Page 1 of 2

Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 27 Nov 2006 23:03
by shane
I was at the library the other day looking at microfiche and noticed a ton of ads for Sprouse Reits and was wondering does anybody have information on this long gone dime store. The Antelope valley had three Sprouse Reits. These stores were Located at

44225 10th St. West next to Alpha Beta

1025 East Ave. I also next to an Alpha Beta

244 Palmdale Blvd. next to Safeway

Posted: 27 Nov 2006 23:09
by Groceteria
It was actually spelled Sprouse Reitz. They were a varierty store chain with locations all over the west coast. By the end, in the early 1990s, they'd started operating slightly larger stores in smaller cities.

They were apparently on the level of a TG&Y or Rose's or Woolworth.

A Google search gives a fair amount of history on the chain.

Posted: 28 Nov 2006 04:49
by javelin
Groceteria wrote:It was actually spelled Sprouse Reitz. They were a varierty store chain with locations all over the west coast. By the end, in the early 1990s, they'd started operating slightly larger stores in smaller cities.

They were apparently on the level of a TG&Y or Rose's or Woolworth.

A Google search gives a fair amount of history on the chain.
Towards the end, they shortened their name to "Sprouse!" (why did they feel they had to yell?). Their placement of stores were questionable at best, in declining areas or small towns, at least in California.

The same went for another former 5&10, Cornet...some had half the store as a fabric deparment, while the store in Big Bear City didn't have much organization at all.

Both Sprouse and Cornet disappeared around the same time in the early 90's, though a few Cornet stores held on in Hawaii until 1997 or so.

Posted: 19 Jan 2007 03:27
by Dean
In Apple Valley CA...there was a center with Sprouse Reitz, SAFEWAY, and Thrifty Drug. Last I drove by...all three are sitting vacant.

I do remember when they tried to revive the chain by simply calling it SPROUSE!

The Big Bear CA store was in a center also anchored with a SAFEWAY and a Thrifty Drug. The SAFEWAY turned VONS received a much needed makeover a fews years back. Thrifty is RiteAid. Sprouse! is a furniture store I believe.

Posted: 19 Jan 2007 21:35
by RandallFlagg
I remember Sprouse Reitz in Alta Loma. It was built new on the northeast corner of Baseline and Carnelian. It was next door to Stater Bros. There were other five and dimes in the area during the 70's and 80's. We had a Ben Franklin's on the southwest corner of Baseline and Carnelian next to Sunrise Market [which the last I saw was a Smart and Final], a Cornet on the northeast corner of Foothill and Euclid [its full footprint is part of Chick's sporting goods] and a TG&Y on Foothill Blvd next to Mayfair. They were located on the southside of Foothill between Hellman and if I remember correctly Tryon. When I moved to Victorville in 91, there was a TG&Y still here on LaPaz. The shopping center had a Builder's Emporium, Vons, and TG&Y. The Vons is now a 99 cent store and the BE is a swap meet. Lastly, I went over to the old Safeway center in Apple Valley to see if I could get any pics, but the center is so run down it didn't seem worth it.

Posted: 19 Jan 2007 22:24
by Dean
RandallFlagg wrote: The Vons is now a 99 cent store and the BE is a swap meet. Lastly, I went over to the old Safeway center in Apple Valley to see if I could get any pics, but the center is so run down it didn't seem worth it.
thanks Randall for checking on the Apple Valley center. I thought I heard @ one time that they were going to demolish the site...and erect a Home Depot. Sounds as tho it has not happened!

Didn't the VONS in Victorville have a huge sign on top of the store? I think it used to spin @ one time.

The former ALPHA BETA...a bit north up the street was a nice site. Some independent store now, correct?

Posted: 19 Jan 2007 22:57
by javelin
RandallFlagg wrote: When I moved to Victorville in 91, there was a TG&Y still here on LaPaz. The shopping center had a Builder's Emporium, Vons, and TG&Y. The Vons is now a 99 cent store and the BE is a swap meet. Lastly, I went over to the old Safeway center in Apple Valley to see if I could get any pics, but the center is so run down it didn't seem worth it.
The town of Apple Valley was heavily trying to influence Wal Mart to put the planned Supercenter at the site of the old Safeway center and get rid of that eyesore. Rite Aid moved the store across the street and demolished a strip mall, and there have been several grocery stores in the old Safeway including a local chain whose locations included the present Food 4 Less on La Paz in Victorville back in the day when the street hit a dead end at the freeway (and the KMart across the street was showing its age). The last attempt was an independent whose product selection was so small that they had to "wall off" the unused part of the store with a row of shelves.

