Groceteria Journal:

9 January 2008 | Link this

From an anniverasry brochure produced by Bruno's stores sometime around 1989, the photo above shows one of the original American Fare stores, probably the Stone Mountain Parkway store in Atlanta. American Fare was an experimental joint venture between Bruno's Supermarkets and Kmart, and was based on the European concept of a hypermarché, the fusion of a discount department store with a supermarket.

The first of these stores opened in Atlanta in early 1989, while the second (now abadoned, pictured below) mades its debut in Charlotte later the same year. A third location opened in Jackson MS a few years later. These stores marked a return from Kmart to the business of grocery retailing after more than a decade (the company had included leased grocery departments in mant of its 1960s and 1970s locations) and served as something of a trial run for the later Super Kmart stotrd. American Fare, however, was originally a somehwat more upscale format than Super Kmart, with a more distinctive interior design scheme, not to mention brand name apparel its successor would eliminate in favor of Kmart's standard offerings.

Bruno's eventually sold its interest in the three American Fare locations, which were then rolled into the Super Kmart operation. The American Fare name lived on for several years afterward as Kmart's house brand for grocery and household items.

28 December 2007 | Link this

For my Christmas vacation, I visited a Lucky store and finally saw in person one of those murals I helped their ad agency assemble. Appropriately, the first "new Lucky" I visited was also the very first "old Lucky" I ever visited, way back in 1992: the Lakeshore Plaza store in San Francisco.

22 December 2007 | Link this

Off to Fresno to celebrate the holidays with the in-laws, maybe eat at the Chicken Pie Shop, and spend as little time as possible in San Francisco. Happy holidays to you all.

14 December 2007 | Link this

Just returned from a brief road trip in the environs of Washington, Baltimore, and Wilmington DE, and here are a few photos for your amusement. This wasn't really a "research" trip, so I didn't come back with too much.

I think this was my favorite find. It was at Kenilworth Avenue and Riverdale Road on the border between Edmonston and Riverdale Park MD. I'm guessing it began life as an Acme, but I'm not sure. A sign on the other side suggests that it's about to be converted back into a supermarket.

Read on/more pictures...

Journal Archives