Wrigley's supermarkets in Michigan
Posted: 28 Jan 2007 19:18
Anyone have any info on Wrigley's Supermarkets, a grocery store chain that was in Michigan in the 1950s-70s?
Here is what I know...
There was a Wrigley's at 3400 West Road in Trenton, MI from around 1960 till sometime in the 1970s. The 1967 city directory lists the store's manager as Pat McPhee. By 1980, 3400 West belonged to Richie's Super Market. West Grange Drugs (which had been at 3420 from the 1960s to 1980) moved to 3390, taking over Wrigley's former space and it still resides at that address today. Here is a fuzzy video capture of this Wrigley's circa 1963, taken from a home movie:
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j254/ ... omemov.jpg
And here is that same place (and almost the same angle) in July 2006:
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j254/ ... estRoa.jpg
In March 1971, K-Mart store #4183 opened, which is at 19800 West Road in Woodhaven, MI. The eastern portion of the store was a Wrigley's supermarket. I don't know the address number, but it would have been something like 19600. This Wrigley's closed sometime in the 1970s and K-Mart took over the space. I know that throughout the 1980s this K-Mart had two doors, one in the middle and one on the eastern side, which had been the Wrigley's entrance. In the 1990s, the store was remodeled, became a Big K-Mart, and the eastern door was removed.
1555 Fort and 2146 Fort, both in Lincoln Park, MI were Wrigley's stores in 1958. According to an internet search, 1555 is now an AutoZone car repair store and 2146 is now a Powerhouse Gym.
3760 Fort is currently a CVS Pharmacy located in a separate building in the Lincoln Park Plaza. In 1957, that address was a Wrigley's.
In 1950, 2245 Eureka in Wyandotte belonged to Packer's Super Market. The 1956 directory lists the address as belonging to "ACF - Wrigley's." (I don't know what ACF stands for.) In September 1957, Wrigley's moved from this address (which the Wyandotte News-Herald newspaper took over) to 13555 Eureka in Southgate, MI. This Wrigley's opened on Tuesday, September 24, 1957 and included (according to the 1958 city directory) an "Awrey Bakeries."
The Southgate Sentinel for Thursday, Sept. 19, 1957 reported: "The Wrigley supermarket, with 18,750 square feet of floor space and featuring the latest in food-marketing ideas and equipment, will have 120 feet of meat-display counters and 776 feet of grocery shelving in a building 125 by 150 feet in size. It also will have 96 feet of display counters for frozen foods and 21 feet for ice cream, plus 56 feet of triple-deck dairy shelving. Seven extended-belt check-out stands, designed by Wrigleys, will provide ample facilities for rapid checking out of purchases. Store aisles will be six feet three inches wide, and a new type of grocery shelving will enable employees to replenish stock continuously without causing congestion in the aisles. An Awrey Bakery shop in Wrigley's will display a complete line of bread, rolls and pastries. The exterior of the building is of face-brick construction. Managing the new store, located at 1355 [sic] Eureka, will be Harry Hawkes, with Larry Kempkes as manager of the meat department, and Elmer Hicks in charge of produce. The market will be open each weekday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m."
A September 1957 ad in local newspapers for Wrigley's grand opening of the 13555 Eureka store said: "Watch for Wrigleys grand opening ... you're invited to share in the excitement ... and enter the contests! Win a YEAR'S SUPPLY of FOOD FREE ... compete for thrilling HELICOPTER RIDES ... take advantage of the give-aways ... and SAVE SAVE SAVE ... at the opening of our NEW Southgate Super Market. ...yes, super-special, extra big GRAND OPENING VALUES ... replacing our smaller Wyandotte market ... with a modern, spacious super center. You'll love its newest innovations for smoother, better shopping ... with spacious aisles ... roomier parking ... everything for GREATER, EASIER SAVINGS for you!" Listed next to the Wrigley's logo was the phrase "Gold Bell Gift Stamps." (I don't know what those were.)
A local newspaper on October 3, 1957 reported: "Fifty persons received free rides in Wrigleys helicopter Saturday during a celebration opening of the new Wrigleys super market in the Southgate Shopping Center."
