MOM's Organic Market
It's not too often that I get to introduce you all to a new chain that we haven't seen before on the blog! This time, that chain is MOM's Organic Market, and I visited their first New Jersey location, here in Cherry Hill, back in January 2021. The Maryland-based chain was originally called My Organic Market, which was shortened to MOM, and most recently re-branded as the rather redundant MOM MOM's Organic Market, at least if we are to take the sign at face value. A good friend, who's a Baltimore native, explained the history to me and says that people simply call it MOM's. More recently, the chain has opened up in Dobbs Ferry, NY and most recently in Paramus.
This building actually started life as an ACME back in 1957 and was a series of non-grocery tenants up through 2016, when MOM's moved in. JoshAustin610 captured the store ten years ago when it was a Sleepy's and a Chinese buffet. This was my first MOM's, and I came out kind of neutral on it. It's certainly not a bad store -- it has some really strong points -- but I can't say I'd necessarily return.
We begin in produce and bulk foods at the front. From there, cold cuts and beverages line the right-side aisle of the store with a cafe to the right of that. Dairy is on the back wall, and frozen is in the last aisle. If I'm not mistaken, the aisles run side to side, with checkout at the end of the frozen aisle in less of a conventional supermarket format. I mentioned that the store has strong and weak points -- one of the strong points is the produce department, which is all certified organic. There was an impressive selection in a fairly small space and the quality seemed excellent.
Looking up the first aisle. This store is roughly 17,000 square feet, but feels way too large -- it seems like MOM's may be slightly overwhelmed in this space, even though it's not that big. It doesn't help that there's a Whole Foods right across the street. As we can see here -- and we'll see throughout -- there's too much empty space around the store. It is, however, not empty space on the shelves, which were beautifully stocked. I suspect that's due to the fact that it doesn't seem that anybody much shops here.
Dairy at the back of the store. You can see how empty the store was. I understand these extremely wide aisles in the most crowded stores, but it seems like overkill here. Nice coffee department!
Here's the last grocery aisle in the back of the store, looking up towards the front. We can see the beginning of the frozen foods, which then continue down the last aisle (which is straight ahead, by the way; the back of the store is just a little wider than the front).
Some interesting product choices here for sure, although it certainly struck me as very expensive even for a natural store.
I could be wrong, but I don't recall seeing any storebrands here. That would help with pricing for sure.
Very substantial HABA selection, which is a nice touch. Also good to compete with Whole Foods.
Apologies for the blurry photo.
I believe the produce department is on the other side of the shelving we see straight ahead here.
Pricing complaints aside, there was definitely an interesting selection of unusual items. If I lived around here, I might come to pick up a few things I couldn't find elsewhere, but I certainly wouldn't do a full shopping here. One more odd thing in the freezer aisle before we leave... what's going on with that wall to the right? It didn't seem to be actively under construction, and it's been like that since at least 2018. It looks terrible with the wall exposed -- why hasn't that been fixed (or installed at all)?
Opened: 2016
Owner: Scott Nash
Previous Tenants: ACME Markets > subdivided
Location: 1631 Kings Hwy N, Cherry Hill, NJ
Photographed: January 2021
So I came out with very mixed feelings about MOM's. I respect what they're doing and I think they have some really good points, but the execution in a lot of ways is not impressive. But that's all for now, and tomorrow we're moving east on 70 for a look at a former supermarket that closed not too long ago on Grocery Archaeology!
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