Acme Markets, the long-time Philadelphia market leader that has fallen behind ShopRite and Giant in recent years, is investing profits back into stores and making a bit of a comeback.
The turnaround started shortly after Supervalu sold Acme and four other supermarket chains to a group led by Cerberus Capital Management. After the sale Jim Perkins was named Acme president, and his presence in Malvern, PA – not Supervalu headquarters in Minneapolis, MN – has meant that change is taking place more quickly.
“There’s no red tape,” said Perkins recently. “Everything we do is local. We all work here and live here.”
Acme’s current priorities are to offer more competitive pricing, better customer service, higher quality products and cleaner stores. Labor contracts are also a priority, and all but one has been renewed so far.
Television commercials recently started running with the company’s new theme: “Acme, We’re back!”