The Southgate Sentinel for Thursday October 17, 1957 carried an article on the store, accompanied by a photo of the store's exterior and another photo showing a checkout aisle. Unfortunately, I didn't photocopy the entire article, so here's what I have: "NEW WRIGLEY'S 155TH IN NATION. Wrigleys new supermarket in the Southgate Shopping Center is the company's ninety-ninth store in Michigan and brings to 155 the total in the nationwide chain, indicating the rapid strides the company has made since the first Wrigleys was opened in 1937. The first Wrigleys self-service market was opened in...." [this part of article missing from my photocopy] "....and a month later united with Big Bear Markets of Michigan. The new organization, taking the name ACF-Wrigley Stores, Incorporated, immediately acquired Standard Food Markets and Humpty-Dumpty Supermarkets, of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In 1956, Wrigleys acquired 13 supermarkets operated by the Food Town Stores, in the Cleveland area, and 10 stores of the Fred Rapp chain in St. Louis. Samuel Frankel, ACF-Wrigley vice-president, and general manager of the Wrigley Division, announced recently that the Food Town Division, now headquartered in Cleveland, will be combined with the Wrigley Division, with head-" [remainder of article missing]. I will have to get a complete photocopy of that article in the future; sounds like it contains a lot of good info!
By 1965, the 13555 Eureka location became a Packer Foods grocery store. This makes me wonder if there was some relation between Packer and Wrigley's.
In 1958, there was a Wrigley's at 15411 Southfield Road in Allen Park, MI. By 1965, it was a Packer Foods; by 1994, a Perry Drugs; and currently a Rite-Aid store.
On Telegraph Road in Taylor, MI, in 1975, there was a Wrigley's Supermarket at 11500 Telegraph. K-Mart store #4393 was located at 11100 in 1975, so this Wrigley's may have been attached to the K-Mart store, as with the aforementioned Woodhaven K-Mart. In 1965, there was a Packer Foods at 11500, which probably was there long before the K-Mart store was built (judging by the K-Mart store's number).
In Wyandotte, MI, there was a Wrigley's at 130 Sycamore in 1957-58. The 1958 city directory says that the manager of this store was Richard L. Lampe. I don't know if there is anything currently at this address.
A photo of a barely-visible Wrigley's sign -- painted on a wall in Detroit near East 7 Mile and Gratiot -- can be seen at
http://qqm468.tripod.com/other.html
(scroll down to near the bottom of the page)
An internet search revealed that there is apparently Wrigley's supermarkets still around in the California area, although I don't know if they are part of the same chain as the old Wrigley's, or just have the same name. Trying to seach online for info on Wrigley's can be a bit frustrating because so many sites refer to Wrigley's gum, which I don't think is related to the grocery store chain. But I could be wrong.
Well, that's pretty much everything I know about Wrigley's supermarkets. Any other info out there?
Here is what I know...
There was a Wrigley's at 3400 West Road in Trenton, MI from around 1960 till sometime in the 1970s. The 1967 city directory lists the store's manager as Pat McPhee. By 1980, 3400 West belonged to Richie's Super Market. West Grange Drugs (which had been at 3420 from the 1960s to 1980) moved to 3390, taking over Wrigley's former space and it still resides at that address today. Here is a fuzzy video capture of this Wrigley's circa 1963, taken from a home movie:
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j254/ ... omemov.jpg
And here is that same place (and almost the same angle) in July 2006:
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j254/ ... estRoa.jpg
In March 1971, K-Mart store #4183 opened, which is at 19800 West Road in Woodhaven, MI. The eastern portion of the store was a Wrigley's supermarket. I don't know the address number, but it would have been something like 19600. This Wrigley's closed sometime in the 1970s and K-Mart took over the space. I know that throughout the 1980s this K-Mart had two doors, one in the middle and one on the eastern side, which had been the Wrigley's entrance. In the 1990s, the store was remodeled, became a Big K-Mart, and the eastern door was removed.
1555 Fort and 2146 Fort, both in Lincoln Park, MI were Wrigley's stores in 1958. According to an internet search, 1555 is now an AutoZone car repair store and 2146 is now a Powerhouse Gym.
3760 Fort is currently a CVS Pharmacy located in a separate building in the Lincoln Park Plaza. In 1957, that address was a Wrigley's.
In 1950, 2245 Eureka in Wyandotte belonged to Packer's Super Market. The 1956 directory lists the address as belonging to "ACF - Wrigley's." (I don't know what ACF stands for.) In September 1957, Wrigley's moved from this address (which the Wyandotte News-Herald newspaper took over) to 13555 Eureka in Southgate, MI. This Wrigley's opened on Tuesday, September 24, 1957 and included (according to the 1958 city directory) an "Awrey Bakeries."
