Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Moderator: Groceteria

Post Reply
User avatar
submariner
Veteran
Posts: 258
Joined: 01 Jul 2007 02:13
Location: Orange County, CA

Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by submariner »

Since the closure of Farmer Jack, I visited three stores, representing the three fates.

One, in Allen Park, was closed. This is the store where I held my first job.

Second, in Taylor is representative of a sale into an independent grocer. This is the most complete set of pictures I have of the late 1990's A&P corporate decor.

Third, In western Woodhaven, is one of the stores sold to Kroger, who also kept the A&P package. Kroger is now the only national grocery store chain operating in Michigan.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssbn737rm/ ... 629407960/

Also I've uploaded a bunch more various Farmer Jack/A&P, Kroger, and Food Town photos. Enjoy!
==========
Aaron
"his foxtail-wielding skills are unparalleled, dust bunnies fear his name"
User avatar
submariner
Veteran
Posts: 258
Joined: 01 Jul 2007 02:13
Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by submariner »

I've added another Farmer Jack-turned-Kroger... Interestingly, Kroger opted to use the alternate logo here, rather than the logo traditionally used.

This also features Farmer Jack's last interior decor package. Was this used by any of the other A&P banners, or was this specific to the chain?

http://flickr.com/photos/ssbn737rm/2803990313/
==========
Aaron
"his foxtail-wielding skills are unparalleled, dust bunnies fear his name"
User avatar
Andrew T.
Veteran
Posts: 689
Joined: 18 Oct 2007 14:26
Location: Minnesota's attic, Canada
Contact:

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by Andrew T. »

That "alternate" logo is obviously very reminiscent of Kroger's '70s superstore-era signage.

Although it fits better on a horizontally-elongated facade, I'm a bit surprised that they'd use such a sign on a new or newly-converted store: In the market area I'm most familiar with (West Virginia and western Virginia), they've gone to a lot of effort at replacing exterior signs that don't implement some form of a "curly K and g" logo.
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
Andrew Turnbull
User avatar
storewanderer
Veteran
Posts: 569
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 03:24
Location: Western United States
Contact:

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by storewanderer »

Is it possible that last Farmer Jack set you found was a store that was remodeled into a Food Basics, then converted back to Farmer Jack?

Kroger sure goes all out on these conversions.
Photobucket now allows for comments on each photo! http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa113/StoreWest/
User avatar
submariner
Veteran
Posts: 258
Joined: 01 Jul 2007 02:13
Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by submariner »

storewanderer wrote:Is it possible that last Farmer Jack set you found was a store that was remodeled into a Food Basics, then converted back to Farmer Jack?

Kroger sure goes all out on these conversions.
As far as I know, these remained Farmer Jack locations, since the shelving and checkout signs remained orange instead of green.
==========
Aaron
"his foxtail-wielding skills are unparalleled, dust bunnies fear his name"
robdude
Contributor
Posts: 24
Joined: 30 Aug 2008 18:56

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by robdude »

Kroger put block letters on a number of the Farmer Jack conversions, for some reason only in Wayne and Oakland counties. Macomb didn't get any of these that I know of. There were already Kroger stores around here that had block letters, not with the curly K, predominantly in better areas like Troy and Bloomfield Township. The city of Grosse Pointe Kroger also has block letters with the name "Kroger Premier." The Sterling Heights Kroger at 15 Mile and Ryan (mentioned somewhere else on the board- it is the superstore-Great Scott-awning taken off and remodeled back into a superstore) also has block letters. (As an aside, that is the only center entrance superstore I have ever seen.) Speaking of signage, there is a superstore in Burton (E of Flint) that became a Kessel sometime in the 80s and is now once again a Kroger- it now has the curly K sign on front.
TenPoundHammer
Veteran
Posts: 225
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 21:05

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by TenPoundHammer »

robdude wrote:Kroger put block letters on a number of the Farmer Jack conversions, for some reason only in Wayne and Oakland counties. Macomb didn't get any of these that I know of. There were already Kroger stores around here that had block letters, not with the curly K, predominantly in better areas like Troy and Bloomfield Township. The city of Grosse Pointe Kroger also has block letters with the name "Kroger Premier." The Sterling Heights Kroger at 15 Mile and Ryan (mentioned somewhere else on the board- it is the superstore-Great Scott-awning taken off and remodeled back into a superstore) also has block letters. (As an aside, that is the only center entrance superstore I have ever seen.) Speaking of signage, there is a superstore in Burton (E of Flint) that became a Kessel sometime in the 80s and is now once again a Kroger- it now has the curly K sign on front.
That particular location used to be a superstore with adjacent Rite Aid. They expanded it about 5 years ago into the old Rite Aid space IIRC. My aunt lives practically behind this store.
philside92
Member
Posts: 8
Joined: 24 Mar 2008 06:25

Re: Farmer Jack: The Aftermath

Post by philside92 »

when i started working for an a&p chain in 2005 they sent my first two checks to a farmer jack. when they cleaned out the stores someone finally found them at the bottom of a safe. i think they finally got them to me in november of 07.
Post Reply