think the problem here is that customers just run in for a couple of items. I didn't see anyone with a cart full of groceries. Surprisingly too the store was in much better shape than the last month. Fully stocked and very clean... well as clean as it could be being so old. Another issue with stores this size is that they don't have room to carry high margin prepared foods. The bakery offered very few "in-store" baked items and the deli is strictly cold cuts with just a couple of salads. The meat department was almost entirely pre-packed meats. The store has only 8 aisles but they are the longest I have seen in an Acme this size. Only 4 registers at the front of the store with one being at the customer service counter. I have some interior shots too and will post them later.

[videogamer75]

That store looks like it started out as one of the 50's stores like Egg Harbor, but they remodeled it to add that green part with the Acme logo. The windows and the door being on the corner definitely support that claim.

Can't wait to see the interior pics!!!! :)

[Mobil]

Originally posted by videogamer75
That store looks like it started out as one of the 50's stores like Egg Harbor, but they remodeled it to add that green part with the Acme logo. The windows and the door being on the corner definitely support that claim.

Can't wait to see the interior pics!!!! :)

The green part means it was once Acme Super Saver.

[videogamer75]

But it has the style of a 50's Acme, so it must have started as a regular Acme, then Super Saver, then regular Acme again.

[Mobil]

Originally posted by videogamer75
But it has the style of a 50's Acme, so it must have started as a regular Acme, then Super Saver, then regular Acme again.

In the 50's, Acme stores were officially labeled "Acme Markets" or "Acme Super Markets". Many Acmes in the late 60's and 70's were Super Saver, including ones that were converted.

[acme style]

I lived near this Acme during the 60's -90's. It never had the Super Saver logo. Started with the steel script logo. Then in the 70's the green portion was added (but it was originally dark gray) and it had the "fish-eye" logo. In about '88 it was remodeled and the sign switched to the red oval. The awning was painted green in the early 2000's. Albertsons did this to alot of Acme's and updated the sign to the new block letter logo. This store never got that signage. The Acme in neighboring Sparta township was never painted green and closed in the early 2000's with the fish-eye logo still in excellent condition.

[videogamer75]

The Acme in Berlin, NJ, where my mom used to work when I was a kid, started out as a Super Saver in the 1970's and became a regular Acme in the 80's. The front was brown and never got painted green, and the Acme logo was the oval logo all the way till the store closed in the early 2000's.

[MikeRa]

Originally posted by videogamer75
The Acme in Berlin, NJ, where my mom used to work when I was a kid, started out as a Super Saver in the 1970's and became a regular Acme in the 80's. The front was brown and never got painted green, and the Acme logo was the oval logo all the way till the store closed in 2002.  

The same is true for the Acme Sav-on at Home Depot Plaza 9woodhaven Mall) in Bensalem, PA.  This particular Acme opened in 1973 as Acme Super Saver, then became a regular Acme in the 1980's, and a Acme Sav-on in the 00's.

[Mobil]

There is a former Acme/American Store in Chester, PA. In downtown Springfield, PA there is a sports medicine office that looks like a former A&P Economy Store.

[nims57]

Not only do they have a new slogan, but Acme has been replacing the existing Acme Sav-on signs with white signs that make the word "pharmacy" more apparent. This just happened to the newer Acme near me which relocated from an old one in 1999. Not a focused strategy at all.