When I was a child, one of the first grocery stores that my mom used to take me to was Big Bear. I used to always bug her to get me one of the sugar cookies in the bakery. If I remember correctly, they were shaped like bears. Although Big Bear is no longer around, it still serves as a nostalgic memory for me, and little did I know the historical significance of this store and how it would continue to tie in to my life.
Big Bear was the creation of Wayne Brown of Columbus, Ohio. He opened what is considered to be the first modern supermerket on Lane Ave. in a roundish looking building that was once a dance hall. Today you would never know where the location of this store was unless you were privy to the location's history. The Riverwatch Tower apartment complex currently stands where it once was. Long before I knew the historical significance of the lot, I had met up with some friends form The Ohio State University in their apartment there.
Big Bear had enjoyed some great success up until after 1989 when it was bought by an investment banker on borrowed money. This investment banker used the purchase to give himself a bonus and slapped his debt on to the store itself. This was apparently a common practice of the time and was a practice that made many rich at the expense of the purchased company. Since Big Bear was in debt, it could not lower prices and could no longer compete with other grocery providers.
Despite many bumps in it's storied history, Big Bear did many things right and often innovated. For instance, it was one of the first stores to sale both home goods and groceries under the same roof. Big Bear Plus in Graceland, Ohio sold home goods like department stores do on one side, and groceries on the other. This concept became an industry standard and can still be seen in stores like Wal-Mart and Target today. The building that this Plus store occupied is now a Kroger. When I first shopped at this Kroger, I remember commenting on how big it was for a Kroger and I wondered why it was selling furniture on one side which Kroger stores rarely do. Of course, I had no idea of the historical significance of this store when I was there.
Big Bear is a store that many outside of the Ohio valley do not know about but they can think this company for the types of stores that we enjoy today.
References:
Big Bear Stores Wikipedia Page
The Sad Demise of Big Bear
Big Bear was the creation of Wayne Brown of Columbus, Ohio. He opened what is considered to be the first modern supermerket on Lane Ave. in a roundish looking building that was once a dance hall. Today you would never know where the location of this store was unless you were privy to the location's history. The Riverwatch Tower apartment complex currently stands where it once was. Long before I knew the historical significance of the lot, I had met up with some friends form The Ohio State University in their apartment there.
Big Bear had enjoyed some great success up until after 1989 when it was bought by an investment banker on borrowed money. This investment banker used the purchase to give himself a bonus and slapped his debt on to the store itself. This was apparently a common practice of the time and was a practice that made many rich at the expense of the purchased company. Since Big Bear was in debt, it could not lower prices and could no longer compete with other grocery providers.
Despite many bumps in it's storied history, Big Bear did many things right and often innovated. For instance, it was one of the first stores to sale both home goods and groceries under the same roof. Big Bear Plus in Graceland, Ohio sold home goods like department stores do on one side, and groceries on the other. This concept became an industry standard and can still be seen in stores like Wal-Mart and Target today. The building that this Plus store occupied is now a Kroger. When I first shopped at this Kroger, I remember commenting on how big it was for a Kroger and I wondered why it was selling furniture on one side which Kroger stores rarely do. Of course, I had no idea of the historical significance of this store when I was there.
Big Bear is a store that many outside of the Ohio valley do not know about but they can think this company for the types of stores that we enjoy today.
References:
Big Bear Stores Wikipedia Page
The Sad Demise of Big Bear
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