The Andersons (Ohio)

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Super S
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The Andersons (Ohio)

Post by Super S »

The Andersons stores are a relatively small chain in Ohio, which I remember most as a home improvement and general merchandise type of store. I have not been inside one in many years (I moved from Ohio in the early 1980s) , so can't comment on their current operations. However, The Andersons Company is a pretty diverse operation.

http://www.andersonsinc.com/wps/portal/corp

Although we lived about an hour away from Toledo, my family did make occasional shopping trips to The Andersons when we visited Toledo.

One unique thing I remember about this store is that they used to have a small grocery section at the front of the store which had a lot of specialty type items. Bakery items, meats, cheeses, etc. As I was looking at their website today, I noticed that they have opened a standalone grocery store "the Andersons Market" in Sylvania, Ohio. Which made me curious if their traditional stores have in recent years expanded their grocery offerings along the lines of a Walmart or Meijer grocery department, or if they have maintained a smaller selection.

I can't seem to find a lot of information as to their early days, except that they opened in 1952, but am curious about their grocery operations, specifically, if their stores had the grocery sections from day one, or if they were added later, and if they ever operated any other standalone grocery stores. Although I don't want to stray into current operations, I am curious if they plan to add any more of the standalone Markets.

From what I can tell, the stores seem to hold their own as they face increasing competition.
rich
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Re: The Andersons (Ohio)

Post by rich »

The original store in Maumee had everything from cattle prods to deli foods when I went there in the mid-70s and appears to still be like this. The last time i was in one of their stores was a few years ago near Franklin Park. It didn't have cattle prods but seemed to have the spirit of the Maumee store, which has always had a more rural clientele. Their stores and other operations essentially evolved from the kind of general store with a grain elevator and lumberyard in the back that one would find in a small market town in the Midwest.
bobsjers
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Re: The Andersons (Ohio)

Post by bobsjers »

As I recall, they made their own fertilizer, and also sold it to other chains, using the chain's name as a house brand. I knew the Hechinger brand fertilizer was made by the Anderson's in Maumee Ohio. I knew they also had stores, but never saw one.
Super S
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Re: The Andersons (Ohio)

Post by Super S »

The Andersons announced earlier this year that they are shutting down their retail operations.

I have been wondering if any older photos of the stores themselves exist. I have seen a few from the 1950s, but very little from that point until about the mid-1980s. The current Maumee store itself dates to the early 70s.
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