Search found 196 matches

by BillyGr
07 Jul 2020 23:16
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: UPC codes & grocery scanning
Replies: 100
Views: 95320

Re: UPC codes & grocery scanning

Aware/4680 (AW Computer Services like you mentioned) was also capable of running Datachecker terminals on IBM 4680 OS. Safeway did this for their Datachecker terminals from the early 1980s, and I'm pretty sure Price Chopper in New York State did the for their DTS 500 and DTS 2500 terminals. Aware/4...
by BillyGr
07 Jun 2020 14:17
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Kmart checkouts over the years
Replies: 26
Views: 12443

Re: Kmart checkouts over the years

I always wondered if the odd variety of hardwares was due to the various businesses they had owned previously. I remember for instance Office Max used Fujistu, Borders used NCR, Waldenbooks used IBM. Probably just a coincidence. Actually, given the way they did(n't) update most of their own stores ...
by BillyGr
05 Apr 2020 13:04
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Short-lived grocery stores
Replies: 14
Views: 2576

Re: Short-lived grocery stores

Thorofare came to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area in the early 80s. They lasted a year or so. Interesting side note: over a decade later, a bought a box of Thorofare tall kitchen trash bags at Big Lots in Cincinnati. I wonder how long they had been sitting in a warehouse before Big Lots got t...
by BillyGr
13 Feb 2020 18:04
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Short-lived grocery stores
Replies: 14
Views: 2576

Re: Short-lived grocery stores

We had (in the Albany, NY area) the very last Grand Union opened and (as far as I know) the only one of it's type ever completed (there was at least one other near Marist College in the Poughkeepsie area that was being built but never opened). The one that did open had about 6 months from Grand Ope...
by BillyGr
13 Feb 2020 12:51
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Short-lived grocery stores
Replies: 14
Views: 2576

Re: Short-lived grocery stores

What's more interesting is new-build grocery stores that were opened and then closed just as quickly, like the ACME in Freehold, NJ , then either seen sporadic use as a grocery store, if ever again. And the Top Tomato mentioned in that Acme Style post is apparently also gone after a not too long ti...
by BillyGr
12 Feb 2020 17:59
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Short-lived grocery stores
Replies: 14
Views: 2576

Re: Short-lived grocery stores

We had (in the Albany, NY area) the very last Grand Union opened and (as far as I know) the only one of it's type ever completed (there was at least one other near Marist College in the Poughkeepsie area that was being built but never opened). The one that did open had about 6 months from Grand Open...
by BillyGr
21 Nov 2019 20:46
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Safeway Grand Opening-Photo-Unknown Date & Location
Replies: 11
Views: 8084

Re: Safeway Grand Opening-Photo-Unknown Date & Location

Nice find. I have to wonder though why so many furniture stores feel the need to remove so many fluorescent tubes. It's the little things like that which makes stores look more tired than they really are. Good question, although it didn't look that dark without them - maybe they just don't need as ...
by BillyGr
21 Nov 2019 20:40
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Old-School Supermarket Meat Departments
Replies: 3
Views: 3812

Re: Old-School Supermarket Meat Departments

Another factor is that meat departments have to maintain a cooler temperature and have refrigeration equipment running constantly. There is probably some cost savings with a solid insulated wall versus windows which do not insulate as well. I am not sure if this is a significant difference. Visible...
by BillyGr
20 Aug 2019 16:50
Forum: History: USA Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations
Replies: 19
Views: 19265

Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

I imagine that this older Superstore at Raleigh Mall (that opened in July 1974, by the way) closed when the ex-Food 4 Less Kroger opened: After all, the two sites are less than a mile apart! Yet, both addresses are listed as Kroger in 2000...most likely a directory publisher's oversight. Might it n...
by BillyGr
05 Aug 2019 20:40
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Mystery Store - 15031 Middlebelt Road, Romulus, MI
Replies: 4
Views: 3069

Re: Mystery Store - 15031 Middlebelt Road, Romulus, MI

Although it's always hard to rule out something unusual having happened in this particular area. The reasoning being due to a small town in this area, in which Grand Union built a new store in the 1990's (about 1994) that was under 25,000 Sq. Ft. in size (was even less in the original plan, then the...
by BillyGr
08 Jul 2019 19:08
Forum: History: Canada
Topic: St. Thomas, ON chain grocery/supermarket history, 1925-2019
Replies: 5
Views: 5754

Re: St. Thomas, ON chain grocery/supermarket history, 1925-2019

Looks similar to A&P's Futurestore design. The Loblaws prototype has less glass and a much bigger footprint, but yeah, there are some similarities. I did notice that it didn't have the glass in the front (but wasn't certain if that was original or had been removed at some point). Didn't notice ...
by BillyGr
08 Jul 2019 16:04
Forum: History: Canada
Topic: St. Thomas, ON chain grocery/supermarket history, 1925-2019
Replies: 5
Views: 5754

Re: St. Thomas, ON chain grocery/supermarket history, 1925-2019

Andrew T. wrote: 07 Jul 2019 10:47 Like a store in London that dated to the same era, the 1980s Loblaws Superstore at 295 Wellington Street had a slanted front. The building has been reoccupied by Home Hardware/Home Furniture, but the unusual facade is still intact:
Looks similar to A&P's Futurestore design.
by BillyGr
01 Jan 2019 13:15
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969
Replies: 8
Views: 8356

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

And also (both from the book, and as Steve mentioned above) the first was with Publix in Florida. They had been working with another chain and that group sold out to a larger company that the Publix management didn't like. Therefore, they got in touch with Eckerd to offer him 5 locations (and as he ...
by BillyGr
23 Dec 2018 14:16
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969
Replies: 8
Views: 8356

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

It appears to be a separate company from what we normally think of as Eckerd Drugstores) run by Jack. In the Eckerd book (not sure if you have the same one), page 52 says "I travelled to California for a second time, to gather more information, >>again taking with me Ed O'Herron, my nephew who ...
by BillyGr
06 Nov 2018 14:50
Forum: History: USA Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Replies: 10
Views: 17059

Re: Fredericksburg, Virginia

At least in DC proper, some 40s stores made it into the 80s. They seem to have had waves of store closings in the mid-80s and early 90s. I saw the 90s closings--marinas and pylons. Some of the 80s closures were identified as such and were being considered for redevelopment--two were near stops soon...