The Southgate Sentinel for Thursday, Sept. 19, 1957 reported: "The Wrigley supermarket, with 18,750 square feet of floor space and featuring the latest in food-marketing ideas and equipment, will have 120 feet of meat-display counters and 776 feet of grocery shelving in a building 125 by 150 feet in size. It also will have 96 feet of display counters for frozen foods and 21 feet for ice cream, plus 56 feet of triple-deck dairy shelving. Seven extended-belt check-out stands, designed by Wrigleys, will provide ample facilities for rapid checking out of purchases. Store aisles will be six feet three inches wide, and a new type of grocery shelving will enable employees to replenish stock continuously without causing congestion in the aisles. An Awrey Bakery shop in Wrigley's will display a complete line of bread, rolls and pastries. The exterior of the building is of face-brick construction. Managing the new store, located at 1355 [sic] Eureka, will be Harry Hawkes, with Larry Kempkes as manager of the meat department, and Elmer Hicks in charge of produce. The market will be open each weekday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m."
A September 1957 ad in local newspapers for Wrigley's grand opening of the 13555 Eureka store said: "Watch for Wrigleys grand opening ... you're invited to share in the excitement ... and enter the contests! Win a YEAR'S SUPPLY of FOOD FREE ... compete for thrilling HELICOPTER RIDES ... take advantage of the give-aways ... and SAVE SAVE SAVE ... at the opening of our NEW Southgate Super Market. ...yes, super-special, extra big GRAND OPENING VALUES ... replacing our smaller Wyandotte market ... with a modern, spacious super center. You'll love its newest innovations for smoother, better shopping ... with spacious aisles ... roomier parking ... everything for GREATER, EASIER SAVINGS for you!" Listed next to the Wrigley's logo was the phrase "Gold Bell Gift Stamps." (I don't know what those were.)
A local newspaper on October 3, 1957 reported: "Fifty persons received free rides in Wrigleys helicopter Saturday during a celebration opening of the new Wrigleys super market in the Southgate Shopping Center."
The Southgate Sentinel for Thursday October 17, 1957 carried an article on the store, accompanied by a photo of the store's exterior and another photo showing a checkout aisle. Unfortunately, I didn't photocopy the entire article, so here's what I have: "NEW WRIGLEY'S 155TH IN NATION. Wrigleys new supermarket in the Southgate Shopping Center is the company's ninety-ninth store in Michigan and brings to 155 the total in the nationwide chain, indicating the rapid strides the company has made since the first Wrigleys was opened in 1937. The first Wrigleys self-service market was opened in...." [this part of article missing from my photocopy] "....and a month later united with Big Bear Markets of Michigan. The new organization, taking the name ACF-Wrigley Stores, Incorporated, immediately acquired Standard Food Markets and Humpty-Dumpty Supermarkets, of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In 1956, Wrigleys acquired 13 supermarkets operated by the Food Town Stores, in the Cleveland area, and 10 stores of the Fred Rapp chain in St. Louis. Samuel Frankel, ACF-Wrigley vice-president, and general manager of the Wrigley Division, announced recently that the Food Town Division, now headquartered in Cleveland, will be combined with the Wrigley Division, with head-" [remainder of article missing]. I will have to get a complete photocopy of that article in the future; sounds like it contains a lot of good info!
By 1965, the 13555 Eureka location became a Packer Foods grocery store. This makes me wonder if there was some relation between Packer and Wrigley's.
In 1958, there was a Wrigley's at 15411 Southfield Road in Allen Park, MI. By 1965, it was a Packer Foods; by 1994, a Perry Drugs; and currently a Rite-Aid store.
On Telegraph Road in Taylor, MI, in 1975, there was a Wrigley's Supermarket at 11500 Telegraph. K-Mart store #4393 was located at 11100 in 1975, so this Wrigley's may have been attached to the K-Mart store, as with the aforementioned Woodhaven K-Mart. In 1965, there was a Packer Foods at 11500, which probably was there long before the K-Mart store was built (judging by the K-Mart store's number).
In Wyandotte, MI, there was a Wrigley's at 130 Sycamore in 1957-58. The 1958 city directory says that the manager of this store was Richard L. Lampe. I don't know if there is anything currently at this address.
A photo of a barely-visible Wrigley's sign -- painted on a wall in Detroit near East 7 Mile and Gratiot -- can be seen at
http://qqm468.tripod.com/other.html
(scroll down to near the bottom of the page)
An internet search revealed that there is apparently Wrigley's supermarkets still around in the California area, although I don't know if they are part of the same chain as the old Wrigley's, or just have the same name. Trying to seach online for info on Wrigley's can be a bit frustrating because so many sites refer to Wrigley's gum, which I don't think is related to the grocery store chain. But I could be wrong.
Well, that's pretty much everything I know about Wrigley's supermarkets. Any other info out there?