Meandering with Mark Matthews: Bellmawr is seeing Dollar Signs!
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
By Mark Matthews
No, we are not getting an infusion of new cash… but looks like we are getting 2 new businesses with a "Dollar" theme! A discount variety store has opened this week, and coming up next is a discount supermarket!
Just opened this week at the Browning Square shopping center is Dollar General. It is located in the center of the old Super Fresh building, with Retro Fitness to the right.
Despite what you would think based on the name, Dollar General is not a dollar store. They are general merchandise store. From their website “From brand-name grocery items, to apparel and household décor, to a wide variety of health and beauty items for the entire family, Dollar General Market has everything you need, all at prices designed to save you more”
I’ve been to the Runnemede store in the past, and it reminded me a little of the Family Dollar stores, one of which used to be in Bellmawr on the pike.
I stopped this morning to take a picture, and caught an employee out front. The store opens at 8am, and closes at 9pm.
Bet your Bottom Dollar on a new Supermarket?!
Back in early June, Gloucester City News reporter Chris Concannon had a comment in his council meeting write-up that Food Lion was moving into the Heim’s IGA location.
Curious for info, I did some Googling, and found an article from the Food Trade News regarding a new Supermarket in Bellmawr.
The article is focused on the Delaware Valley food industry, and while the web format of the content gets confusing… down in one long running paragraph is “several new Bottom Dollar extreme value units are slated to open later this year. Leases have reportedly been signed in Allentown, PA, Montgomeryville, PA, Reading, PA, Exeter Township, PA, two in Philadelphia (Island Avenue and Cruisetown Road) and another in Bellmawr, NJ as the chain seeks to expand its discount format”.
While it has “Dollar” in the name, Bottom Dollar is a completely different store than the Dollar General. Bottom Dollar’s web site says it is a full Supermarket offering everything you would expect including meats and produce, just “a whole lot cheaper”.
Why the initial comments that Food Lion was coming? Well, it turns out that Bottom Dollar is a new discount Supermarket concept run by Food Lion and its corporate parent, Delhaize Group.
Adding more to the story… in another Concannon article on the Bellmawr Night Out in August is a list of sponsors. And listed in the sponsor list is “Bottom Dollar Foods”. Where there is smoke… :-)
A twist? A very recent press release (July 21) at the Bottom Dollar Food website announces their Philadelphia expansion with 15-20 new stores opening by the end of 2010, and while other Jersey stores are listed (Turnersville), Bellmawr’s is not. The press release is focusing on 2010 expansion and the Heim’s location is far from ready for 2010… so maybe our announcement will come later. There is a number listed for media contact, and I’ll try to give it a call later today. Probably could have saved a lot of writing if I just called first, but the internet research is fun stuff!
Hard to believe that Summer is over! After such a cold and snow winter, to get hit with such a hot and sunny summer... who would've guessed? Things are cooling down, and I think its time to get back into the 5k running mode. But more on that in a later post.
