Time to do some chain-by-chain deep-diving into the city of corn and Caterpillar...starting with Kroger, the city's market leader:
* One of the early 1930-era Kroger locations was located on "John H Gwynn Jr. Ave" (although the street wasn't named that until later on). Our host's twin?
* 712 S Western Av opened by 1935, and was housed in an interesting two-tenant street-flush brick building. The store lasted through the late '40s, and I wonder if Kroger annexed the entire structure at some point?
* Another 1935-era store, 2422 Knoxville Ave, has
extremely ornate contrasting brickwork on its parapet. I doubt that Kroger dictated the architecture, but even so, this building is a must-see!
* A 1943-era location, 2621 NE Adams St, is still selling groceries as an independent market. This building is also a must-see aesthetically, with glass block down the side and ridged buttresses and building corners.
* Yes, indeed:
3008 N Sterling Avenue is a former Kroger store location! It opened by 1960 (as expected), and closed by 1975 (also as expected).
* Other well-preserved 1940s and 1950s buildings stand at 1319 W Garden St and 330 N Western Ave (although the latter is compromised by Bavarian-style gingerbreading). 711 NE Jefferson St also dates to this era, although it's scarcely recognizable as a supermarket.
* A butchered 1960s store with traces of a 1970s Superstore remodelling stands at 2321 N Wisconsin Ave.
* A "virgin" 1970s Superstore at 1405 W Garfield Ave in Bartonville is still in operation in somewhat recognizable (albeit renovated) condition. I visited and photographed this store while en route through the city in 2016.
* A better-preserved, but inactive Superstore stands at 3013 N Sterling Av. I also photographed this store on my 2016 Illinois trip. It now houses a Big Lots store (which left some of the original interior decor intact), and the adjoining SupeRx was until recently still in business as CVS.
* A perfectly-intact 1980s greenhouse store (with original "Deli-Bakery" sign) at 201 S Main St is
still open for business...at least for now. Unfortunately, I never got a photo of this one.
* An intact early-1990s wedge store stands at 3311 N Sterling Ave, astride the Superstore it replaced (and not far from the 1950s store that was the antecedent of both). It also remains open.
* Rounding out the Krogers are two near-identical late-1990s/early-2000s stores: 801 W Lake Ave and 9219 Lindbergh Dr. Not much to say about them, though by now I suppose enough years have passed to make these borderline-historical in their own right!
* No Black Widow Murderer stores, alas. Unless I overlooked an address...