R · I · P
Big Bear
1933–2004
“Columbus groceries — and, once, a real live bear.”
Stores
The Columbus-born grocery chain that opened in 1933 in a converted skating rink and is often called the first true supermarket in the Midwest — a cavernous store that pioneered one-stop shopping with a drugstore, restaurant, candy counter and shoe repair under one roof (and, as a promotion, an actual live bear on site). It grew across Ohio and West Virginia and was a hometown institution for generations. Penn Traffic bought it in 1989 and loaded it with debt; when Penn Traffic went bankrupt in 2004, the last Big Bears closed.
▸ The soundtrack of its lifetime
Did you go to Big Bear? What do you remember?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of Big Bear.
Community Memories
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⚰️ Also gone
R · I · P
Woolworth's
1879–1997
“The five-and-dime with the lunch counter.”
Stores
R · I · P
Service Merchandise
1934–2002
“Fill out the slip, wait for the conveyor.”
Stores
R · I · P
Circuit City
1949–2009
“The big-box electronics trip.”
Stores
R · I · P
RadioShack
1921–2015
“The store with a part for everything.”
Stores