Lidl | Clifton Heights, PA

 

713 E. Baltimore Ave

Welcome to the Clifton Heights Lidl!

We're back at a Lidl! This particular store is a newer location, having opened just over two years ago on June 22, 2022. It operates in a former Kmart (open from 1980 to 2019) along with a Big Lots, Icon Beauty, and Dollar Tree. This is Lidl's second Delaware County location, after Folsom (their first Pennsylvania store, and also the first store we toured on this blog). This store has their more recent layout, also seen in Egg Harbor Township. With all of that introduction out of the way, let's take a look at this store!

Here we see the Pennsylvania flag in the heart as opposed to New Jersey's as was seen in Egg Harbor (it would be pretty odd if they had a New Jersey flag anywhere in this store, though...).

The bakery is straight across from the entrance doors. The treats may be sweet and they may be hot and fresh daily, but they don't seem plentiful.

The produce department is across from the bakery in the first few aisles. I like Lidl, but they definitely have the most unappealing produce department out of pretty much all grocery stores.

Frozen foods and packaged meats are in the cases on the left side of the store. I really like the freezers these stores have; I haven't seen them anywhere else.

Cheese is on the back wall.

The general merchandise section is in the middle of the store, as usual. I feel like the selection here is disproportionate to the actual food in the store. Especially since I'm sure you could get a lot of this stuff at Big Lots next door.

Aisle 2, which comes out of the produce market.

It's a summer of savings here on the right side of the store, with more frozen foods.

A look at the checkouts. Unlike my local Lidl, this store doesn't have any self-checkouts.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2022

The store was only a few months old at this point.

2020

Here, Kmart had closed but work hadn't begun on transforming it into multiple stores. Unlike Holmes, which closed on the same day, Clifton Heights never became a regular Kmart again after being remodeled to the Big Kmart format.

2012

And here's the store during normal operation, back when Kmart still had over 1,200 stores in the United States. You can also see here how the garden center was in the front of the store due to space constraints.

Nearby competition

1.3 miles away: Acme of Clifton Heights

Next week, we'll be touring the other grocery store in Clifton Heights, this Acme, which opened back in 1995 on the site of a former mall, the Bazaar of All Nations. The interior is a pretty typical 90s layout, but the facade is different than any other Acme I've seen before.

1.7 miles away: GIANT of Aldan

We toured the GIANT of Aldan last May, and, as you can see in the photo, it was more like a GIA T. I hope the signage has been fixed at this point, but I don't know. I also hope the store's been remodeled again, because the decor in it when I visited was horrible.

2.2 miles away: Price Rite of Secane

Lidl's closest competitor in Clifton Heights is probably this nearby Price Rite, another discount grocery store. Price Rite is owned by ShopRite, and this is the only location in the Philadelphia area; the majority of the stores are in ShopRite's non-core areas. This store opened in 2005 in a former A&P/SuperFresh.

Thanks for joining me on this tour! Personally, I wasn't totally impressed with this store. There wasn't anything particularly bad about it, but I didn't like it as much as I do my own Lidl. Also, I really don't like the look of the concrete flooring here. Next week, we're headed up the street to the Clifton Heights Acme! See you there! The Retail Connection: Rethink grocery.

ShopRite | Eddystone, PA

 

1568 Chester Pike

Welcome to the Eddystone ShopRite!

It isn't our first time here in Eddystone! We visited this very ShopRite on the first day of 2023 and then stopped by the Walmart next door in March. While the Walmart still has the Project Impact 4.0 decor, the ShopRite was remodeled late last year with new decor somewhat similar to the look that went into several Connecticut ShopRites around the same time. I believe this is the first remodel the store has gotten since opening in 2005 in a very short-lived Festival Foods, and it looks pretty good! Let's check it out.

The previous decor had a somewhat dark color scheme, while this store has a lot of lighter green. Be sure to check out my previous tour to see the differences between then and now.

The floral department was fully stocked and spilled out into the produce department due to Mother's Day.

