Thursday, May 29, 2025

The 1980s meet the 2000s - Watertown Price Chopper

Price Chopper #102

Opened: c. 1986
Location: 1283 Arsenal St, Watertown, NY
Date Photographed: October 11, 2018 and May 21, 2025

Normally Price Chopper stores are not really that interesting no matter their age, but this one does have some layout quirks worth mentioning.

This store opened in 1986, and certainly has that look. The rounded awnings surrounding the facade are a signature feature of 1980s glass-and-pillar Price Chopper stores.

This store has a long vestibule with two entrances, similar to late 1990s and early 2000s stores.

Entering from the right, we go over to the floral area. The frozen foods area has a very low drop ceiling, a feature that would run up to the very early 1990s.

Juices are in the very last aisle. You can see just how low the ceiling is here based on how little space there is between the top of the shelving and the ceiling, making it very dark with how very little lighting there is in this area.

You can see where the drop ceiling gets higher and the lighting improves as you go back toward the main grocery aisles. The blue wall here is where dairy is.

This angled wall is where certain frozen foods are located.

Meat department. The tile transitions from white vinyl to ceramic.

Pharmacy in the center of the store, as is typical in older Price Chopper stores.

Grand aisle area, which curiously has a drop ceiling, yet has ceramic tile. Whether it was put in along with the 2007-12 decor package or before that is unknown. You can see the front of this section in this 2018 picture shown below, excuse the blurriness.

Offscreen to the left here is the bagel prep area, which is separate from the bakery in many Price Chopper stores.

No comments:

Post a Comment