Last updated on 30 April 2025.
Columbus is a fascinating area to study, having hosted numerous regional (it was the home of Big Bear Stores) and national (A&P, Kroger) chains, and also being the only large city in Ohio that has experienced consistent growth over the past century.
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Pretty gassy self-promotion by Big Bear. No mention that they lifted the name from the pioneering Big Bear in Elizabeth, NJ (huge store in an old factory) and that their competitor Albers introduced the term super market, as well as pioneering the concept in the Midwest.Kroger entered a lot of places by buying out Piggly Wiggly operators. They did this in Cleveland and Atlanta among other places.