Produce in its usual place right as shoppers walk in. Old photos of Eddystone are on the other side of the hanging sign in the first photo. While this decor could be used pretty much anywhere, I do like how they included local flair in some places. With the previous decor, photos alone would barely tell you which store you were looking at or any idea of where it was.

The previously-empty former salad bar is now up and running again with new hot foods signage.

The deli and kitchen follow that on the right wall. Here we see a local reference with "Chester Pike Delicatessen and Kitchen."

Eddystone famous donuts are sold in the Collins Family Bake Shoppe in the back right corner of this ShopRite.

Fisherman's Wharf is now Collins Landing Seafood Market. That deluxe seafood salad sign has been there since we were here last, even at the same price.

No service meat department in this store. Just cases and freezers.

A look at aisle 7, with new aisle markers that no longer sport a slogan ShopRite stopped using in 2008.

Digital price tags at this store, just like how we saw in Woolwich and Brookhaven. My local Lidl also has them now.

Dairy and frozen are in the last few aisles of the store. The aisle markers seen in the third picture weren't changed during the remodel.

Long live the cheese selections!

The former pharmacy department, which closed in 2021 and was later a general/clearance section, now have a permanent role as a seasonal department.

Checkouts and customer service are on the front end.

Mom's balloons thank us for shopping as we leave the Eddystone ShopRite.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2019

The exterior doesn't look too different after the remodel, other than a repaint to some lighter colors.

2007

And while the Walmart looked a lot different back in 2007, the ShopRite didn't change much at all. If the store hadn't been remodeled to the decor it retained until last year at this time, it would've had Festival Foods decor inside.

And that's all for our return to the ShopRite of Eddystone! The new decor is really good and definitely livens up the store, which has had the same look inside for years now. Next week, we're headed a few miles northeast to a discount grocery store. See you then! Thanks for shopping with me today! The Retail Connection: Check out happy.

Acme | Devon, PA

 

700 W. Lancaster Ave

Welcome to the Devon Acme!

A scenic ride down Sugartown Road brought me from the Acme of Paoli to the Acme of Devon. This store opened in 1972 as Pantry Pride, the discount division of Food Fair, and closed with the rest of Food Fair's area stores in 1979. Acme took over the store in 1980, and has expanded and remodeled it several times since then. Perhaps its most famous remodel took place in 2014, shortly after Albertsons regained control of the company, when it received an early and unique version of the Quality Built decor, which it still has today. Let's see it!

I usually try to start on the side of the store with the grand aisle, but I ended up going in on the other side this time so we'll be starting with the pharmacy.

We can already see the decor's special flair! I have no idea why that one of the wall is painted red, though.

The pharmacy is in the front left corner of the store. The decor here is amazingly vintage-looking. It replaced the boring Santa Fe decor, which we saw in Avalon (though, according to Google Photos, that store has since been remodeled as well).

Dairy is on the outer walls past the pharmacy as we head into the main part of the store.

Pet food and other general merchandise are in aisle 11. The aisle markers in this store are nothing like what was used in the common version of Quality Built.

Lancaster brand meats are in quite a small section on the back wall. This area is probably the most similar to how it would appear in a more recent remodel.

Fresh seafood and meat is looking really good as we make our way to the grand aisle of the store. I love the font used for "fresh". It's seen elsewhere in the store.

Devon's Freshest Produce Market gets its own signage despite being freestanding as opposed to in an alcove. Normally, there would be no signage for this department.

Fresh baked, with a very small counter, is on the right wall.

The corner deli is beautiful, and I really like the arrow signage used in this store.

This signage is a more recent addition. I'm not sure if older versions had the "This Is Your Acme" signage, but if they did, this wouldn't be the logo used.

Not the best look at the front end as we check out of this store. This wall was completely redone last year as the store added The Frosted Mug. Here's how this area looked in 2014 shortly after the initial remodel.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2022

The exterior of this store is just as sharp as the inside. I really like the design of the facade, too. I believe the store got it in the early 2000s, and looked more like Wilmington before.

I hope you enjoyed this store! The decor is amazing and I'm pretty disappointed that no other stores got it. The Philly decor that some stores are receiving in more recent remodels definitely call back to this look in some ways. Thank you for reading, and see you next week! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.