Once the region’s dominant supermarket, Acme tries to stay relevant in changing economy

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Image of the Acme in Haverford in 1977 via Philadelphia magazine.

Once the dominant supermarket in the Philadelphia region, Malvern-based Acme is still managing to find ways to stay relevant in the changing economy, writes Steve Volk for Philadelphia magazine.

The supermarket chain, which has seven locations in Montco, has renovated and remodeled around 80 of its stores to create modern outlets out of old stock. Acme has also acquired dozens of existing outlets in recent years, bringing its total to 168 stores across six states.

According to Acme president Jim Perkins, last year, the Acme banner also showed a profit, which highlighted the vitality in the brand.

These victories are particularly welcome to older Philadelphians, who fondly remember the time when Acme dominated the market with more than 1,000 outlets. Since then, the chain has slipped from first place to fourth and now only has a nine percent share of the region’s grocery market.

Acme now faces new challenges with a number of its outlets still in dire need of a makeover, while its competition continues to grow. Additionally, and perhaps most worryingly, its target market, the middle-class shopper, has been steadily declining.

Read more about Acme in Philadelphia magazine here.

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