Acme | Folsom, PA

 

124 Morton Ave

Welcome to the Folsom Acme!

It sure doesn't feel like Groundhog Day here on The Retail Connection, because this is our very first time in a Superstore-style Acme! This design was used from around 1995 up until 2001. For the most part, stores of this design had either the Red White & Blue or Chalkboard Market decor package upon opening, with this store receiving the latter. It held its grand opening on February 12, 1999, the day after longtime nearby stores in Folsom and Woodlyn closed their doors. Prior to Acme, a small shopping center operated on this site, anchored by Ridley Bowl and A&P. Today, the store has a nice version of the Quality Built decor. Let's head inside and check it out!

Produce is on the left side of the store. When this store first opened, it had the Chalkboard Market decor, as evidenced by the layout and green ceiling. This was one of the last stores to open under American Stores, who created the Chalkboard Market decor, as the sale to Albertsons was finalized in June 1999.

Bakery and deli are in an island across from produce. The backsplash is left over from the Premium Fresh & Healthy 1.0 decor, which this store had in between Chalkboard Market and Quality Built.

Meat and seafood are in the back left corner, completing the grand aisle of the store.

The Frosted Mug is in aisle one behind the deli-bakery island. This was previously the Wild Harvest department, which was added under SuperValu.

Frozen foods are in aisle 10, complete with the nice PF&H 1.0 wood flooring.

General merchandise is located in aisle 11. This aisle and aisle 12 (our favorite) transition into one double-wide aisle halfway through.

Dairy and lunch meat occupy the rest of the back wall. The rounded awning in the second photo is where the dairy signage was for PF&H 1.0.

The pharmacy is in an unusual spot on the left wall. Like Paoli, Folsom's twin store, this store kept the Sav-On branding, though Paoli also kept the exterior signage while this store removed it. Interestingly, it seems that a new Sav-On sign was installed during the remodel, as the previous one appeared considerably larger.

Floral is in the left corner on the front wall, fitting for an early spring. This was originally the photo department, which probably closed in the mid 2000s. It then became miscellaneous seasonal merchandise before floral relocated here from the produce section during the Quality Built remodel.

A look down the front end. Like many 90s Acmes, this store has a Citizens Bank branch.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2017

The grand re-opening following the remodel took place in January 2017, so this was shortly after. The apple-filled windows must have hung on for a while after, though.

2015

Still totally fresh and healthy at this point. The nearby Pathmark closed the same month this picture was taken.

Nearby competition

0.4 miles away: Lidl of Folsom

The Pathmark I mentioned was previously on this site. It opened as a ShopRite on January 18, 1967, then became a Pathmark just under two years later in October 1968. The store closed in September 2015 due to A&P's bankruptcy and was demolished in 2017 for this Lidl, which opened December 5, 2018. You can tour it in my very first blog post here.

1.4 miles away: Aldi of Woodlyn

This store is located in the same center as the former Woodlyn Acme, but a few doors down in a former Raymour & Flanigan Outlet which was previously a Hechinger. I visited this store shortly after it opened back in March, and you can take a look inside here.

And that's all I wrote on the Folsom Acme! This is one of my local stores, and I've always considered it the "nicer" Acme, at least in comparison to Holmes. It is a really beautiful store and always busy, so I'm sure it's one of the chain's top locations. Thanks for reading this week, and I'll see you again next time! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.

Lidl | Folsom, PA

420 MacDade Blvd.

Welcome to the Folsom Lidl...

and welcome to The Retail Connection! For our very first post, we'll be checking out the first Pennsylvania location of the German discount grocery store chain. This store opened on December 5, 2018, on the site of a former Pathmark which closed with the chain in 2015.

Here's the entryway. Okay, now let's get out of the rain and head inside!

Not the best photo of the welcome wall. In newer American stores, "hallo" has been replaced with "hello".

The first thing you see when you walk inside is the bakery, Lidl's only full-service department. Both pre-packaged and fresh baked goods are sold here.

A wall of bread next to the bakery department.

Past the bakery we find seafood and deli meats, both of which are limited to coffin coolers.

Across from there is the dairy section.

Dairy extends to the back wall, and meets frozen foods, which in turn extends to the other side of the store. This section of frozen foods is mainly frozen french fries/nuggets/pizza etc., while the other side is breakfast foods and ice cream.

Taking up most of the back of the store are the "bargain bins". This is all random general merchandise, like home decor, stationery, and clothing. The second shot gives a good look at how much space this section takes up.

The entire store, in one picture. An exposed roof plus the front of the store being covered in windows help to create a very open atmosphere.

A lot of Halloween treats. Can you tell it's October?

All drinks on the rest of the other wall.

Produce is at the front of the store, but it's near the end of the post because it's right across from the checkout lanes.

That's going to do it for today's (very first) post. Thank you for shopping The Retail Connection! See you again soon!