Kings Food Markets
Opened: by 1964
Previous Tenants: none
Location: 255 S Livingston Ave, Livingston, NJ
Photographed: November 2020, January 2021, February 2021, and March 2021
We're returning for our ACME-acquisition update here at the Kings in Livingston, which we previously saw inside a few years ago. (For those who haven't been caught up, ACME Markets purchased 27 stores from Kings and Balducci's, with the sale closing on January 23, 2021.) While ACME did purchase this store, they had to close the liquor store since any corporation is limited to owning two liquor stores in the state. I'm not sure exactly what the inside looks like, but I believe Kings owns liquor stores at Millburn and Summit post-ACME acquisition. Consequently, ACME negotiated a lower lease for this store with the landlord to avoid closure. Since it seems this is a less-profitable location for the chain, ACME probably will either work hard to try to turn it around or give it up. Immediately before the ACME sale, though, a random fleet of Kmart carts appeared at the store...
Kings left on the Kmart promotional ads as well, inviting customers to check out spring fashions at Kmart. Oof.
At the time of writing (February 2021), the liquor store remains vacant although all the stock and fixtures have been removed. I believe the stock was just moved to a different Kings location, and the fixtures seem to have been purchased by the Bottle King liquor store in town. The liquor license was transferred to a newly opened store at the north end of town. I haven't been around the area lately, so I can't say for sure what's up at the liquor store right now.
I even got -- by sheer luck -- a shot of the Bottle King van picking up the fixtures, which were being dismantled inside. Notice also that the signage for the liquor store had been removed from the storefront. It stayed up for quite some time inside the store, but was eventually removed over the closed liquor room...
The wall was painted shortly thereafter. Again, at the time of writing (and this is likely to change), Kings was still using their own brand products and was still being supplied by Wakefern. I imagine it's only a matter of time until those brands are replaced by the Signature/O Organics brands, since Kings/Balducci's is the only Albertsons banner so far to not sell those, and only a matter of time until the store switches to the ACME DC in Denver, PA. Also check out the former ShopRite in town (our other post today) here, and we'll be looking at our final Livingston store on The Independent Edition tomorrow!
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