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ShopRite vs. Acme: Which Is Better?

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Stores

ShopRite is known for reasonably priced groceries and a lot of promotions and discounts. Acme, now owned by Albertsons is another low-priced grocer. So let’s look at the pros and cons of both: ShopRite vs. Acme

Comparing ShopRite vs. Acme, Acme, now owned by Albertsons, has been around much longer. It offers a larger selection of items you expect to find in a supermarket, including a large number of store brands. However, Shoprite offers higher quality foods, better customer service, and its prices are much lower.

In this article, I compared these two competitors for their prices, selections, produce quality, and more. 

We’ll get into a little history, locations, customer service, and much more, so keep reading to find out the details.

Is ShopRite cheaper than Acme?

Yes, ShopRite is cheaper than Acme. From their grocery prices to promotions and delivery costs, ShopRite has better prices on everything. Also, ShopRite offers you free delivery if your order total is $150 and over. On the other hand, to get free delivery with Acme, your order total will have to be $199 or more.

Though ShopRite charges a flat service fee of $10, whether you pick up or not, we can agree that they have a cheaper delivery service. So, price-wise it might be better to choose ShopRite. 

Acme is one of the most expensive grocery stores, second only to Whole Foods Market.

The prices are high, and the quality is debatable. In a comparison of 19 grocery stores by Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook, Acme had the second-highest store prices.

This survey was based on 154 common grocery items. 

Actually, you’ll find that organic produce is more expensive at Acme than at Whole Foods. If you’re health-conscious or have diet restrictions and need hard to find items, then you’ve probably heard of Whole Foods. 

Here’s my recent article on how the largest retailer or organic food compares to ShopRite. I’ll cover pricing, quality, and overall customer experience, so click that link to get the scoop.

Just click on the link to read it on my website. 

While Acme has some great deals in their weekly Big Book of Extra Savings, the prices are usually still more than ShopRite’s before a sale.

ShopRite’s Right Promise program gives customers rock bottom prices on all staple grocery items.

They can easily be found in every aisle by their tags. ShopRite also allows you to stack coupons, and some can even be used up to five times a day.

Are ShopRite stores independently owned?

Yes, ShopRite stores are independently owned. It has 318 stores, and they are divided by 50 affiliates. WakefernFood Corporation, ShopRite’s parent company, owns and operates 28 of these stores. And this makes them the largest affiliate in the cooperative.

The Majority of Wakefern members own an average of six stores, but a few own only a single store each.

Five of the New Jersey ShopRite stores were owned by Steve Ravitz, who died of the Coronavirus in April 2020. The stores were turned over to his three sons Jason, Shawn, and Brett.

Many of the stores under the ShopRite banner are not easily recognizable.

These include AJS Supermarkets, Ammons Supermarkets, Drust Markets, and 20 others. You can see a full listing of ShopRite members here.

What company owns Acme Markets?

The Albertsons company owns Acme markets. Acme was acquired by Albertsons Companies, Inc. in November 1999.  It is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Albertsons also owns Safeway, Vons, and Tom Thumb, just to name a few of their subsidiaries.

With 2,252 stores as of the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021 and 270,000 employees as of the fiscal year 2020, the company is the second-largest supermarket chain in North America after Kroger, which has 2,750 stores.

ACME Markets Inc. got its beginning in 1891 when two friends, Samuel Robinson and Robert Crawford, opened a small neighborhood grocery store at Second and Fernon Streets in South Philadelphia.

They emphasized quality products, low prices, and friendly service. Acme Markets Inc. operates 179 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland.

Acme was itself acquired in 2006 by SUPERVALU.

SuperValu, Inc. is an American wholesaler and retailer of grocery products. The company, headquartered in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been in business since 1926. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UNFI.

Supervalu then sold Albertsons and, along with it, Acme Markets to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management in 2013. Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is an American private equity firm specializing in distressed investing.

Why is Acme so expensive?

Acme is more expensive because of their dedication to providing superior quality and convenience. But also their employee compensation and benefits are slightly higher than area competition which also causes higher retail prices.

After over 125 years, ACME remains dedicated to providing a high-quality grocery experience that its customers have come to expect.

According to a recent study conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Acme is rated 42% in superior quality and convenience. This is among the lowest scores.

On average, produce prices are $117, with produce quality being 42%, and meat prices are 101% with meat quality of (51%).

They continue to offer consumers fresh and convenient supermarket solutions, in addition to services such as Sav-on® Pharmacies – all tailored to the specific needs of the neighborhoods they serve.

Acme offers online grocery shopping for orders that can be picked up at the store.

Acme also delivers to customers through online orders. They also introduced self-checkout stands, where shoppers could scan and bag their own groceries, stores began adding hot food bars to the deli section.

Acme’s Compensation & Benefits are also 1% higher than Shoprite. Thus, tilting the scale towards Shoprite, in the ShopRite vs. Acme comparison.

Grocery shopping is important, and many people are now opting for a grocery delivery service.

Walmart is well known for having rock bottom prices. You might be curious whether popular services like Doordash deliver from Walmart.

Here is my recent article about grocery delivery from Walmart. I’ll go into details about everything you need to know about Walmart and Doordash grocery delivery.

Just click on the link to read it on my site. 

Does Acme have a better selection than ShopRite?

The simple answer is no; Acme does not have a better selection than ShopRite. ShopRite has a broader selection of products and better deals. Overall ShopRite also beats Acme on quality and customer service too.

Acme’s stores come in vastly different sizes, which affects the selection.

When Acme was part of SuperValu, maintenance and upgrades lagged. Then, when the acquisition by Albertsons happened, that started a few years of decline in which Acme lost its long-time position as the market leader. (source)

This was after many decades of being the largest grocery retailer in the Delaware Valley; Acme fell to number two behind ShopRite in 2011.

As of 2013, Acme was number three behind number one, ShopRite, in the Delaware Valley.

Want to know what other options are out there? Here’s my recent article on ShopRite versus Walmart? I’ll cover which is cheaper and has the best groceries, as well as things you should avoid buying.

I’ll get into the details on much more, so just click the link, and it will take you to the page.

Final Thoughts

In this article, I compared ShopRite and Acme Markets.

I covered the ownership of both stores. You learned that ShopRite is way cheaper than Acme and that being more expensive does not mean the quality is higher.

I also talked about which grocery chain has the best selection and why Acme is so much more expensive than ShopRite. And I hope that you now know which grocery chain is more suitable for you. 

Photos which require attribution:

Acme hell by Aaron Evans and Inside ShopRite of Aramingo2 by Generic Brand Productions are licensed under CC2.0

Jeff Campbell
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By Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Stores