Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region.

Moderator: Groceteria

Post Reply
Ephrata1966
Veteran
Posts: 550
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 13:45

Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Many older Kmart stores across the nation had a grocery store attached. For example, in the South and West, it was usually Safeway. Throughout the Philadelphia region, it was most often Acme but sometimes A&P/Super Fresh like in Marlton, NJ. Deeper into Pennsylvania it was Weis. Does anyone know which of these were once Kmart Foods? The only one I am sure about that became another grocery store was a Safeway in Montana. This store kept the Kmart architecture and later closed (relocated?) to become a MacFrugal's and now Big Lots. But I know it was a common practice to lease these stores to grocery chains when Kmart Foods was broken up. Perhaps many of them were heavily remodeled/torn down and replaced?

There is one store in particular I am curious about. The Kmart in Salisbury, Maryland has an older Save-a-Lot next to it. I am thinking it just had to have started as either Acme or A&P, and possibly Kmart Foods. The shopping center is clearly from the 60's or 70's which seems to conclude this. As a matter of fact, the other Save-a-Lot in Salisbury (recently remodeled) was an Acme A Frame. In that case, the discount store anchor is a mystery to me. I forget what it is now, but there is a building that looks sort of like a Woolco there.
wnetmacman
Veteran
Posts: 378
Joined: 06 Nov 2005 23:48

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by wnetmacman »

It depended on the area. I know the store in Danville, IL (one of the first 45 Kmarts, and still in business) had its Kmart Foods replaced by a Kroger, which didn't last long. When the Kroger closed, Kmart simply expanded into the space.

Some stores simply expanded into the space, foregoing a grocery all together. Tyler, TX, in the original store, had the magic carpets on emergency doors in that section, but it was completely used as merchandise space.

In some places, such as Lake Charles, LA, the store closed, and was reopened as something different, only to be closed later.
Scott Greer
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Groceteria »

Several in NC became Food Town (Later Food Lion) stores after the Kmart Foods locations closed. In Charlotte, Bi-Lo took over several locations as well. I believe Farmer's took a few in Northern California.

This is already documented on the site, but some of the Charlotte NC stores were supplied by Allied and were briefly rebranded under that company's Wrigley banner in 1975.
maynesG
Veteran
Posts: 322
Joined: 22 Aug 2007 17:03
Location: DELAWARE

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by maynesG »

Hi, Acme had two stores in salisbury Md. The one you describe which I believe is out on the southern portion of the city and the other which was on route 50 in and old Mall that was about 90% empty when the Acme Closed. This store was once and extremly high volume store
but upper management when given the opportunity to become part of the new Salisbury Mall decided to go with the cheaper rent and Giant got the site. The rest is history.
Ephrata1966
Veteran
Posts: 550
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 13:45

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Ephrata1966 »

wnetmacman: I was not aware they had Kroger in Illinois! Thanks for the info! But what exactly is a "magic carpet"?

maynesG: This probably belongs under the Mid-Atlantic section. But is "Salisbury Mall" the abandoned mall? And Acme was in a different location before that?

I do know there was a Centennial A&P in Salisbury, now a Hostess store. Perhaps it was later a Super Fresh. There was a newer Super Fresh on the northern end of Salisbury built in 1997. This store closed in 2001 and became a Giant, which closed in 2006.
maynesG
Veteran
Posts: 322
Joined: 22 Aug 2007 17:03
Location: DELAWARE

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by maynesG »

Hi, Yes, The Abandoned Mall and the other location was open for many a year after the Mall location was opened. Salisbury, was once the Destination for the lower Easton Shore and there was enough volume for both stores. As , Acme opened more stores south of the city
and more competition moved in, the need for two stores became less necesary.
Acme had two stores in Dover before the current one near Dover Downs was opened thus replacing both units. ( One downtown now split by Rite Aide and Kunkel Auto Parts, the other
on route 13 where the Kent County Building now stands next to the Blue Hen Mall)
They also had two units in Easton, both gone and replaced by the current unit in the western part of town .
Gerry
wnetmacman
Veteran
Posts: 378
Joined: 06 Nov 2005 23:48

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by wnetmacman »

Ephrata1966 wrote:wnetmacman: I was not aware they had Kroger in Illinois! Thanks for the info!


Kroger is still in some sparse areas of IL. Southern IL has them all over; there are Kroger stores still in Effingham, Springfield and several other locales. Kroger left most of Central Illinois (including the aforementioned Danville store) in the early 80's.
Ephrata1966 wrote:But what exactly is a "magic carpet"?
The rubber mat on an electric door prior to electronic sensors. Kroger would actually use these regularly and reuse them whenever possible to save on remodeling costs.
Scott Greer
Ephrata1966
Veteran
Posts: 550
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 13:45

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Danville, that's funny. There was a Wal-Mart (then called Wal-Mart Discount City) built in Danville, Kentucky in 1981. This store is now a Big Lots, and was just like the Wal-Mart in The Woodlands, TX (near Houston) built in 1983 which is also now a Big Lots! You see, The Woodlands store was paired with a Kroger greenhouse!
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Groceteria »

Interesting stuff, all, but if we could move the topic back to Kmart Foods locations and go with new threads for the offshoots, the graying of my hair would slow considerably :)

Thanks,
David
rich
Veteran
Posts: 673
Joined: 15 Nov 2005 20:51
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by rich »

K-Marts built before the mid-70s had a K-Mart Foods next door--chains were able to use the K-Mart name and have these stores if they met certain criteria (no trading stamps or other incentives, "discount" pricing). The operators varied--Allied Supermarkets was probably the largest with stores far beyond its Detroit and other regional bases. Other operators included Colonial, National Tea (in a few areas), and Alterman (Greater Atlanta). Most of these chains wound up in one sort of trouble or another by the end of the 70s and most of these stores became something else or part of the neighboring K-Mart store. A great many were never supermarkets again.

Later stores were co-located with K-Mart, often through regional agreements with chains. This included Grand Union in the DC area and elsewhere within their territory, and A&P in a number of places including NW and NE Ohio. These stores changed hands as GU and A&P shrank--they were newer and larger than the "K-Mart Foods" locations and more often continued as supermarkets.
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Re: Kmart Foods replaced by major grocery stores

Post by Groceteria »

rich wrote:Later stores were co-located with K-Mart, often through regional agreements with chains. This included Grand Union in the DC area and elsewhere within their territory, and A&P in a number of places including NW and NE Ohio. These stores changed hands as GU and A&P shrank--they were newer and larger than the "K-Mart Foods" locations and more often continued as supermarkets.
Grand Union did a number of these Kmart-adjacent locations with Big Star stores in the Carolinas in the late 1970s/early 1980s as well. Several lasted as supermarkets after the Harris Teeter buyout as well.
Post Reply