Loblaws 6th and East Ave circa 1935 Erie PA

-newspaper clipping of Loblaws circa 1935.

When I think of Loblaws, I remember big supermarkets spread out around Erie. Judging by this picture, it looks like the Loblaw chain had humble beginnings. The store shown here was located at 528 East Avenue. It had been the Fred Eisert grocery in the 1920s.

This building no longer exists. This stretch of East Avenue, which was across the street from Wayne School, became part of the street when East Lake Road was re-alligned to connect with East 6th Street.

Loblaw had thirteen stores in Erie County, PA in 1974. http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/09/loblaws-had-13-erie-pa-grocery-stores.html

Loblaws We Love Erie 1982 Promotion

-Loblaws ad in Coupon Carnival monthly mailer.

Loblaws had a big promotion in 1982 centered on the theme 'We Love Erie.' The retailer sold t-shirts, mugs, baseball caps, frisbees, bumper sticker and soda pop, pretty much anything they could print the logo on, to raise money for the Erie, PA Tourist Convention Bureau.

There was also an All About Erie game that was sold in June of 1982 at all the Erie area Loblaws stores.

How many of the 'We Love Erie' items do you have in your collection?

Loblaws had thirteen locations in Erie County, PA in 1974. To see a list, click the blue link below: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/09/loblaws-had-13-erie-pa-grocery-stores.html

Loblaws had 13 Erie, PA Grocery Stores in 1974

-ad in Erie Morning News, August 14, 1974.

Remember the Loblaws grocery chain? The grocery store chain had 13 stores in Erie County, PA in August of 1974. Thirteen was not a lucky number for this Buffalo, NY business. The Loblaw Inc. chain was purchased by the Peter J. Schmitt Co., which closed (or sold) several stores in October of 1982. Several buildings remain, some of which are still used as grocery stores, but the Loblaws chain is long gone from Erie.

In August of 1974, Loblaws had the following locations:
1) Erie Central Mall. Howard Roy, mgr.
2) Liberty Plaza. Bill Brandon, mgr. (Now Topps Market at 712 West 38th St.?)
3) Perry Plaza. Carl Hoffman, mgr. (This store is now Erie County Farms)
4) 3580 Peach St. Bill Ball, mgr.
5) 255 East 38th St. (at Old French Road), John Crowell, mgr. (Now Value Home Center)
6) Harborcreek Mall, Jim Mifsud, mgr. (This mall was demolished.)
7) 2203 West 12th St. Fran Forish, mgr.
8) Eastway Plaza. Ed Harrity, mgr. (Now vacant on Buffalo Rd, west of the new Giant Eagle.)
9) 5039 Peach St. Ray Welch, mgr.
10) East Erie Plaza- 838 East 6th St. Charles Kiehlmeier, mgr.
11) North East. Paul Hammer, mgr.
12) Legion Road off of West 26th St. Bruce Carpenter, mgr.
13) 3712 West 12th St. Joe Rooney, mgr. (Now Harley-Davidson of Erie.)

Enjoy more facts and photos of Erie, Pennsylvania history at: Old Time Erie

Perry Plaza in Erie, PA turned 60 on June 5

Perry Plaza in Erie PA turned 60 on June 5

The Perry Plaza on Broad Street and Fairmont Parkway in Erie, Pennsylvania opened on June 5, 1952. Incredibly, the plaza had two grocery stores, Loblaws and A&P. The plaza still exists and is conveniently located on Route 20; the eastside Bayfront Connector runs right behind the plaza. 

Property for the plaza was selected on May 24, 1950 by Broad-Erie, Inc. Attorney Leonard P. Schur was secretary of this corporation. I. Margolin & Sons began construction on the plaza on July 27, 1951. The original plaza tenants, in addition to Loblaws and Atlantic and Pacific (A&P) included: Gray Drug Store, Quaker Dry Cleaner, Union Bank, F. W. Woolworth, Zehe's Bakery, Carter Shoes, National Meats & Vegetables, Pennsylvania Dutch Farms, Dean Phipps Store, Boston Factory Shoe Repair and a Pennsylvania State liquor store. 

Loblaws was billed as 'Erie's Most Modern 100% Self-Serve Market' and was open Thursday night until 8 p.m. and Friday night until 9 p.m. Erie County Farms currently occupies this site. Dunn Tire occupies the old Union Bank location on the right side of this drawing. 

This plaza was on the smaller side, with parking for 1,000 cars; the West Erie Plaza boasted parking for 3,000 cars (see article "West Erie Plaza Map 1971 posted on Old Time Erie on May 17, 2012: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/west-erie-plaza-map-1971-dipsons.html 

My parents shopped at Loblaws in the early seventies. I remember a bar on the right side of this plaza. Union Bank was in a different location than the one shown here- it was a few stores to the left of the one in this drawing, and it had a unique feature, you could drive right through the building and come out behind the plaza.

The Perry Plaza Bowling Center opened around 1953 at 2230 Broad Street, in the corner where the two sections of the plaza meet. I bowled there many, many times in the seventies and eighties. It had 20 lanes and was equipped with AMF automatic pinspotters. And, you could get pepperoni balls at the pizza shop nearby.