Charlie's Thriftway

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Ephrata1966
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Charlie's Thriftway

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Hey Gerry, do you know the details behind what happened to Charlie's Thriftway? All I know is it just became another "Bottom Dollar" owned by Food Lion. Notice the Acme was in Parkesburg, but the Thriftway was in Coatesville. We have an Acme A Frame vs a newer Thriftway here, so the other way around would make more sense!
maynesG
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Re: Acme, Parkesburg PA.

Post by maynesG »

Hi, There were several Charlies stores. The Thriftway that you were speaking of was the last of them. It was in the waining days of Fleming Oaks when the Wholesaler was lending money to store owners to build brand new stores Others( Thriftway governors Plaza De, Cooks Thriftway Smyrna De, The Shop & Bag in Aston Pa, Parkers Thriftway Middletown De and Shop & Bag West Chester and Shop & Bag Exton Pa, as well as several in New Jersey. Only a handful still sell groceries today.
This Charlies, on the out Skirts of Coatesville replaced the Charlies Thriftway that was in the old A&P/ Super Fresh in town and led to the close of the 1950!s Acme/Thriftway/American Family store in town that has since been torn down. What killed this store was the Walmart in Parkesburg.
The original Charlies was in Parkesburg and was known as Charlies Super Thrift located in a strip mall on the other side of town known as Charlies Center. It was closed by the Walmart also,
The family that ran that store were first rate people, did more business then the Acme lived in town and did a lot for the town. I was shocked to see this center a complete wreck in a near state of collapse.
Ephrata1966
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Re: Acme, Parkesburg PA.

Post by Ephrata1966 »

What is the one in West Chester now? Do you mean Giunta's Thriftway (now Giant)?

I would think Eckerd/Rite Aid would be gone from the Coatesville center by now, but maybe not with Bottom Dollar now open.

And I think Cropper's Shur-Fine is not far away. They had another store that failed. Ironically, Giunta's bought this one and dropped the Thriftway label. Even with a Wine & Spirits inside, neither could compete with Wegmans.
maynesG
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Re: Charlie's Thriftway

Post by maynesG »

Hi Yes Giunta is correct.They moved from a small downtown Italian American Market as you entered West Chester to the location that is now a Giant. They always had a great Deli.
I remember the other folks when they had the old store on Route 322 and not much was around them/ I Knew that Giunta had purchased one of the stores but did not know that They closed.
Ephrata1966
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Re: Charlie's Thriftway

Post by Ephrata1966 »

I meant to clarify that the Croppers on Route 30 in Downingtown closed in 2004. The spot was empty a very short time until Giunta's moved in. They closed in 2006 and the store is finally a Best Buy and ten years old.

What happened with the Clemens in Exton too? And the original Genuardi Family Markets in Exton?
maynesG
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Re: Charlie's Thriftway

Post by maynesG »

Hi, The original Genuardis was located in the shopping center across route 100 from the K Mart in a former A&P. This building was the last opened in the old Philadelphia Division. It only lasted a few years as a Genuardis.
I barely remember the Clemens in Exton. In fact the last time I was there was when it was first opened;
On the subject of this area, you had asked about what you had thought was a former A&P
off of Route 100 in Lionsville(now a Food Outlet). It was actualy built by the defunct , Fiores Chain. The original store was located in downtown Norristown, a large and successful Thriftway
on Route 30 east of route 202 ( I can!t think of the name of the Berg) . They ran into trouble and I believe that a new Genuardis , killed the one on thirty.
Ephrata1966
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Re: Charlie's Thriftway

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Sorry for the confusion. You might have been thinking of the Clemens (now Giant) in Lionville. I am curious about the one that closed (now Marshalls) on Route 30 between Exton and Downingtown. The center is actually called Festival Shopping Center. Perhaps there is a connection to Festival Foods/Fleming/Supervalu? According to Josh, the Clemens was originally a Shop 'n Bag from 1991-1994. Then it was Clemens from 1994-2004. Could this building have been identical to Charlie's?

Marshalls used to be in the Acme center. The old one just became a Big Lots. TJ Maxx still has a store here, but both opened before those two were the same company. The old JM Fields/Rickel/TJ Maxx next to the Food Fair/Pantry Pride/Pathmark across from Cherry Hill Mall in NJ just became Big Lots too. Oddly enough, TJ Maxx moved to the old Super Fresh Futurestore in Marlton. The small run down 1975 A&P/Super Fresh in town is still open for the time being, which still has an ancient Super Fresh logo but replaced a Centennial. Not sure if you are familiar with "JSF0864" yet. There also was a Jo-Ann Fabrics in Festival Shopping Center that started as "House of Fabrics", then moved to be next to the old Cropper's/Giunta's. Not sure what was there before Jo-Ann.
maynesG
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Re: Charlie's Thriftway

Post by maynesG »

Hi, Yes now I know what store we are talking about. This Shop & Bag was very similar to Charlies Thriftway and about ten other stores, that were built at that time. It was owned by the same Shop &Bag owner who originaly owned the Aston Shop & Bag and operated a store on the other side of route 202 from Westchester ( It became a Super Fresh and closed a few years back
I am sorry I can!t remember the name of that town but i will). The most interesting thing about
that Shop & Bag is that it had a nursery for customers to drop their kids off at and shop!
Why they sold to Clemens I am not sure. I do remember at the other Shop & Bag unit east of 202, they closed because a Genuardis opened a couple miles away. John Dupont the millionaire
murderer was a customer of the Shop & Bag and later the Genuardis
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