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Re: Pantry Pride / Thriftway
Posted by TheQuestioner on 10/10/2005, 1:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Penn Fruit Philadelphia retro store located with PHOTOS"
71.135.240.225|
Thanks for the information on Food Fair and Penn Fruit. I would like to know more about the creation and history of Thriftway. When Pantry Pride started to go under, the one near me changed to "Shapiro's Food Fair" (I believe it was "Fair" it may have been something similar.) It was obvious to me even then that this was probably a one-off name, independent of any chain. From what I have learned readin this and other sites, this name would coincide with the time period where Pantry Pride still existed as a company but was in it's death throes and had closed many of it's stores ('81 thru '86 or so.) Around the mid 80's it dropped the "Shapiro's" portion of the name, and not long after that was "rebranded" Thriftway. I figured this was another one-off deal too, since all that changes was the sign on the building, no interior redecorating or advertising push in local papers or the like. I was surprised years later to learn it was a chain. Does Thiftway still exist as a company? Was/Is it a losse alliance like IGA, or was it really an attempt to have a cohesive chain? (albeit not like the big boys like Kroger or Safeway.)
--Previous Message--
: Great photos :)
:
: I know that you know that Pantry Pride
: bought most of the Penn Fruits around
: late 60' to early 70's?
:
: Penn Fruit and other PA. and
: surrounding area grocery retailers
: sufferred badly after a very bitter
: labor strike. Penn Fruit never
: recuperated which allowed Food Fair
: (Pantry Pride) and other retailers to
: gobble up their stores for cheap. Food
: Fair got most of them.
:
: Later when Food Fair/Pantry Pride
: collapsed, many of the managers and
: execs purchased several stores and
: created the Thriftway supermarkets.
:
: I am sure that this store was one of
: them. I doubt if they are still the
: owners thus the slight change in name
: to Holiday Thriftway.
:
: As far as Penn Fruit's pre Food Fair
: history..........??
:
: I know that they were very unique and
: ahead of their time in design, size of
: stores, merchandise mix, etc. Very much
: like the Fredrick's chain in Florida
: that Food Fair also purchased.
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: Recently in Philadelphia I stumbled
: onto
: a former Penn Fruit that is still
: operating as an independent Thriftway.
: It is now called Holiday Thriftway
: located at 5147 Frankford. Not being a
: Phila native, I'm not familiar with
: Penn Fruit except for their gigantic
: building designs. Please look over the
: photos that I took and let us know if
: the color scheme and interior signage
: is original. I was truly amazed to
: find this relic still in operation. It
: was very fortunate that I had some
: extra time and happened to have my
: camera with me. Enjoy the photos and
: please leave some feedback on the
: history of this location and Penn Fruit
: chain. Gary
:
:
:
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