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.
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
👕 Wear the memory
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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