Continuing the celebration of The Market Report's 10th year!
Each month of 2026, I'll be posting a different special feature to celebrate my 10th year of writing this blog. Last month, we took a look at the history of A&P and its other brands. This month, let's shift our focus to the blog itself. For February's feature, I'm going to be sharing some of my own favorite posts from the first five years of the blog, 2016-2020.
Best of 2016
CTown Supermarkets, Bethlehem, PA
December 22, 2016
Although I started photographing stores (and posting my pictures to Flickr) in the spring of 2016, I didn't start writing until November. So there's only a few posts from 2016 to actually choose from, and I've always loved the CTown in Bethlehem. It was a fun store to visit myself, and I've been back a couple times since then.
Best of 2017
Bell Farm Supermarkets, Belleville, NJ
June 12, 2017
This ill-fated store was only open for a couple years in the Newark suburb of Belleville, but I had fun doing a before-and-after when they took the space over from Fine Fare. Prior to Fine Fare, the store had been a Grand Union, a Foodtown, and an A&P.
Runner-Up, 2017
Fresh Emporium Food Market, Jefferson, NJ
July 26, 2017
Another quick failure of a store acquired from A&P by an independent owner. This one was basically still a Pathmark with a different name on the outside -- a name that changed during its one-year life span, no less. Although I wish some of my early pictures could've been better, I'm glad I got to experience and document some of the aftermath of the A&P bankruptcy.
Best of 2018
Eddie's Super Plaza, Worcester, MA
November 15, 2018
Predating my extensive coverage of Worcester in 2024, I posted just a handful of stores from the city when I first moved there. Eddie's Super Plaza is a small grocer in Main Middle, but it's got a 1970s-era (or early 1980s) A&P sign inside, possibly from a former A&P in town.
Runner-Up, 2018
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Foodtown, Denville, NJ
August 13, 2018
My next-favorite post from 2018 is actually one I didn't even take the pictures for -- a contributor sent in these pictures from Dickerson's Foodtown, which had been in business in the small north Jersey town of Denville since 1893. The store then closed in October 2018.
Best of 2019
Tops Friendly Markets, Bath, NY
September 17, 2019
2019 was our first visit to the Finger Lakes of New York! One of my favorite store tours was this one here in Bath, below the southern tip of Keuka Lake. It's a very nice store, and it's some of my better work as far as my earlier photographs go.
Runner-Up, 2019
Foodmart International (former), Linden, NJ
March 17, 2019
This former supermarket was built as an Edwards, which later became a Stop & Shop, then a Foodmart International and a CTown. The decor from this Edwards was sent to a nearby independent store, Universal Food Markets in Rahway. Today, the space is subdivided.
Best of 2020
Ben's Market, Bronx, NY
September 5, 2020
A bit of an unusual choice for best of 2020, I know, but I do love these small grocers of New York City. In Spuyten Duyvil, in the Bronx, Ben's Market has been open for 50 years, and even recently got a renovation after my visit.
Runner-Up, 2020
Food Universe Marketplace, Fresh Meadows, NY
February 11, 2020
This former Penn Fruit retains is high arched ceiling and unique exterior, although after Penn Fruit left, the space was occupied by Hill's, then Waldbaum's, then Food Universe. Now, it's a Food Emporium and definitely worth a visit.
Hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane for the first five years of the blog! Later this year, we'll come back for a look at the best of 2021-2025. Tomorrow is back to Massachusetts for a look at the northeastern part of the state!
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