Memco-Bradlees Buyout (1982-3)

Owned by Lucky Stores Inc. of Dublin, California, Memco was a members-only discount store – similar to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s – offering members a variety of both grocery items and general merchandise under one roof, making it among the earliest examples of a modern hypermarket. The brand was originally started as Gemco on the west coast, however as Lucky expanded the brand to the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic region, the name was changed to Memco in order to separate itself from G.E.M, an unrelated members-only retailer that also operated in the region. Memco first entered the Washington D.C. market in the mid-1970s with two stores: one in Annandale, and one in Camp Springs, both of which would operate until Memco’s metro-Washington division was sold off in the 80s^[SOURCE]. The original stores were designed by McDonald-Engelhardt from Arlington, Virginia and featured a distinct arched façade and square physical footprint, which most of Memco’s subsequent Washington stores continued to use. The stores averaged around 90,000 square feet each.

Newark, DE - 301 College Square

Vacant storefront with Kmart labelscar (2019) © The Bradlees Archive

Opened: March 26, 1987

Closed: 1989

Currently: Vacant; Became Kmart (Closed 2018)

Bradlee's Newark location was one of four stores to be opened by the chain in Delaware, however information is pretty hard to come by about this one. Located in the College Square Shopping Center just off of the University of Delaware campus, it was one of two anchors, with the other being a Pathmark supermarket. A lot of folks claim that this store opened in 1983, however going though the property records for New Castle County shows that the building was actually constructed in 1986, with The Morning News of Wilmington featuring a Grand Opening ad in its March 26, 1987 issue. The store was announced to be closing late in 1988, as part of Stop and Shop's attempt to sell of Bradlees' Southern Division to recoup some of the debt it incurred during a takeover attempt by The Dart Corporation earlier that year. The lease was sold off to Hechinger, who incidentally didn't seem to open a location there, with Kmart moving in in 1989. Today the property is being redeveloped, with most of the surrounding strip mall being bulldozed over, though the original Bradlees/Kmart pad still stands.

Concord, NH - 90 Fort Eddy Road

Concord, NH Store (2000) ©Zayre88

Opened: 1982

Closed: 2001

Presently: Lowe's Home Improvement

 

When the store originally opened, it opened as a J. M. Fields location, which closed in 1979. The building remained vacant for a few years before Bradlees took over in 1982, opening a Bradlees Foods store adjacent the next year. Bradlees managed to survive in Concord until it's liquidation in 2001, where it closed alongside the rest of the chain. The building remained vacant for a few years before being demolished sometime in 2004 or 2005 and was replaced with a Lowe's Home Improvement.

Topsham, ME - 65 Topsham Fair Mall Road

Opened: 1985

Closed: April 1996

Presently: Smitty's Cinema and Reny's Department Store

This Bradleees served as an anchor to the Topsham Fair Mall, before being shuddered in early 1996 as part of a wave of 12 store closures, three of which were in Maine (Topsham, North Windham, and Lewiston)

Westbrook, ME - 47 Main Street

Opened: Early 1960s

 

View of the Westbrook store ©Zayre88

Closed: 2001

Presently: Kohl's

The Lewiston Bradlees was part of the Westbrook Plaza Shopping Center, which was a development project started by the Stop and Shop Company in the early 1960s. Instead of choosing to open with a Stop and Shop attached or a Bradlees Food section, the chain instead decided to lease out the other half of the building, which incidentally hosted a number of grocery stores throughout the plaza's lifetime. This location was announced to be closing on December 20, 1999 alongside the other 119 Bradlees locations still in operation. The Bradlees plot remained vacant for a few years before Kohl's came in and opened a store in 2004 as part of its rapid expansion during the early 00's, with a Shaws Supermarket being annexed next to the supermarket space.

North Windham, ME - 795 Roosevelt Trail

Opened:1980

Closed: April 1996

Presently: Reny's Department Store and Smitty's Cinema

This location was an anchor to the Windham Mall alongside Shop 'n Save, which was on the opposite side of the mall where Hannaford is today. The store was announced to be closing in February 1996 as part of a wave of 12 store closures, which included two others in Maine (Topsham and Lewiston)

Lewiston, ME - 855 Lisbon Street

Opened: November 14, 1973

View of The Promenade © Lewiston Public Library

Closed: May 1996

Presently: Vacant (Formerly Flagship Cinemas)

 

This location was an anchor to the Promenade Mall in Lewiston, ME alongside a Shaws Supermarket. It closed in May 1996 along with 11 other stores -- two of which were in Maine (North Windham and Topsham)-- following an announcement in February 1996.