Acme Wynnewood closing

[storewanderer]

Also appears it was recently remodeled by Acme. Despite the stated reason for closure being because they decided not to remodel it. That does not quite add up because that is a current Acme interior that is less than 3 years old.

https://www.inquirer.com/business/retai ... 00701.html

[rwsandiego]

Based on the Google Maps pictures, the store was acquired during the A&P bankruptcy and was re-decorated (but not remodeled) shortly thereafter. It appears to be an old Centennial-era store that is hemmed in by a Rite-Aid and a small parking lot. Unless they took the space occupied by Rite-Aid, it seems unlikely that a thorough remodel and infrastructure update/upgrade would be worth doing. If the parking lot was larger they could build out, but that does not appear to be feasible here.

[TW-Upstate NY]

Based on a photo in the article, I would say centennial store as well but saw something interesting there that then tells me (maybe) not-so-fast. The center vestibule entrance/exit was NOT a feature of the centennial stores. It did become a feature of later A+P designs but not of stores of the centennial era. Centennials had entrances/exits on either far side of the building. Question then becomes did A+P put that vestibule in at some point during a remodel or did Acme after they acquired it?

[storewanderer]

Based on the Google Maps pictures, the store was acquired during the A&P bankruptcy and was re-decorated (but not remodeled) shortly thereafter. It appears to be an old Centennial-era store that is hemmed in by a Rite-Aid and a small parking lot. Unless they took the space occupied by Rite-Aid, it seems unlikely that a thorough remodel and infrastructure update/upgrade would be worth doing. If the parking lot was larger they could build out, but that does not appear to be feasible here.

The photos of the store in 2016 still show it with the A&P decor. Looking at later photos you see a few things like new hot food case (A&Ps cases were not that big), new produce displays (which look they may be used- but those are Albertsons produce displays), and what looks like some new produce refrigeration. It also appears Albertsons enhanced (I won't use the word improved) the lighting in the produce department. Albertsons really needs to get out of this kick of throwing super bright lights that belong above the soda aisle above produce. Safeway Lifestyle was too dim- what they are doing is just too bright and looks trashy. This level of remodel is consistent with what a lot of Albertsons divisions do and call remodels- swap out the wall decor and signs, throw in some new cases, and call it a day. Definitely not just a redecoration (though some Albertsons divisions do that and call it a remodel too- my favorite being those repainted lifestyle stores where they even keep the old wall letters).

[rwsandiego]

Based on a photo in the article, I would say centennial store as well but saw something interesting there that then tells me (maybe) not-so-fast. The center vestibule entrance/exit was NOT a feature of the centennial stores. It did become a feature of later A+P designs but not of stores of the centennial era. Centennials had entrances/exits on either far side of the building. Question then becomes did A+P put that vestibule in at some point during a remodel or did Acme after they acquitted it?

I was thinking the same. The vestibule is present in this picture dated 2011.

After searching for additional pictures of his store I stumbled upon this article on AP Preservation which confirms the store is a Centennial that was heavily remodeled in the late 1990's. At some point, the store was expanded (article does not say when, but I'm guessing in the late 1990's.

So..."Does it make sense to extensively remodel a money-losing store that can't be expanded" is the question Acme had to answer. We know what the answer was.

[storewanderer]

The fact that they spent any money at all on this store is interesting. Many former A&P locations, they did not spend a dime on.

It is funny to see the black refrigeration which looks newer then see paper towels on the floor trying to catch its leaks. I wonder how old it is or if A&P took and painted old refrigeration. A&P was such a joke. The fact that Acme has underperformed A&P in a lot of the stores they bought is very confusing to me. Acme's pricing isn't the best but the quality is there and they have a great mix of items; they are a far superior store to the Safeway DC/MD Stores due to having a larger mix of center store and drug and also better looking meat and produce (though I suspect it is all part of the same supply chain) due to better store execution.

[klkla]

Not far from this old outdated store is a big modern Giant. This probably explains the closure.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/GIANT ... 1!1BCgIYEg

[rwsandiego]

Can't imagine why someone would rather shop at that big, new Giant than at the small, cramped Acme.

Acme might have redecorated to gauge whether the store would be successful before doing a full-blown modernization. Thing is, they could not bring it up to 2020 standards in that little footprint.

[Bluelightspecial]

Not far from this old outdated store is a big modern Giant. This probably explains the closure.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/GIANT ... 1!1BCgIYEg

I could be wrong, and it would be ironic, but the pictures of that "big modern Giant" look like an old Genuardi's store that had the old Safeway Lifestyle Decor that was recycled and repainted.

[storewanderer]

Giant is definitely an old Genuardi's, I was in that store while it was liquidating by Safeway. I was trying to place Wynnewood last night because I thought the town name sounded familiar but it wasn't that A&P or Super Fresh I went to, it was the Genuardi's.

This is the problem in PA. From the Giant photos, you can see all Giant has to offer. They one up Acme on store size, mix and price, may not be quite as good on quality but they are still quite good on quality (better than Kroger). Genuardi's one-upped Acme too as far as having a nicer store and better quality products but somehow Safeway's ways of doing things spelled doom despite the nice stores. I find the Giant-PA Stores to have more to offer than the Giant-MD Stores.

I am not sure buying A&P Stores was a great move for Acme. Acme may have been better off improving its own stores, somehow getting them up to the level and volume of Giant Stores and Shop Rites. In many cases that would require some store expansions or other serious work to the stores. Instead they bought (cheaply) A&P Stores, many of which were inferior to their own Acme Stores which already underperformed the Giants, the Shop Rites, etc.

East Coast is a tough market. Very discerning customers, demanding on product mix and service. Product mix demand changes radically when you cross over a given state line, and those state lines are not geographically very far apart.