SALISBURY, Md.- The switch from Giant is officially finished and ACME has opened up on South Salisbury Boulevard in Salisbury. ACME officials, along with local leaders, held an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the store on Friday morning.
Inside the store, the shelves were stocked and the aisles were packed with shoppers on Friday morning, including Jerry Moskowitz and his wife who drove from Delmar to pick up a few items.
"This used to be a Giant and we always shopped at Giant. And we knew the whole staff and everybody here. We're used to the store and we like the products," Moskowitz told WBOC.
Speaking of the store's staff, it is the same names and faces shoppers got used to seeing at Giant. There were some fears circulating in the community when the status of the grocery store was up in the air that the employees may lose their jobs. However, once ACME was confirmed to be moving in, store officials said the staff was one of their top priorities.
"There is a great group of people here," said Rick Pratt, ACME's district manager in Delaware and Maryland. "When we bought the A&P stores up north we did the same thing. We kept all of the folks that were in the stores. It was important to the people in the community because there are community folks that work in the store and live here."
The employees keeping their jobs was crucial, but so was keeping a grocery store open in that location in Salisbury. Rumors swirled that Giant would close and nothing would be replacing it. The crowds on Friday at ACME showed Salisbury city leaders just how important a store in that location truly is.
"I had to park up by Rita's Ice, that's how many people are in this parking lot," said City Council President Jack Heath. "The importance from an economic standpoint is invaluable."
ACME officials also donated $6,000 to local organizations, including the Salisbury police and fire departments.
The Salisbury ACME is the 73rd ACME to open in the U.S. in the last 12 months.
