Ypsilanti's first supermarket
In Ypsilanti, one supermarket arose much earlier, and for a different reason.
In 1940s Ypsilanti, ration books were used to mete out food. Fuel was in short supply. City scrap rubber drives were in full swing and it was difficult, if not impossible, to get new tires for your car. People drove less and tried to conserve their car until better times. Although many of the small grocers delivered to your door, the delivery system was better suited to stay-at-home moms, not households in which the husband was serving overseas and the wife was out doing war work. For wartime motorists shopping after work, the city’s longtime system of scattered separate meat markets, poultry markets and small grocers was becoming difficult and costly to navigate. The July 9, 1942, Ypsilanti Daily Press reported, “A $75,000 streamlined food department store, representing A & P Tea Company’s latest contribution to war-forced ‘one-stop shopping,’ where complete food requirements are obtainable under one roof, was opened here today at Michigan Ave. and Grove St.” Four A & Ps already existed in Ypsilanti. These were small “economy” stores not much bigger than the existing traditional grocers. The Michigan and Grove store was new, and new on a nationwide scale.The paper continued, “In announcing the store opening, James A. O’Donnell, vice president in charge of the company’s Detroit unit, said the new red and buff colored brick structure is the ‘most modern food establishment in the country which features more and larger “stores within stores” than any other retail outlet’.”
“The store replaced A & P’s first super market in its Detroit unit, which was opened three blocks west at 23 Michigan Ave. in February, 1937.” This was one of the four small “economy” stores. The use of the word “super” is debatable, since the parking lot had spaces for only 14 cars.
The new store’s lot boasted an 80-car parking lot and the novelty of fluorescent lighting. Six checkout lanes served customers.In comparison to the old store, the new one had “30 feet of meat and fish cases, 20 feet more than the other store; 36 feet of dairy boxes and cases, while the old store had only a 10-foot-long wall box. . . and a 65-foot tile-covered fruit and produce rack equipped with the latest slanting back-mirror.” In addition, the chain’s economies of scale allowed it to underprice local grocers, another appealing factor for rationed wartime budgets. A & P executives from Detroit, New York, and Chicago attended the grand opening. As a first step towards Washtenaw County’s modern big-box food stores, Ypsilanti’s sparkling new A & P offered an appealing way to save scant wartime money and transportation resources.
For a different perspective on Ypsilanti grocers, check out "The Sadness in a Depression-Era Grocery Receipt."
"Cold Off the Presses" is published every Wednesday in AnnArbor.com.
Comments
Laura Bien
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 8:24 p.m.
Hi bellhelmet, I found the answers to your questions. Mostly. I've put the answers and a newspaper article over on my blog; you can read it here: http://ypsiarchivesdustydiary.blogspot.com/2009/09/response-to-reader-question-about-first.html Fun to research; thanks for the great question!
Laura Bien
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 12:10 p.m.
bellhelmet: Not 2 days ago I had the article that answered at least one of your questions in my hand: (knew I should have copied it!) I have a date in mind for the closing but I'd like to double-check and am going to the Archives later today. Why don't I check that and post the answer, and the answer to your "heyday" question, here when I've nailed it down, probably this evening. Thanks for reading! In the meantime, here's an interesting article on A&P and why they tended to lag a bit in the supermarket biz from the wonderful site Groceteria: http://www.groceteria.com/store/national-chains/ap/ap-history/
Laura Bien
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 12:06 p.m.
Dear Mr. Stuckey: You're most welcome! By the way, I sniff out a lot of my stories in the beautiful library at the university at which you work--it's a gem, I'd sure you'd agree. Thanks for reading!
bellhelmet
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 11:44 a.m.
I enjoyed the story and the history behind this store too, but am also interested in a follow up. When did this particual store enjoy its heyday and when did it finally close?
Laura Bien
Wed, Sep 16, 2009 : 7:35 p.m.
Those are all great resources and pieces of information, Ed; thank you! Can't speak for anyone else but I am completely fascinated by just the history behind the most mundane of things like supermarkets...dig a little and you can learn all sorts of interesting and meaningful things about the era and what people were up to. Thanks again Ed.