Bergenfield/Teterboro—In the past two weeks, the Bergenfield Pathmark closed and re-opened as an Acme market, and the Costco in Hackensack relocated to Teterboro. While everyone is resentfully navigating new layouts and products, the Jewish Link has gone on site to talk to administrators at these locations and bring the news to everyone, as well as present an option for consideration in this digital age.
Acme opened on Wednesday October 14 at 80 Newbridge Road in Bergenfield, in the location of the former Pathmark building. Lamont Saunders, the assistant store manager of the Bergenfield Acme, said the new store brings positivity to the employees. Many familiar faces still greet customers as they approach the bright and spacious entrance. Saunders, who had been at Pathmark for eight years, stayed on with Acme, as did many of his co-workers. The kosher deli and kosher bakery still exist, as does the kosher aisle with its variety of options. Saunders explained that in catering to the large population of kosher shoppers at this store, Acme is looking to “maintain the current kosher selection, and even expand,” what they offer.
With that thought in mind, Acme maintained the bakery under the Kof-K, but is scheduled to meet with them to discuss the purchase of a second oven that will be used for pareve items only. “Once the second oven is installed, we can offer pareve baked goods in addition to the current dairy selection.” Saunders expects the completion of the pareve oven installation to occur by year end.
October 14 was a bustling day for local grand openings. After much anticipation, anxiety and coverage in the Jewish Link, the Costco in Teterboro opened its doors. With an additional 15,000 square feet in warehouse space, customers rushed to visit their (slightly further) local Costco. Many Costco members have not yet adjusted to the new layout, and had difficulty finding basic items. In addition, the food seems to be spread over multiple areas, and not grouped together as many were used to finding in the Hackensack location. Over time, however, and more Costco trips than may be budget friendly, many shoppers anticipate getting used to a new store and learning its order as well.
But will this added space translate into more kosher food for the kosher consumer? “Not yet,” says the administration at Costco Teterboro. Having just settled into their new location, they have the same selection at their bakery and kosher department as they did in Hackensack, and are waiting to see its progress in the future to determine if they will expand their current selection.
Unlike the Acme bakery, Costco currently has no plans to make their bakery pareve. In fact, the reason their breads are not certified kosher is because of the rabbinical concern that dairy bread may end up being eaten with a meat meal (since most assume bread is not dairy), and with only a single oven, they cannot guarantee that their breads are pareve. They therefore do not certify them as kosher (an explanation from the OK Kosher certification appears next to the bakery with this explanation).
Though Costco has extra space that allowed for immediate improvement—they now carry appliances in the warehouse—and the potential for future expansions, such as the possibility of more kosher options, and they now have gas pumps at the warehouse, many members found the initial shopping experience frustrating and disorienting. The fact that many of the warehouse staff did not know their way around either, further complicated warehouse navigation (though the staff appeared friendly and apologetic). “I think it says a terrible lot when I had to buy doubles of what I came for because I disliked being there so much, that I was hoping not to come back again for a long time,” said community member and frequent JLNJ contributor Allyson Gur-Aryeh.
Many Facebook conversations revolved around people’s experiences at the Teterboro Costco, and while many are frustrated with its differences, some are willing to wait it out, let the staff orient itself, and eventually learn their way around a new Costco themselves. With a larger warehouse, members are optimistic that Costco can still be their go-to destination for buying in bulk.
But while everyone was arguing about the merits (or lack thereof) of the new stores, murmurings of another option came up in online conversations. The words “Soda Scan” and “Scan2Ship” kept popping into the threads. It turns out, that for some shoppers, actually going into Costco and Acme is for those living in 1994. The year 2015 boasts a digital shopping option, for a digital generation. By downloading the Scan2Ship app, almost 1,000 non-perishable items are available for purchase and home delivery. Costco members frustrated with the new experience will be pleased to see a variety of Kirkland items, as well as familiar brand names, available for purchase and next day delivery, though many report some deliveries have even arrived the same day of order. Paper goods, diapers, beverages and cleaning products are the mainstay products available now.
Scan2Ship’s local co-founder, Ari Korman of Englewood, invites Jewish Link readers to enjoy a special coupon to try out his fun and user-friendly app. Enter coupon code JLNJ15 to receive 15 percent off your entire order. “We currently list almost 1,000 products, and we are adding another 200 snack-oriented choices in the next few weeks, so keep checking back to see our updates and additions,” said Korman. The SodaScan app, the first in the family of Scan2Ship products, is currently available for iPhone and Android and more information about how to use the easy app is available at Scan2Ship.com.
By Jenny Gans
