Acme Markets Closing 5 Local Stores

January 6, 2011 6:16 PM

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Acme markets plans to close five stores, two in the Philadelphia area and three in South Jersey, by the end of February.

Acme stores in Limerick and Wayne in Pennsylvania, and Cinnaminson, Millville, and Moorestown in New Jersey are targeted for closing.

Wendell Young IV, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, says union officials received word of the closings from Acme’s parent company, Super Valu Inc. earlier this week. Some 240 retail clerks are affected by the store closings.

Young blamed Super Valu for poor management of Acme.

“They were primarily a wholesaler and a supplier when they bought this big chunk of Albertson’s, which included Acme, and their core business was not a retailer,” he said. “And, in today’s market at how competitive retail is, you need to be a really sharp retailer.”

ACME released this statement about the closing, saying, “Given the competitive markets we operate in, and today’s difficult economic environment, it is occasionally necessary to close those stores that are not profitable.”

Young says competition from Shop Rite, Wegman’s and other retailers is eating into Acme’s business.

Many dedicated shoppers were disappointed to hear the news.

“I’ve tried all the local markets and always come back to ACME,” said shopper Suzanne Shneider.

ACME is not the only supermarket chain facing financial troubles. A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two weeks ago.

Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio; Oren Leibermann, CBS 3

RICKY

LET’S JUST LET WALMART AND CORPORATE GREED RULE THE WORLD…

Judy Pacifico

And so, again, more people in the unemployment line. When does this end? My neighbor works part-time for Acme. By the time Acme closes stores, and A&P closes Pathmark and Super-Fresh stores all that will be left is Shop-Rite and Walmarts. There will be no supermarket chains to choose from to go grocery shopping.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/04/28/acme-supermarkets-set-to-lay-off-900-workers-in-philadelphia-region/ Acme Supermarkets Set To Lay Off 900 Workers In Philadelphia Region « CBS Philly

[...] The move comes after the January decison to close five underperforming Acme stores in Pennsylvania and South Jersey (see previous story). [...]
Fearless LeChien

How can it be legal that the premises can’t be taken over by another co. for the purpose of selling groceries? The law is an ass on this one! More stores means healthy competition, a wider range of products and cheaper prices. Now watch Genuardis put their prices up at St David’s.
more truth

a union only comes between the owner of a company bending rules to use the employees for all they can while giving them the least possible …it does protect lazy people at times but i dont care i mind my own work..but the way companys treat people anymore there should be unions everywhere no one stands by their word …u could be doing the same job as someone and just cuz they asked for more they get it and they do the same if not less work then u do all day …but unions ruin everything….yea ur just scared theyll take ur job
TRUTH

tom i hope a child very close to u comes face to face with a pitbull and u see how “nice” they are …keep bringing up mike vick its not like he killed ur poodle …but lets go beat our wives up and down the block cuz people like u think its ok if u win a world series right,(brett myers) but lets cry over these so called dogs that were never put on this earth to be pets in the first place but u seem like someone who knows history so u would know that
SS

It’s a fact – unions kill businesses!!

mac

Yeah,you know,those decent paying jobs where families can afford to buy things that other companies sell. Own a home. Send the kids to college. Make the world a better place. Yeah,those @#$% union jobs.
The Rightminder

There may be some validity to what you say, but how do ordinary workers counterbalance the powers of the corporation, large or small? Would you leave your fate in the hands of a profit-is-everything-minded corporation? That, you may regret.

Ed

Let me see if I understand this right – as a union member you have the right to get someone else laid off as long as you have seniority – got to love that brotherhood benefit. So actually, no jobs are saved.

mac

The union wanted to buy these stores from Albertson’s years ago.Then jobs may have been saved. Easier for folks to buy local.Support the community.

Guess Who

Could they buy them now? They might be cheaper.

Tom

I can’t believe the Wayne Store is closing. Bill, Stanley, and Vince are some of the finest people you could ever meet.
BC

Acme is fading fast. They cannot compete with non-union stores such as Walmart that can offer much lower prices. Paying union wages puts Acme at a distinct disadvantage with the many stores in outlying counties. This is why Walmart, Genuardi’s, etc. will not open food stores within the city. Blame mismanagement and the unrealistic union wages for Acme’s slow demise.

PRO Union

Take it from someone that actualy works for them, it is not be cuase we are paid “huge union wadges” its because Supervalue dosnt know how to properly run a retail chain. Why people think we are paid so well becuase we are in a union i have no idea. the union is there to make sure we are not taken advantage of or treated unfairly as emplyees. The only reason that Walmart is so huge is becuase they do things that are damn near illegal when setting prices and buying from distributers. The union has absolutly nothing to do with it.

tom

I was in acme not long ago was told there was a new president and prices would be lowered,yea they lowered but you have to go to bottom dollar food.
tom

thats what happens when you support a football team thast employs dog killers,i hope woodbury nissan is next
Guess Who

Acme jacked up their prices a few years ago and they expected people not to notice? The use of highly paid union workers didn’t help either.
Ted

The closing of the Wayne Acme is a big mistake. There are 3 colleges in walking distance whose students shop there all the time
Greg

On this one I think there are to many food stores in a general area and still a slow economy
ZZBAR

So, is the economy getting better with all the store closings and lay-offs? I say not.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly Buzz. Philly Buzz said: Acme Markets Closing Local 5 Stores: Acme markets plans to close five stores – two in the Philadelphia area and… http://dlvr.it/Cn7SX [...]