A TG&Y store used to be near the old Safeway (now Vons) in Hesperia. The name changed to Newberry then McCrory before it was shut down. It sat vacant for years until True Value occupied part of the store and the rest is being divided by a kid's pizza restaurant and a chinese buffet.

The old Alpha Beta is now a King Ranch low end hispanic-oriented market (on the other side of town the former Expo store is now a full service market called Vallarta...much nicer hispanic store). And the former AB in Apple Valley is the HQ for the county administration of schools.

One thing about the former Builders Emporium on La Paz. They still have some of the signs for hardware departments on the walls inside the swap meet.

Posted: 20 Jan 2007 00:03
by storewanderer
SR used to have a number of stores in rural Nevada. If I recall correctly, when the chain liquidated (early 90's), there were stores in: Hawthorne, Lovelock, Fallon, Incline Village, Ely, Elko, and possibly Battle Mountain. The store in Incline Village reminded me of a Woolworth. It had fabric, some clothes, snacks, home supplies, toys, etc. They were previously in Carson City (two locations if I recall correctly, both closed in the late 1980's) and also in Reno (likely gone by the late 70's).

I was in a Duckwall's Store in CO or NE over the summer and it really did remind me of a SR, although even more old fashioned. I paid them with a credit card and they used one of those odd metal inprint devices and wrote out the auth number, sale amount, date, etc. all by hand. Nothing was printed by a machine for the credit card transaction. They had a small machine to swipe the card and enter in the amount on to get an auth number which was visually plugged into a phone jack.

Posted: 29 Jan 2007 19:29
by Buckethead
There was one of these in Modesto in the early 80's. It was also located next to an Alpha Beta. Both stores went out of business around the same time(mid 80's). It was a terrible part of town they were located in. Might have played a factor in the store closings in this area.

Posted: 28 Oct 2007 02:31
by RandallFlagg
Yeah the Vons in Victorville on LaPaz and 7th has a big sign atop the building. I don't remember it spinning, but it looks like it could. It now houses a 99cent store banner. It was a furniture store for a short while between Vons and 99. The center also had a TG&Y when I first moved here in 91. It then became a McCrory's and now a fabric store [i think its a $2 fabric store.].

Re: Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 18 Aug 2010 13:36
by scanman2
I remember one in Chino on the southwest corner of Central and Walnut in the 80's. It is now divided up into several shops. I seem to remember one in the City of Industry at Hacienda and Gale. I'd appreciate any feedback on the accuracy of this.

Re: Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 18 Aug 2010 13:49
by Brian Lutz
I recall that there were a number of these stores in rural New Mexico as well. I can't say for sure how many, but presumably enough that they ran TV ads on the Albuquerque TV channels. The only one I can definitely confirm the existence of was in Hatch (I think Espanola had one as well, but I can't be entirely sure,) although I suspect other small towns had these as well.

Re: Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 18 Aug 2010 19:34
by Dean
scanman2 wrote:I remember one in Chino on the southwest corner of Central and Walnut in the 80's. It is now divided up into several shops. I seem to remember one in the City of Industry at Hacienda and Gale. I'd appreciate any feedback on the accuracy of this.
In the City of Industry...I believe you are thinking of GILBERT'S. It was located in the Thriftimart center. There was also a Rexall Drugs in the center also.

Re: Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 16:35
by scanman2
The remnants of what I thought was a Sprouse Reitz. You can see the old patio area where whatever it was sold plants outside. Did Gilberts carry plants? Maybe it was Gilberts before SR? This is located on the North West corner of Gale and Hacienda. I think there was a Thriftimart on the south east corner that became a Lucky and is now a 99 cents only.

Re: Sprouse Reitz

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 18:50
by Dean
scanman2 wrote:The remnants of what I thought was a Sprouse Reitz. You can see the old patio area where whatever it was sold plants outside. Did Gilberts carry plants? Maybe it was Gilberts before SR? This is located on the North West corner of Gale and Hacienda. I think there was a Thriftimart on the south east corner that became a Lucky and is now a 99 cents only.
The NW corner was Merritt's Hardware, then Mayfair Market, then Ole's Hardware, then fabric stores. It is currently vacant. There is a thread discussing this site:

http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtop ... +food+king

Gilbert's was in the SE corner. Similar to Sprouse Reitz. Not sure if it was independent or if it was a chain.