Could these two stores actually be the same one?
Posted: 12 Apr 2013 06:28
I found this 1982 photo of an "unknown" 60's/70's Acme somewhere in Center City Philadelphia, where supermarkets have always been rare: http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/s ... l3/id/6361
This Super Fresh opened in 1987: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganlewis/2196552234/
and here's a more recent photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7636026@N04/7512250388/
I notice the Super Fresh has a parking garage above it in both photos, while this is not true of the Acme pictured. But I vaguely remember reading a news article many years back (seen on internet news archives) about the Super Fresh grand opening in 1987, and it said the store was a brand new construction. However, retail articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer (the paper this story was in) are often mistaken or are missing important details: for example, a 1993 story about the former A&P/Super Fresh in Lindenwold NJ referred to the grocery anchor of that plaza being a Super Fresh starting in 1976, even though the Super Fresh name never existed until 1982.
So perhaps the Acme building in this case was demolished for the Super Fresh to be built? While Acme was doing decently well in the 80's, they closed a lot of stores in that decade, but mostly in rural areas. I do believe a few more urban Acmes such as the Overbrook one in West Philly closed in the 80's though. That one was later a Thriftway but has long been abandoned, yet its signs stay up. The Acme pictured could have opened any time in the 60's or 70's judging by its signage pictured, but could be much older, or perhaps opened in the 60's or 70's as an urban renewal project. So the building could have been from perhaps the 1920s. I also wonder if this store could have started as an Acme in the 50's with the "Acme Markets" script signage. Acme was inconsistent with adding the 60's/70's logo to 50's stores, but due to this store being in such a busy location in Acme's home town, perhaps it was once a flagship store so it was well updated. And while Acme was having sour union relations in the 80's, Super Fresh at the time had very good union relations, considering the Super Fresh division was created by former A&P union employees.
This Super Fresh opened in 1987: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganlewis/2196552234/
and here's a more recent photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7636026@N04/7512250388/
I notice the Super Fresh has a parking garage above it in both photos, while this is not true of the Acme pictured. But I vaguely remember reading a news article many years back (seen on internet news archives) about the Super Fresh grand opening in 1987, and it said the store was a brand new construction. However, retail articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer (the paper this story was in) are often mistaken or are missing important details: for example, a 1993 story about the former A&P/Super Fresh in Lindenwold NJ referred to the grocery anchor of that plaza being a Super Fresh starting in 1976, even though the Super Fresh name never existed until 1982.
So perhaps the Acme building in this case was demolished for the Super Fresh to be built? While Acme was doing decently well in the 80's, they closed a lot of stores in that decade, but mostly in rural areas. I do believe a few more urban Acmes such as the Overbrook one in West Philly closed in the 80's though. That one was later a Thriftway but has long been abandoned, yet its signs stay up. The Acme pictured could have opened any time in the 60's or 70's judging by its signage pictured, but could be much older, or perhaps opened in the 60's or 70's as an urban renewal project. So the building could have been from perhaps the 1920s. I also wonder if this store could have started as an Acme in the 50's with the "Acme Markets" script signage. Acme was inconsistent with adding the 60's/70's logo to 50's stores, but due to this store being in such a busy location in Acme's home town, perhaps it was once a flagship store so it was well updated. And while Acme was having sour union relations in the 80's, Super Fresh at the time had very good union relations, considering the Super Fresh division was created by former A&P union employees.