Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. No non-grocery posts.
pseudo3d
Posts: 3852
Joined: November 12th, 2015, 7:01 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 77 times
Status: Offline

Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by pseudo3d »

The Fresh Grocer on Walnut Street lost its legal battle with University of Pennsylvania after nearly 4 years and will close in March. Interestingly, they can't confirm or deny that ACME will replace it like as announced in 2017, which indicates ACME may have lost interest in the site.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/02/f ... -down-acme
Last edited by pseudo3d on February 18th, 2020, 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
buckguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1004
Joined: January 31st, 2017, 10:54 am
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by buckguy »

The University of Pennsylvania is not Penn State.
mbz321
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 747
Joined: March 11th, 2010, 7:52 pm
Has thanked: 96 times
Been thanked: 54 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by mbz321 »

This store sort of had a love-hate relationship from the locals. The layout is one of the strangest you will see in a grocery store...weird diagonal zig-zaggy aisles along with surly staff and frequent problems with vermin.

Acme continues to lose market share in the region as Giant has been expanding enormously in Philadelphia itself (mainly with small stores branded as Giant Heirloom Market, but there are plans in the works for a few regular sized stores as well), so who knows if they will take it over at this point given their indifference to remain competitive. I guess another Fresh Grocer/ShopRite operator could always take over if a deal falls through, or hell, maybe Giant will grab it.
pseudo3d
Posts: 3852
Joined: November 12th, 2015, 7:01 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 77 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by pseudo3d »

buckguy wrote: February 18th, 2020, 8:50 am The University of Pennsylvania is not Penn State.
Fixed!
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by storewanderer »

mbz321 wrote: February 18th, 2020, 10:49 am This store sort of had a love-hate relationship from the locals. The layout is one of the strangest you will see in a grocery store...weird diagonal zig-zaggy aisles along with surly staff and frequent problems with vermin.

Acme continues to lose market share in the region as Giant has been expanding enormously in Philadelphia itself (mainly with small stores branded as Giant Heirloom Market, but there are plans in the works for a few regular sized stores as well), so who knows if they will take it over at this point given their indifference to remain competitive. I guess another Fresh Grocer/ShopRite operator could always take over if a deal falls through, or hell, maybe Giant will grab it.
I am surprised things are not getting better at Acme; Albertsons has one of their best people running that division. That is too bad. Or maybe Giant is just "too good." I was pretty impressed with the Giant-PA operation I saw last summer. Good mix, good pricing, well staffed. The Acmes I went into, one was quite good, the other was passable. Some pricing issues, but good mix. I could see how Giant-PA has a more appealing offering and stronger pricing.
buckguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1004
Joined: January 31st, 2017, 10:54 am
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by buckguy »

Giant-PA has a much longer history with Ahold than Giant-MD and, at various times, shared resources with Tops and served as an umbrella for Edwards (pre-rebranding as Stop& Shop), yet they seem to have been less impaired by Ahold than Giant-MD. That Giant-PA operates mostly in smaller markets might have enabled them to resist being redone as Stop&Shop in the way that occurred with Giant-MD. It's been a while since I've been in a Giant-PA store, but they did seem well run with reasonably good perishables. Ahold really hurt Giant in the deli/bakery area which had been one of their strengths pre-Ahold. Oddly, Giant-MD once had stores close to Philadelphia under the Super G banner but I believe those were sold rather than being converted to Giant-PA which makes it odd that Giant-PA is investing in the Philadelphia area now.
pseudo3d
Posts: 3852
Joined: November 12th, 2015, 7:01 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 77 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by pseudo3d »

It was confirmed that ACME will inhibit the spot after all, but not be open until later this year. The interior of the store probably could use a deep cleaning and maybe some re-arranged fixtures, but it still seems like a long time for an already built space.

https://www.inquirer.com/news/fresh-gro ... 00219.html
klkla
Posts: 1614
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 3:26 pm
Been thanked: 2 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by klkla »

pseudo3d wrote: February 20th, 2020, 12:07 pm It was confirmed that ACME will inhibit the spot after all
Are they easily inhibited? :geek:

Sorry couldn't resist.
mbz321
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 747
Joined: March 11th, 2010, 7:52 pm
Has thanked: 96 times
Been thanked: 54 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by mbz321 »

buckguy wrote: February 20th, 2020, 10:44 am Oddly, Giant-MD once had stores close to Philadelphia under the Super G banner but I believe those were sold rather than being converted to Giant-PA which makes it odd that Giant-PA is investing in the Philadelphia area now.

They were all in the suburbs too of Philly and South Jersey...none were in or right near the city itself. I believe they were Union as well, which would have made it difficult to convert to Giant PA stores without a lot of trouble. Many (if not all?) of the stores became a short-lived extension of SuperValu's Shop 'N Save chain, but they weren't successful and were later dumped on various buyers (many became ShopRite, Acme grabbed a few, etc.).
pseudo3d
Posts: 3852
Joined: November 12th, 2015, 7:01 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 77 times
Status: Offline

Re: Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia closing

Post by pseudo3d »

ACME opened October 23rd, with a store not open 24 hours (as was promised before, but now with COVID-19, 24 hour stores are practically extinct). The store features a "salad robot" and some new décor that resembles Kroger's current package.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/10/a ... iladelphia
Post Reply