Groceteria.com

What does the "Super Center" signage mean that was rolled out to almost every Pathmark from 1977 into the 1980s? Does it denote a high volume store? I have heard a few Pathmark stores had Barnes & Noble departments, maybe in the time when Barnes & Noble was just a New York secret. Perhaps those combination stores were exclusive to New York. Because in Philly, nothing really ever set Pathmark apart from other grocery stores. All they have ever been is like an "independent" and "no frills" clone of Acme and A&P. Funny that a lot of Pathmarks in the 1970s were paired with Kmart, since it seems "BIG" Kmart was a similar experiment and waste of money, 20 years later.

Those were the larger stores that had appliances, pharmacies, and whatnot. The early Pathmark stores (many of which were rebranded Shop-Rite stores) didn't have the space for the extras.

Appliances... do you mean smaller appliances?

Hi, Pathmark sold more GM then other companies in Ny at the time. (Yes including small appliances) also had the departments that we have become use to but were not every where on the NY scene.
Its funny but most retailers today do not sell as much GM today then they did twenty years ago. I guess a combination of Walmart and theft has put a den!t into that business.

A local Pathmark is called a "Super Center" on the exterior signage. The store doesn't seem unusually large and it doesn't carry anything out of the ordinary, although I'm not sure if that was always the case.

Pathmark/SGC was an early builder of combination food&drug stores on the East coast in the 1970's. Pathmark Supercenters were larger for the day, 45000 s.f -65000 s.f. and contained an instore pharmacy and more extensive lines of general merchandise than found in a traditional supermarket. Since SGC began as a member of the Wakefern co-op, its early stores were bannered as Shop Rites until SGC withdrew from the co-op and adapted the Pathmark name for its stores. The early Shop Rites turned Pathmark were traditional supermarkets while Pathmark SuperCenter signified the food-drug combo.

Early combo-stores carried more extensive lines of general merchandise than found in most supermarkets of similar square footage operated today. Pathmark SuperCenters were likely similar to early Skaggs Albertsons stores, A&P's Family Marts, and Kroger Sav-on, with the general merchandise selections evolving rapidly from the 1970's into the 1980's. Early combo stores often had records and tapes, a selection of socks and underwear, small appliances, and more automotive than found in a supermarket of today. Eventually hbc and otc gained more shelf space, greeting cards have gained space, more school and office supplies, while film and photo have waxed and waned in space, as has small appliances, and videos and later DVDs have replaced music records and tapes.