1199 Texas Palmyra Hwy, Honesdale, PA

Original Grocery Tenant: Giant Market

Address: 1199 Texas Palmyra Hwy, Honesdale, PA

Opened: ca. 1972

Closed: 1993

Later Tenants: Insalaco's > subdivided
Photographed: May 28, 2023

This 25,000 square foot store was built as a Giant Market at the eastern end of the Route 6 Mall at some point around 1972 before becoming an Insalaco's. Insalaco's then moved to a former Kmart, before ultimately becoming a Weis. As AFB pointed out a few months ago (which I didn't know), there were actually four Giant chains at one point or another. Giant-MD and Giant-PA, of course, both of which are now owned by Ahold. There was also a chain in the Binghamton area, mostly acquired by Weis; and yet another (which I didn't realize was separate from the Binghamton chain), based in Scranton and at its peak, with 25 locations.

In 1971, the Scranton-based Giant Market grew from 20 to 25 stores with the acquisition of five Food Fair stores. The chain declared bankruptcy in 1983, and by 1992, was just six stores. That year, it sought certain concessions from the union representing its workers, which the union rejected. In 1993, Giant sold four of its remaining stores (including this one) to its wholesaler, which in turn passed them off to other operators, and another had closed either in 1992 or in 1993. In 1994, the union filed unfair labor charges against Giant for selling the stores, which the NLRB rejected. Its final store was the Meadow Avenue location, which closed in 1994. Incidentally, I'm embarrassed I got that wrong on the post I linked above, but thanks to AFB for correcting me -- and it means I need to do my homework more! Anyway, let's head a bit to the south into Hawley, where we're going to see a former supermarket to the north of town right here on Grocery Archaeology!