Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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rich
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Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Post by rich »

If there were Food Fair/Pantry Prides, they would have been in the the WV panhandle adjacent to the Maryland panhandle, with proximity to DC. Grand Union and Acme-PA were there, although Acme sourced some WV stores from Johnstown, PA. I don't know about Safeway but I don't think Giant-MD was ever there.

I doubt that Food Fair had JM Fields stores in the DC area--their supermarket footprint always was very small. They were a much bigger factor in Baltimore. Acme followed a similar pattern, although they had been in DC since the 20s.
Steve Landry
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Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Post by Steve Landry »

Yeah, I believe that is correct...............

The panhandle would be the logical area.

There was talk of the managers trying to buy the remaining stores.

The size of the stores were large for their time (when built).
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Andrew T.
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Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Post by Andrew T. »

Thanks to my special archivist's powers, I've found leads that settle some questions I had about Beckley's supermarket past.
f4l.jpg
* First off: Yes (West) Virginia, there really was a Food 4 Less store in Beckley! It opened on October 30, 1989. It was also operated by Fleming, not Yucaipa; no surprise there.

* Fast-forward to 1997:
Beckley Register-Herald wrote: Kroger taking Food 4 Less site
Kroger finalized an agreement Monday to acquire the Food 4 Less store in Beckley Crossing, according to Archie Fralin, spokesman for Kroger.
The store is owned by the Fleming Co.
"We've been looking for a replacement for our Raleigh Mall store," Fralid said. "All along we felt that Beckley Crossing was the best location in Beckley. When Food 4 Less decided to close the store, we took the opportunity to purchase it from them."
The new Kroger Food & Drug store, which will be twice the size of the Raleigh Mall location, is slated to open in summer 1998.
Food 4 Less will close before Dec. 1. Kroger plans to take possession of the store Jan. 1.
* Kroger opened in the former Food 4 Less location at 133 Beckley Crossing on May 16, 1998, slightly ahead of schedule. Kroger's previous 1974-vintage Superstore location at Raleigh Mall closed on May 15, 1998. They never were open simultaneously.
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
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Andrew T.
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Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Post by Andrew T. »

Another one: Remember 1732 Harper Road, the site of the 1970s A&P that was reoccupied by Kroger in the 1980s? Well, this one was a surprise. It turns out that the reason why the original store was demolished and rebuilt was because its roof collapsed under the weight of snow in February 1998!
krosno.jpg
The original building was exactly what you'd expect: A quintessential 1970s post-Centennial A&P (identical to several I've photographed in Michigan), with 1980s Kroger Greenhouse-era signage tacked on. A&P opened in 1975, and Kroger opened in 1982. Obviously, they didn't do much in the way of renovations.

The current store opened on June 24, 1999, on the same site.
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
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Re: Beckley, WV chain grocery/supermarket locations

Post by Andrew T. »

Just thought I'd bump up this thread with a great video link:

Driving Thru Beckley WV October 8, 1996

A Kroger store is briefly visible around the 2:50 mark, although it doesn't get a clear shot.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg of what's visible here: The driver traverses the city's commercial strips, and signs for an almost bewildering number of now-defunct business names are visible: Hills! Montgomery Ward! Amoco! Ashland! Western Auto! One Valley Bank! Lone Star Steakhouse! ATMs with "Owl" branding! It's a complete blast, and a window into the environs of my younger self.

And Merril Bainbridge's "Mouth" is playing on the radio, too! I don't think I've heard that song since...1996.
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
Andrew Turnbull
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