What Happened to the Wrigley’s Supermarkets in Michigan?
Are there any Wrigley's left in Michigan?
In 1922, the Lurie Brothers opened a grocery store on Grand River Avenue in Detroit, which would be the stepping stone for Wrigley’s. The first Wrigley’s Grocery store opened in 1937, opened by the Lurie Brothers as "Wrigley’s Self-Service Market" on West Chicago in Detroit.
Not much is recorded about Wrigley’s history, but in 1951, Wrigley’s was strong enough to purchase the chain of Packers stores and re-name them ‘Wrigley’s’. From 1955-1956 they merged and became ACF-Wrigley. Then in 1961, they adopted the name Allied Supermarkets.
In 1962 some Wrigley stores were operating under the name "Big Valu". From there the history becomes sketchy.
There was a Wrigley’s in Lansing’s Frandor shopping mall, one on Jackson’s west side and another on the east side.
The incomplete list of old Michigan Wrigley Supermarkets include:
Ann Arbor,
Allen Park,
Battle Creek,
Bay City,
Birmingham,
Dearborn,
Drayton Plains,
Ecorse,
Farmington,
Flint,
Grosse Pointe,
Hazel Park,
Highland Park,
Jackson,
Lansing,
Lincoln Park,
Livonia,
Mount Clemens,
Oak Park,
Pontiac,
Port Huron,
Roseville,
Royal Oak,
Southgate,
St. Clair Shores,
Van Dyke,
Taylor,
Trenton,
Walled Lake,
Woodhaven,
and Wyandotte.
Did you or anyone you know ever shop at a Wrigley’s? I was never in one. There doesn’t seem to be any left in Michigan but there are a handful spread out across the United States. The gallery below shows a couple of old photos and a few old ads as well.
It just seems to be one of those companies whose history is as elusive as their stores.
Wrigley's Supermarkets
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