More central PA Acme stores?

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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catnapped
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More central PA Acme stores?

Post by catnapped »

Doing some mindless searches through Google's news archives last night I found that they archived quite a few newspaper supermarket advertisements Anyway, I came across a 1978 ad for Acme which noted a bunch of central PA locations ((http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l5 ... 29,4228496))

Stores in the ad were:
Elizabethtown, York, Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Middletown, Red Lion, Columbia, Gettysburg, Hershey, Carlisle, Chambersburg, Waynesboro, and Hanover.

Now I think it's been detailed what might've been the locations around the PA/MD line, but anyone have an idea where the rest were located?
Last edited by catnapped on 02 Jun 2010 06:46, edited 1 time in total.
rich
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Re: Most central PA Acme stores?

Post by rich »

Search around. There are several posts here dealing with parts of Central PA. Acme had a distribution center in Johnstown that would have services areas too far from Philly or DC/Baltimore, as well as Pittsy and places like Washington, PA. They had stores in small places like Meyersdale, PA in the early 70s. It's likely that they had stores in Somerset, Donegal, Altoona, State College, etc.
Ephrata1966
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Re: Most central PA Acme stores?

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Here are some locations I know of:

1. Wellsboro (standard 70's Acme, built 1974, not sure when closed, now Bi-Lo)

2. Ephrata (peaked-roof store, not sure when closed, became Weis, demolished for new Weis)

3. Lancaster (peaked-roof store, closed circa 1984, now CVS)

4. Lancaster (peaked-roof store, closed circa 1984, now Guitar Center. Weis now anchors the plaza)

5. Chambersburg (peaked-roof store, not sure when closed, now disguised as Gold's Gym?)

6. Chambersburg (peaked-roof store, not sure when closed, now "Rugged Warehouse" clothing store. TINY!)

Does Northeastern PA count?
neil mcauliffe
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by neil mcauliffe »

In Harrisburg there was an Acme on Union Deposit Road in the Point Shopping Center (formerly Union Deposit Mall). When Acme moved out it Became a Fox Market. After Fox left it and some other buildings were demolished and replaced by a new Giant.

Also in Harrisburg on Route 22 Jonestown Road. It closed in the 70s and became a Kiddie City. Today it is a N. B. Leibman's Furniture Store.

I think the store in Middletown was in the borough but I can't remember exactly where.

The Camp Hill store was at the Capital City Mall. Currently it is Toys R Us.

Around 1982 Acme gave the union an ultimatum. Either drastically renegotiate their contract or the stores would close. The negotiations failed and Acme was gone. I think they closed all the stores in Dauphin, Cumberland, York and parts of Lancaster counties at the same time. These stores were supplied by their Philadelphia warehouse. Ironically, that complex has been replaced by a new one in Lancaster county at the Reading Lancaster (Route 222) exit of the Turnpike. However, Acme has made no effort to return to the area.
maynesG
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by maynesG »

Hi, If you want tolearn more abou tthese stores try the Acme style blog. As far as the Acme Warehouse in Denver PA. that was actualy built with the object to get away from the stock handlers union in Philadelphia. it is still a non union facility with the exception of the drivers.
The facility is huge , when it was built Albertsons was in negotiations to purchase Giant from a then ailing Ahold coporation ( allowance scandal). It came up empty and Acme had a warehouse that its closest store was in Parksburg (now closed).
The warehouse is no longer part of Acme. It is now SuperValu !s warehouse and it supplies all of its Area customers from that D.C.. The drivers are still payed by Acme in trucks marked Acme Markets. But Acme is still just another customer pays upcharges just like Redners or any one else.
rich
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by rich »

Thorofare did something like this. After a crippling strike (that affected all Pittsy chains), they moved their distribution bade to a former Loblaw/National tea warehouse in Youngstown, far from any stores. A boneheaded move that probably cost them more in the long run, in terms of operating costs. It probably did not help the "hometown" image they had built over several decades. They began to invest in out of region stores, but not in NE Ohio and limped along for awhile before going out of business.
trex354
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by trex354 »

Hello all. As far as the SuperValu distribution center in Denver,Pa;the warehouse workers and the drivers are both UNION. There are now owner operators at this location also that do most of the independent stores such as Boyer and Redner's.The Acme drivers service all the Acme's and some independent stores.
The old Acme DC # 8 located in Johnstown, Pa was located at 249 Maple Ave. and closed around 1978. This location serviced about 75 stores in Northwestern Pa, Southern NY state, west to the Ohio line and down through Cumberland, MD.

trex354@comcast.net
maynesG
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by maynesG »

Hi, That Denver D.C. when first opened was most surely non union. The company even had county non violent prisoners working at one time. They posted a job posting to any one worki ng part time in the stores who wanted a fulltime job could transfer to Denver.
The results were poorly selected trucks, pallets were taped poorly, product busted and some interesting pallet jockeying by store personel for some time. Perhaps the facility went union ( A Good Thing!) sometime after wards because these things went a way. Now the only
problems we have are Super Valu gaffs, Warehouse Managers with and Agenda Etc.
catnapped
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by catnapped »

I'm wondering if the Elizabethtown store is the current Giant (former Jubilee, which was a former Kmart). Doesn't seem to be many places in the borough large enough where Acme could've set up shop and in addition the timelime of when Acme bailed out of the region and the (original) Kmart opened in town (1982) seem to support the theory.
JoshAustin610
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by JoshAustin610 »

According to the list I was given the Elizabethtown Acme was at 1571 S. Market St; it opened in 1959. That would mean it's now the CVS, which was a former Rea & Derick. It's possible the R&D relocated into the Acme spot from next door, or just opened a brand new store (R&D was sold to Peoples Drug in 1984, and they did a lot of relocations and openings in PA at the time; the Acmes and A&Ps closing in the early 80s were often the perfect spots for their much larger stores).
catnapped
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by catnapped »

JoshAustin610 wrote:According to the list I was given the Elizabethtown Acme was at 1571 S. Market St; it opened in 1959. That would mean it's now the CVS, which was a former Rea & Derick. It's possible the R&D relocated into the Acme spot from next door, or just opened a brand new store (R&D was sold to Peoples Drug in 1984, and they did a lot of relocations and openings in PA at the time; the Acmes and A&Ps closing in the early 80s were often the perfect spots for their much larger stores).
Wow..thanks! Seems like it was tiny even assuming they took up the space of both the current CVS and (now-vacant) Blockbuster.
trex354
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Re: More central PA Acme stores?

Post by trex354 »

Albertsons is back in Denver, PA.
Albertsons and investment company Ceberus now control the future of Acme and a few other players in the food industry. Already Acme has started a comeback in their sales area.
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