Here’s a nice display of Acme Markets products, circa 1965/6 - an era when many supermarkets were just beginning to recognize the revenue potential of house brands and thus began sprucing them up to maximize sales. The “eye” logo on the packaging of some of these items preceded the stores’ new image (as featured in the previous post) by a couple of years. I notice that some of the products are labeled under their main brand “Ideal” but also under the “Farmdale” or "Glenside" brands, leading me to wonder if Acme sold under the other brands on a wholesale basis or through their Rea and Derick Rexall stores. Also, check out the "One Whole Chicken" in a can on the top shelf. Mmm!Friday, October 5, 2007
An Ideal Selection
Here’s a nice display of Acme Markets products, circa 1965/6 - an era when many supermarkets were just beginning to recognize the revenue potential of house brands and thus began sprucing them up to maximize sales. The “eye” logo on the packaging of some of these items preceded the stores’ new image (as featured in the previous post) by a couple of years. I notice that some of the products are labeled under their main brand “Ideal” but also under the “Farmdale” or "Glenside" brands, leading me to wonder if Acme sold under the other brands on a wholesale basis or through their Rea and Derick Rexall stores. Also, check out the "One Whole Chicken" in a can on the top shelf. Mmm!
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I will take the coffee, cake mix and floor wax if still available for low low prices.
ReplyDeleteWell, the pecan ring was 65 cents. That would sure be a good deal today!
ReplyDeleteI bet that stuff would be a good deal today! LOL!
ReplyDeleteActually, the 'whole chicken in a can' is still available today...
ReplyDeleteHaha. Where does one find chicken in a can in the modern age?
ReplyDeleteIn many grocery stores (at least around here) in the same general area as the other canned meats. (Spam, chipped beef, corn beef hash, etc...)
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe I have just never noticed. I will have to check it out next time I grocery shop. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the whole chicken in a can at my local Albertsons.
ReplyDeleteI know Alpha Beta sold some of the "Ideal" branded grocery products...
ReplyDeleteOf all of Acme Market's brand names, the only one that survived the renaming of every thing to "Acme" was "Lancaster Brand". It is still used for the meat products sold at Acme Sav-on
ReplyDeleteMike - Good to know the Lancaster brand is still going strong. I kind of like the "Speedup" brand they used for their cleaning products.
ReplyDeleteWhen Acme converted some of their stores to the Super Saver format, they used Alpha Beta label products that were essentially the same as the Acme (Ideal) products.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Thanks for that bit of info.
ReplyDeleteActually this was not all of their product offerings. They also had another private label called "Fireside" for all their non-Lancaster packaged meats (bacon etc). Many of these branded products continued well into the early 1990s when Acmey finally consolidated all non-lancaster grocery brands into the Acme Label. The photo reflected a strong proud Acme that was synonomous with quality. an Acme that is, unfortunately not the Acme of today. as the chain has been through slothful mismanagement in the post-Skaggs-era American then its mergers (first Albertsons, then Supervalu) the quality of the stores and private label (outside of the still active Lancaster meats) have suffered allowing chains like Shoprite, Giant, Walmart and even a Pathmark-ed A&P to kick some serious rear as todays overpriced union-plagued mediocre Acme is a far cry from its well documented glory days in the 60s and 70s as it ran many prominent Philadelpia rivals into bankruptcy (Penn Fruit,Food Fair/Pantry Pride)
ReplyDeleteI like the older grocery stores. The carts were not plastic jumbo. The packaging was minimal, Cellophane, and glass containers prevailed.
ReplyDelete