Groceries, Grocery stores, & Supermarkets (Philadelphia, Penn: roach, location, to work)

[selhars]

I'm from Rochester where there is a Wegman's every few miles. .... They certainly haven't over-saturated this area yet and on paper, Philly checks all their boxes.

Glad to hear it. So a Wegmen's in Springfield or Media could happen.

BUT -- follow me on this -- IF the Concordville store already pulls from as wide a radius as Media/Springfield to the East......Wilmington, Montchanin, Greenville and Arden DE to the South......Kennet Square and Chadds Ford to the west, and almost to Malvern to the north. And note that there is a store in Malvern -- so the West Chester and others north of Concordviille depending on where they're located could go to Malven store OR the Concordville store......

....then what population in how large a number does Wegman's really gain by putting a store in Media or Springfield?

IF Wegmans is doing urban stores then I DO think the Northern Libs Olde City area would be great. And some people west of Broad and south of market street believe the Rittenhouse area could support another large grocer, also. What about the Plymouth Meeting area? And I think Wegmans would be a hit in the WIllowGrove. Jenkingtown/Abington area also.

My interest is more the Delco area though. But don't get me wrong it'd still be great for the Philly area to have more Wegman's but having a Wegmans downtown or to the north doesn't help me any.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by acenturi

Aren't these new Amazon stores primarily a "pickup and delivery" orientation with limited/targeted on-site items - i.e., unlike the typical Supermarket ?

From what I hear, no. They won't be football-field-sized stores like most suburban American supermarkets are, but with footprints of about 20k square feet (the Acme at 10th and South and the Whole Foods across 10th from it are both smaller than that), they will be big enough to carry a full range of groceries.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by selhars

Glad to hear it. So a Wegmen's in Springfield or Media could happen.

BUT -- follow me on this -- IF the Concordville store already pulls from as wide a radius as Media/Springfield to the East......Wilmington, Montchanin, Greenville and Arden DE to the South......Kennet Square and Chadds Ford to the west, and almost to Malvern to the north. And note that there is a store in Malvern -- so the West Chester and others north of Concordviille depending on where they're located could go to Malven store OR the Concordville store......

....then what population in how large a number does Wegman's really gain by putting a store in Media or Springfield?

IF Wegmans is doing urban stores then I DO think the Northern Libs Olde City area would be great. And some people west of Broad and south of market street believe the Rittenhouse area could support another large grocer, also. What about the Plymouth Meeting area? And I think Wegmans would be a hit in the WIllowGrove. Jenkingtown/Abington area also.

My interest is more the Delco area though. But don't get me wrong it'd still be great for the Philly area to have more Wegman's but having a Wegmans downtown or to the north doesn't help me any.

I suspect one of the big issues in Philadelphia is finding a lot large enough to place a full-sized Wegmans on. The areas where their customers are most likely to come from are rather short of these, and the light industrial zone between Old City and Northern Liberties is one of the few areas where one of these can be found.

I do, however, recall reading that the Brooklyn store (which opens Oct. 27; I thought Dumbo was in Manhattan, not Brooklyn, and there is no Wegmans in Manhattan - the Brooklyn store is the chain's first in NYC) is located in a two-story former Brooklyn Navy Yard building or something like that. If the chain is willing to consider two-story stores, then that does open up the options a bit. Not far enough for them to build west of Broad in Center City or anywhere near Rittenhouse Square (most of the good candidate spots on Washington Avenue west of Broad are taken), though.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by selhars

IF Wegmans is doing urban stores then I DO think the Northern Libs Olde City area would be great. And some people west of Broad and south of market street believe the Rittenhouse area could support another large grocer, also. What about the Plymouth Meeting area? And I think Wegmans would be a hit in the WIllowGrove. Jenkingtown/Abington area also.

Wegmans has stores in King of Prussia (in the Instant Urbanist King of Prussia Town Center/Village at Valley Forge) and Montgomeryville, so I don't think they'd open a store closer to those places than those two.

[selhars]

I just offered those for conversation. I'm more interesting in a DelCo option.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by selhars

Glad to hear it. So a Wegmen's in Springfield or Media could happen.

BUT -- follow me on this -- IF the Concordville store already pulls from as wide a radius as Media/Springfield to the East......Wilmington, Montchanin, Greenville and Arden DE to the South......Kennet Square and Chadds Ford to the west, and almost to Malvern to the north. And note that there is a store in Malvern -- so the West Chester and others north of Concordviille depending on where they're located could go to Malven store OR the Concordville store......

....then what population in how large a number does Wegman's really gain by putting a store in Media or Springfield?

IF Wegmans is doing urban stores then I DO think the Northern Libs Olde City area would be great. And some people west of Broad and south of market street believe the Rittenhouse area could support another large grocer, also. What about the Plymouth Meeting area? And I think Wegmans would be a hit in the WIllowGrove. Jenkingtown/Abington area also.

My interest is more the Delco area though. But don't get me wrong it'd still be great for the Philly area to have more Wegman's but having a Wegmans downtown or to the north doesn't help me any.

I think a Wegmans would have been great for the new Granite Run Mall complex. I think the area has enough people and money to support 2 Wegmans within a fairly close distance. It would be about 7 miles between the 2, but a good 25 minutes on a typical traffic day.

Toll Brothers is also unfortunately developing a huge chunk of the Franklin Mint site across from the Rocky Run YMCA, that will add hundreds new (likely affluent) residents to that corridor.

Anywhere in Newtown Square or Springfield area would work too. A big new Whole Foods just opened in Newtown Square.

[g555]

Originally Posted by cpomp

I think a Wegmans would have been great for the new Granite Run Mall complex. I think the area has enough people and money to support 2 Wegmans within a fairly close distance. It would be about 7 miles between the 2, but a good 25 minutes on a typical traffic day.

a. the Granite Run Sears will have to close to free up the space. Sears is in a weak shape that it might happen within the next 3 years, but
b. Acme on the Granite Run property might not make a Wegmans work. I don't know the lease provisions that Acme has for its site.

Now, at Oxford Valley Mall, there is a vacant Sears and former Boscovs. Maybe JCPenney would take a buyout and there could have some reconfiguring of space-redevelopment and with it a Wegmans. I think the market is strong (or affluent) enough in that area.

Plans are underway for some apartments replacing the Boscov.

http://levittownnow.com/2019/08/12/e...d-valley-mall/

[briantroutman]

For those awaiting the Arch Street Trader Joe’s: The company’s website now lists an opening date of next Tuesday (October 22nd).

[selhars]

That place will be a mad house that day! Good luck to anyone who goes.

Having worked at the Market street store.....my advice is know your store and when the "down times." Sometimes (but usually not) -- if you're strategic -- you might have only several other people in the store and it's great. Other times it's so packed you can't even move, and the line is around the store AND up-and-down THREE aisles. (When the store had one line, versus a line for each cashier. I don't know if that's still the case)

The 22nd street store was known for having people who shop while their in line. Since the line winds through the aisles anyway. Get in line and shop while the line moves!

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by selhars

That place will be a mad house that day! Good luck to anyone who goes.

Having worked at the Market street store.....my advice is know your store and when the "down times." Sometimes (but usually not) -- if you're strategic -- you might have only several other people in the store and it's great. Other times it's so packed you can't even move, and the line is around the store AND up-and-down THREE aisles. (When the store had one line, versus a line for each cashier. I don't know if that's still the case)

The 22nd street store was known for having people who shop while their in line. Since the line winds through the aisles anyway. Get in line and shop while the line moves!

It will be my 61st birthday.

I think I'll skip the grand opening.