ShopRite | Eddystone, PA

 

1568 Chester Pike

Welcome to the Eddystone ShopRite!

Happy new year, and welcome back to The Retail Connection! I hope you'll join me today for a tour of the Eddystone ShopRite. This location opened in 2005 in a former Festival Foods, which only operated from 2002 until 2003. Until the Drexel Hill store opened in 2014, this was the only ShopRite in Delaware County. It is operated by Collins Family Markets. Let's head inside and take a look!

According to this welcome wall, Collins Markets was founded in 1995. I'm not sure if they've been a Wakefern member since then or not. Collins also operates the next closest ShopRite, in Glenolden, which opened in 2016 in a former Pathmark.

Immediately to your right when you enter the store is produce and floral. The wood flooring definitely adds a nice touch to the décor. I think this section is the best part of the store, in terms of design.

Past the produce section is the former salad bar. It seems like this section now sells fried chicken as an extension of the deli.

The deli in question. It's decently sized, but this area is pretty cramped with displays. I was in between two cases while taking this picture.

The bakery next door is much more spacious. I've always liked their baked goods, but sometimes I've seen some weird things there, like 7up flavored cake.

Tight quarters in seafood -- or should I say, Fisherman's Wharf -- as well. This department had just gotten a shipment, too, which probably made matters worse. The signage and the flooring have a cool design, though.

Here is a look at one of the aisle markers used with this décor. I believe these are original to the store, as the slogan at the bottom was used from 1999 to 2008.

Fresh meats is along the back wall next to seafood. The font used is Cooper Black, which is also used by Weis Markets for their logo. The dairy aisle has a similar sign.

Banners hanging in frozen which also use the Weis font.

The cheese department is past frozen. Obviously it's not just a cheese section, as I can spot some ranch and frozen dinners in that coffin freezer.

Along the far left wall is the full-scale dairy department. Which, of course, isn't complete without even more cheese. A little blurry.

Speaking of cheese, here's a comparison between ShopRite-brand products and Bowl and Basket-brand. The new design is the one on the right, but for some reason they're still making both kinds.

This section was formerly the pharmacy window, but it closed in 2021 along with 62 other in-store pharmacies at ShopRite. This store sealed up the window and implemented a small general merchandise section.

Here's the front end, with 16 checkouts. I believe the lane lights are also original. Along the front wall is another, newer slogan.

Other Images of Interest

Street View Images

2019

The pharmacy was still in operation at this time.

2007

This was only two years after they opened. Not much has changed, although they don't do triple coupons anymore.

Nearby competition

500 feet away: Walmart of Eddystone

This Walmart co-anchors the center and opened in 2001, slightly before Festival Foods. It's not a Supercenter, but it does have a full grocery section only missing the service departments. This location still has the brown exterior and Project Impact interior decor.

That's going to do it for this tour! Thanks for shopping The Retail Connection. Happy New Year and see you next time!

Goodwill | Holmes, PA

 

2137 MacDade Blvd.

Welcome to the Holmes Goodwill!

We're back on The Retail Connection! Today, we're checking out a thrift store. The Holmes Goodwill, located in the MacDade Plaza, has been open for over 30 years (formerly a furniture store) and recently got a remodel. The walls have been painted, new decor is up, and the checkout and cart corrals have been moved. Let's step inside, get out of the cold, and take a look!

This area was formerly empty, but it now houses the cart corrals. They were previously along the front wall, where the checkout currently is. The wall was also repainted with this new slogan.

Here's a look at the decor that runs along the walls. The "Donate. Shop. Create Jobs." slogan is seen throughout the store. 

I don't know for sure, but I think these price directories are new. They're towards the back of the store, where the glassware, housewares, books, and movies are.

These category markers are also new. These are all throughout the store.

The biggest change by far is the new checkout area. I took this picture from where the old checkout lanes were. They went the other way and were further back. This new way is definitely much better.

Other Images of Interest

My Finds

I found some interesting retail memorabilia on my trip here.

Reused carts

This store has a plethora of recycled shopping carts. In view are carts from Acme, Walmart, and Marshalls. I wouldn't be surprised if this store also has old Kmart carts from their Holmes location, which closed in 2019, lying around, though I didn't see any.

Here's a close-up look at the cart I used on this trip, a black cart from Acme. I used to see red ones at this store before the remodel, but not this time.

Vintage filter-drier

Not necessarily retail, but I saw this very old Sporlan Catch-All Filter-Drier which is probably from the 50's or 60's. According to Google, Sporlan Valve Company is defunct and was located in Elkins Park, PA.

A&W mug

I ended up buying this A&W mug. It was only 99 cents. It's in pretty good condition, too.

CVS sticker

The item itself (a brownie pan/cutter) wasn't interesting, but I thought this sticker was. It's a "security label" which obviously wasn't supposed to be on something that was for sale. There's a number beneath it to call "if found at other outlets". The CVS is still open, by the way.

That's all for this brief tour! Thanks for stopping by The Retail Connection!

Acme | Holmes, PA

503 S. MacDade Blvd. 

Welcome to the Holmes Acme!

Welcome back to The Retail Connection! Today, we're at the Holmes Acme, which was mentioned in the Lidl post. This store opened back in 1969, making it one of the chain's older stores. During the 70's, the store operated under the Super Saver banner. American Stores retired that banner in 1982, which is likely when the store became Acme. The store was remodeled in the past few years and currently uses the chain's latest décor package. So let's head inside to check it out!

Produce is immediately to your right when you walk in. The fake windows and flooring are left over from the mid-90's remodel, which gave the store the "Red White and Blue" décor package.

Tiny bakery just past the produce section.

Lancaster Brand Meats across from the bakery along the back wall.

Looking down aisle 5. This shot gives a nice view of the aisle markers and the old 90's flooring still in place.

The corner deli and fresh seafood and meats are back to back here. This is a relatively small store, so everything's sort of jam-packed.

Dairy takes up the rest of the back wall.

Aisle 15, the last aisle, has the rest of dairy and frozen foods.

Pharmacy and HABA in the corner. This used to have the Sav-On branding, but, like many other Acme pharmacies, signage now just says "Pharmacy".

Customer service across from the checkout lanes. The "lottery, cigarettes, refunds" sign hanging underneath looks very old. I think that's from the 90's décor package.

And, as we pull away from the Holmes Acme, the original roadside sign still stands. There's another one at the other exit to the left of the store.

That's all for this tour! Thank you for shopping with The Retail Connection. Please come again!

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!