Original Tenant: A&P
Address: 907 Oak Tree Rd, South Plainfield, NJ
Opened: late 90s
Closed: 2015
Later Tenants: ACME Markets (2015-2018) > ALDI (2020-present)
Photographed: July 2020
Sadly, not a whole lot to see here at the former A&P-turned-ACME in South Plainfield. A&P moved here in the late 90s from the Futurestore across the street, which became a ShopRite in 2016. Check out pictures of the store as an A&P here and as an ACME here. The ACME did look pretty good especially after the Quality Built renovation, but the reality is (as much as I really do love ACME) none of their stores are half as good as the latest Saker ShopRites. So ALDI moved in to part of the space, opening in December of 2016. I was hoping to get to the store before any substantial renovation was done so that I could take a look inside, but it had already all been demolished inside. ALDI moved here from a different, older former ACME just up Park Avenue in South Plainfield, which we'll be taking a look at tomorrow on The Market Report!
This was one of the nicest ACMEs I had ever been! The Quality Built décor was done perfectly and the place was incredibly clean and bright. Even had self-checkouts while most ACMEs did not. I wonder why ACME took this A&P. They had to have known Saker was eyeing up the former Pathmark. And then to invest in the store once they knew for sure Saker was coming to town baffled me. The night of my visit, the place was a ghost town. I knew there was no way it was going to last much longer.
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that ACME looked at how much business each store was presently doing, and didn't look ahead any further. At this point, however, it feels clear that ShopRite has a concerted strategy to run ACME out of New Jersey, if not run them out of business altogether. The amount of business an ACME store in New Jersey does seems to be directly proportional to the store's distance from a ShopRite.
DeleteAcme seems to do OK competing against the dumpy Shoprites like Freehold or Old Bridge
DeleteAnd with the density of population in NJ, there is in many places enough business for other stores to still do OK.
DeleteThere will always be some that simply don't want to fight the crowds that many of the ShopRite stores get and will go to other options.
Sicklerville and Somers Point are another two ACMEs surviving up against ShopRite. (Somers Point now has Quality Built! Not sure how much remodeling was done. They also have to deal with a new Target where Kmart used to be just across the parking lot)
DeleteGoing up against a brand-new, gigantic Saker ShopRite is just never going to end well for ACME. Sure, they'd get some run off of people who don't care for ShopRite's chaos but probably not enough to turn a decent profit, especially in a store that large.
Wonder how the ACME in Wall is doing with a brand-new Saker ShopRite down the street? Fortunately there might be just enough distance there to keep ACME safe.
Mike said "I honestly believe that ACME looked at how much business each store was presently doing, and didn't look ahead any further"
DeleteYou're probably right about that. I missed your comment the first time around. It does seem like ShopRite is trying to run ACME out of the business wherever they can although ACME does have somewhat of an advantage with alot of their locations being in areas too small to support a huge ShopRite. The next ACME to bite the dust will probably be the Sussex store when ShopRite opens right across the street.
I was in the Wall store last week, and it seemed to be holding its own. Not as busy as ShopRite (from the parking lot, anyway) but not empty. My feeling is that the new store draws from Belmar and part of Neptune. I think the store that should be worried is Stop & Shop in Neptune City.
DeleteThere's a lot here and I'm not sure how much I could add, so thanks for all your thoughts, folks!
DeleteMaybe figuring that a remodel would get people's attention to at least check the place out? Obviously it didn't work.
ReplyDeleteAlso noting that reading your (Acme Style) post linked above that Aldi was (or still is - not sure if this is a replacement or second location) in another formerly Acme building in the same town. They just like old stores, apparently (ours is an old A&P, given that they left this area mostly in the early 1980's - that is until they finish their new building down the street).
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DeleteYes, ALDI takes a lot of former chain supermarkets but unlike Save-A-Lot or other similar stores, they usually extensively renovate them inside and outside.
DeleteThe South Plainfield ALDI moved here from the former pitched-roof ACME, and that moved happened soon after I visited both. I wasn't aware the pitched-roof store was closing, and I assumed they'd just have two locations nearby.
Update as of May 18, 2023: The second portion of the A&P turned Acme has become a LA Fitness.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update!
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