Autumn Years Spring 2023

of Jeannie , Barbara Eden was on hand to cut the ribbon at the opening of the Grand-Way store on Route 17 in Para mus. The colossal curved-roof build ing later became a K-Mart, and today it sits vacant.

THE DISCOUNT STORE/ SUPERMARKET MODEL

supermarket chain called Valley Fair had nine stores in the area by 1959 when it opened

its “Superama” store in Hillsdale. This store took the old general-store mod el—where everything anyone needed was sold under one roof—and mod ernized it. This led the last old-time general store in Bergen County, lo cated just one-half mile north in Woodcliff Lake, to close its

TODAY’S INNOVATIONS

Two Guys, Hackensack.

oday we have online shop ping, curbside pickup and

Throughout the 1960s, brands such as Super Saver, Hills and Staff had locations in the county. Mean while, some of the older brands ex perimented with innovations to attract customers. For example, A&P in 1968 introduced at its Fort Lee store an “automatic cart unloader” where “mother lifts noth ing heavier than her shopping list.” The device never caught on. In 1968, Supermarkets ber of the Wakefern cooperative—went into business for itself and started the Pathmark brand. By 2005, Pathmark’s revenues made it the 67th largest retailer in the United States. Then in 2007, the chain was purchased by A&P, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2015. That resulted in all Pathmark stores either closing or being sold to other chains. That ended the 156-year history of A&P. (Of note, A&P’s final headquar ters was in Montvale.) General—which operated ShopRite stores as a mem

even an Amazon Fresh store where you scan a code with your phone, put items in your cart, again scan a code with your phone—and just walk out. Everything is automatically charged to your Amazon account. We’ve now arrived at the checkout in our look at Bergen County’s supermar kets over the years. Surely, two constants will always remain: Everyone needs to buy food; and where and how we do it will continue to evolve. a

doors after 92 years of op eration. It simply could not compete. Two Guys (originally called Two Guys from Har

rison) was a large discount retailer whose supermarkets were full-sized “stores within a store.” They competed directly with the large supermarket chains.

The well-known Hack ensack store opened in 1963. Grand Union opened a discount depart ment store/supermar ket combination called Grand-Way. These were full-size supermarkets that also carried 15,000 non-food items of ev ery variety. In October 1958, long before she was the star of I Dream

Grand-Way in Paramus. (Credit: Pleasant Family Shopping)

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SPRING 2023 I AUTUMN YEARS