Jewel-Osco | Bensenville, IL

 

1127 S. York Road

Welcome to the Bensenville Jewel-Osco!

Chicago's favorite grocery store chain is back on The Retail Connection! The Bensenville Jewel-Osco is the first one we're seeing that wasn't actually built by the company. A&P (which the rest of the center was designed to replicate) originally opened on this site in 1961, becoming Dominick's in the early 70s. Dominick's razed the store and rebuilt it in 2001, closing with the chain in 2013. After a few years of vacancy, Jewel-Osco opened here in 2016. It has the Jewel Heritage decor we've come to know quite well inside. Let's take a look!

Heading in on the right side. I'm not sure why Bensenville isn't referenced here, especially considering there are no other Jewel stores in town that could be confused with this one.

In a somewhat interesting layout, a Starbucks counter on the front wall turns into the bake shop on the right wall. Across from that is an island with the deli facing the bakery and the pharmacy on the other side. I would imagine this layout came from Safeway, since none of the Jewels we've seen look like this and it's vaguely similar to the Genuardi's layout.

Beer and wine is in the back corner on this side of the store past the bakery, and dairy and meats run down the back wall.

A look at the dairy section from aisle 16, which has health and beauty products in stock.

Fresh cut meat and seafood is on the far left side of the back wall. I think it would've made more sense to put it where the beer and wine is so it would be with all of the other service departments, but at least here it's near produce. Speaking of which...

The sign is mostly obscured here, but it says "Your Neighborhood's Freshest Produce Market." I guess Jewel-Osco just really has something against the name Bensenville.

Fresh flowers are in the front corner next to the left entrance.

Looking at the Huntington Bank branch on the front wall, which as usual was TCF Bank prior to 2021. And, of course, Jojo is making an appearance to promote the Just for U rewards program. What a great way to end the tour!

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2016

Still quite a new Jewel-Osco here. It was only 12 years old when it closed as a Dominick's, too. I don't know when the last new Dominick's opened, but it probably wasn't very long after this store did. Genuardi's, a similar Philadelphia-area Safeway-owned chain which I'm sure we're all familiar with on the blog, opened its last store in 2005 and closed in 2012.

2011

As you can see, Jewel-Osco did make some minor alterations to the entrance towers, but other than that kept the store pretty much the same as it was as Dominick's.

Thanks as always to Calypso for this Jewel-Osco tour! This is quite a nice store, and it's especially interesting to see the layout I recognize from Genuardi's, a family chain from the Philadelphia area, in a store in Illinois. Next week, we're headed to another Jewel-Osco about 30 miles south of Bensenville, near the Naperville area. See you then! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.

Jewel-Osco | Clarendon Hills, IL

 

303 Holmes Ave

Welcome to the Clarendon Hills Jewel-Osco!

For the first time since October, we're headed to Illinois! Calypso is bringing us a tour of the Clarendon Hills Jewel-Osco. This store opened on January 24, 1967, and was the largest store in the chain at the time of opening, with special features including a pastry shop, book and magazine section, and photography shop. Despite its large size at the time, it's been remodeled several times over the years, and currently has the Jewel Heritage decor inside. In we go!

This is our first time seeing a Jewel-Osco with Starbucks inside.

This store's grand aisle is on the right side of the building, with deli (not pictured) and produce on the outside wall, meat and seafood in the corner, and bakery on an island.

In this store, aisle 14 is home to general merchandise like party products and greeting cards.

The pharmacy, formerly known as Osco Drug, is in the back corner on the far left side of the store. HABA is in the aisles across from the counter. This store has had a pharmacy department since opening.

Beer and wine is in the last aisle of the store, with floral on the front wall.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2022

The store has been its current size since the mid 90s, which was also probably when it got the double entrances. Those were popular with Acme during that time.

2011

At this time, the store had a green color scheme on the exterior and the Industrial Circus decor inside.

Thanks as always to Calypso for this Jewel-Osco tour! Next week, we're heading back home to see a much more familiar store to me, GIANT. Thank you for reading, and see you next week! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.

Jewel-Osco | Elmhurst, IL

 

153 Schiller Street

Welcome to the Elmhurst Jewel-Osco!

Our third time in Illinois means our third time in a Jewel-Osco. Thanks, as always, to Calypso for these photos. Back in September, we saw Elmhurst's other Jewel-Osco, also considered part of Butterfield, and today we'll be touring their more northern store in Elmhurst proper. The Schiller Street Jewel-Osco opened back in 1969 and was expanded in 2001. Let's take a look around!

Like the other store in Elmhurst, this location has the Legacy decor, which is basically the same as Acme's Quality Built package.

We entered on the right side of the store, to the beer and wine section. The other entrance leads into the grand aisle, which we'll be seeing in a moment.

Rounding out this area of the store is the pharmacy, located on the back wall. Doctor Jojo is making an appearance on their shingles shots posters!

                      

Frozen foods are located in the center of the store, complete with cheesy Sincerely, Food signage.

The grand aisle is on the left side of the store, featuring the deli, bakery, meat and seafood, and produce. I believe the tile backsplash behind the counters is from the original version of the Santa Fe decor, also known as "the Jewel interior".

Floral and checkouts take up the front end space.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2022

This store has the "Marketplace" signage like the other Elmhurst Jewel-Osco.

That concludes our tour of the other Elmhurst Jewel-Osco! Thank you again to Calypso for the photos. Of the three Jewels we've seen so far, this one seems to be the nicest. The 2000's remodel must have been pretty extensive, as the store still looks pretty new and the layout is mostly the same as the average Acme from the time (except for the pharmacy). This Albertsons-owned store has been in business for quite a long time, but the one we'll be seeing next week is having its grand opening today! See you then! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.

Jewel-Osco | Villa Park, IL

 

33 E. St. Charles Road

Welcome to the Villa Park Jewel-Osco!

Another week, another Jewel-Osco! Thanks again to Calypso for bringing us this store tour. The building this store is in dates back to at least the early 1960's, although I'm not sure if it has always been a Jewel-Osco. Inside, the store does not have the Legacy decor we saw in Elmhurst, but was instead remodeled with Jewel's version of the Albertsons Heritage decor. It previously had Premium Fresh & Healthy 3.0 (see the Clayton Acme for reference). Let's step inside!

Thanks for having us!

The deli and bakery are in the front right corner upon entering.

Produce and floral are in the back right corner. The layout here is pretty different than Elmhurst's, so I'm assuming this store was either opened or significantly remodeled at some point before or after Elmhurst. Historical aerials show that the building has been its current shape since the late 80's.

A look down aisle 16, which is the home of shampoo, cosmetics, and conditioner. Appropriately, this aisle is located right across from the pharmacy. Speaking of which...

As styertowne noted in a different Jewel, the pharmacy signage uses real brick. However, I don't think this is original to the store as they said, as during the PF&H era the backdrop was just plain gray.

Along the front end, we encounter Jewel-Osco's mascot Jojo for the first time. I believe they are the only mascot for an Albertsons chain.

Hey, we're in a Jewel-Osco, not Albertsons!

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2022

Like Elmhurst, this store has a Huntington Bank branch (formerly TCF) and a large wine and spirits section. Interestingly, the "Osco Pharmacy" signage was kept even after the pharmacy itself lost that name.

2017

Still rocking the fruit pictures here!

And with that, our 32nd post of 2023 comes to an end! Thank you all for reading, and thanks especially to Calypso for sending in all these great pictures. I'll see you next week! Sincerely, The Retail Connection.