The Market Report

Boyer's Food Markets Owner: Dean Walker Opened:  1998 Previous Tenants:  ACME Markets (1959-1995) > Insalaco's (1995-1998) Location:  150 E Centre St, Ashland, PA Photographed:  November 29, 2019 Here we are in Ashland, PA, a town of 2400 towards the western side of the Coal Region. We're nearing the end of our circuit around the lower Coal Region area, with just three more towns to stop by after this one. At 18,000 square feet, this is a small supermarket but definitely a complete one -- and complete with some key supermarket history. As some may be able to tell from the exterior (there are a lot of clues remaining), this store was built in 1959 as an ACME. In the 1970s, it was remodeled with a minor upgrade -- adding just part of the Super Saver awning (see the whole thing in Middlesex , for instance). The interior was also remodeled in the 1970s. The store closed in 1995 before becoming an Insalaco's for a few years, then a Boyer's in 1998. I believe at the t...

Berger's Market Owner: Paul Berger Opened:  1973-2021 Cooperative:  none Location:  30 Lovers Ln, Pine Grove, PA Photographed:  November 29, 2019 Welcome to Bergers Market! This supermarket is the larger of two in Pine Grove, although at just 29,000 square feet, it's not all that large. And I suppose I should stop talking about this store in the present tense -- after almost 50 years, the supermarket was sold in 2021 to Boyer's, whose stores we've seen around this area in Lansford and Tamaqua (with more in the next few days). Although this store had only been open for about 50 years, the history goes back farther than that. The Reading Eagle did an excellent piece on the store's history two years ago when it was sold. The store has also been expanded multiple times, most recently in the 1990s, which this website captured in its picture. We're going to tour the store as it was when I visited in late 2019, although I understand Boyer's has remodeled the s...

BG's Value Market Owner: Dianne Koval Opened:  unknown Cooperative:  none Location:  24 Pleasant Valley Rd, Pine Grove, PA Photographed:  November 29, 2019 In the little town of Pine Grove, BG's Value Market (which we most recently saw in Minersville ) has made their home in a 12,500 square foot former pitched-roof ACME. It appears ACME closed in 1995 and shortly thereafter the store re-opened as a BG's. In fact, there's actually a picture of BG's having its grand opening here . BG's renovated the store later, but really only changed the outside. I'm not sure how much they did to the inside, since it doesn't exactly look like an ACME inside but also doesn't look like any work was done recently. And it's amazing how much they pack into the tiny store. You enter in the front left with customer service on the left side wall. Produce lines the left side of the store, with meat, deli, and bakery on the back wall. There's a little alcove or two fo...