Big Bear Stores

Big Bear Stores

Company type	Public (before 1976 and after 1983), Private (1976–1983)
Industry	Retail (Supermarket)
Founded	November 1933 (1933-11)
Founder	Wayne E. Brown
Defunct	2004 (2004)
Fate	Acquired by Penn Traffic in 1989; closed after Penn Traffic bankruptcy in 2004
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio , United States
Area served	Ohio, West Virginia
Key people	Steven Breech (former president), Phillip Hawkins (former CEO)
Products	Groceries, general merchandise (Big Bear Plus format)
Parent	Penn Traffic (1989–2004)

For the supermarket chain in San Diego County, California, see Big Bear Markets.

Big Bear Stores was a regional supermarket chain based in the United States, operating primarily within Ohio and West Virginia from 1933 until 2004. Established in Columbus, Ohio, the company maintained its headquarters there until it was acquired in 1989 by Penn Traffic, a firm located in Syracuse, New York. Following Penn Traffic’s bankruptcy in 2004, all Big Bear Stores were ultimately closed.

History

The inception of Big Bear Stores dates back to November 1933, when Wayne E. Brown founded the company. The inaugural Big Bear Store opened its doors on February 15, 1934, on West Lane Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. This location had previously served as a dance hall, roller skating rink, and a tan bark ring for equestrian events. This store’s launch is recognized as the introduction of self-service supermarket shopping to the Midwest. Situated near the Ohio State University campus (currently occupied by the Riverwatch Tower apartments), the first store was soon followed by a second Columbus location within a year. By the end of its second year, two additional stores were operational, with further expansion into cities such as Lancaster, Marion, Newark, and Toledo, Ohio.

Big Bear pioneered several innovations: it was the Midwest’s first self-service supermarket and among the earliest nationwide to implement cashier-operated motorized conveyor belts. The chain also introduced shopping carts to its stores in 1937 and operated its own trolley line as part of its service offerings. The company managed a farm north of Columbus—later developed into store #272—and ran the Big Bear Bakery near the OSU campus. In 1948, Brown collaborated with other grocery operators to establish Topco Associates. Big Bear distributed Topco’s private-label products (such as Food Club and Valu Time) alongside its proprietary "Betty Brown" brand, named after Brown’s wife. Additionally, Big Bear featured a popular trading stamp program; customers frequently collected their distinctive orange and blue "Buckeye" stamps.

Throughout its existence, Big Bear Stores consistently opposed unionization efforts among its workforce, even though many competing supermarkets had unionized employees. According to company leadership during the 1960s, this stance was balanced by offering employees at all levels confidential access to corporate management for addressing workplace concerns in exchange for slightly lower hourly wages.

In the 1950s, Big Bear became the nation’s first supermarket to adopt the IBM 305 RAMAC mainframe computer. In 1954, it unveiled a prototype store within Columbus's Graceland Shopping Center featuring an interior layout that would influence industry standards: perishable goods were centrally located and product displays were designed at lower heights for better visibility. That same year, Big Bear acquired Harts Stores, a department store chain that operated within basements of two existing Big Bear locations. Harts expanded rapidly as Big Bear often co-located grocery stores alongside adjacent Harts department stores.

During the early to mid-1980s, some Big Bear grocery outlets were transformed into warehouse-style stores under "The Grocery Warehouse" brand while remaining under Big Bear ownership; an example was the Portsmouth, Ohio location adjacent to a Harts Department Store.

Over time, Big Bear grew into a prominent supermarket presence across Ohio and West Virginia. In July 1988, it launched the hypermarket-style Big Bear Plus concept with large-format stores in Wintersville, Ohio (approximately 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m²)) and Bridgeport, Ohio (around 100,000 sq ft (10,000 m²)). These hyperstores combined roughly 40% food products with 60% general merchandise and merged elements from both Harts Department Stores (which counted 29 locations in 1991) and traditional Big Bear grocery formats.

By late 1990, management shifted focus toward expanding the Big Bear Plus model while gradually closing or converting remaining Harts stores. In 1991 alone, ten paired Big Bear and Harts locations were consolidated into the Big Bear Plus format. Prior to the company’s closure, there were 21 operating Big Bear Plus stores.

Savings card

On September 14, 2000, Big Bear Stores launched a savings card across all its locations as a competitive response to the Kroger card introduced the previous year. This card was branded the "Big Bear Wild Card." Following Penn Traffic's announcement that Big Bear would cease operations, Kroger declared it would accept the Big Bear Wild Cards at its stores.

Slogans

• Get The Bear Minimum Price! (1981–1986)
• That's My Bear (1986–1987)
• Give 'Em A Big Bear Hug! (1987–2004)
• All we did was listen (1997)

Big Bear Credit Union

Established in June 1957 by employees of the former Big Bear Stores Company, the credit union initially operated under the name Big Bear Employees Credit Union. Its office was situated within Big Bear’s headquarters at 770 W. Goodale Blvd., Columbus, Ohio. In 1983, it relocated to a satellite office at 1184 Dublin Road in Columbus, doubling its space and accommodating six staff members. By 1990, the credit union moved into its first standalone office with a public entrance, occupying converted warehouse space at 851 W. 3rd Avenue, Columbus. In March 2003, with only fifteen percent of members still employed by Big Bear Stores, the membership approved renaming it Members First Credit Union to reflect a new identity. After Big Bear Stores announced its impending closure by early 2004, the credit union transitioned in March 2004 to a newly constructed facility at 1445 W. Goodale Blvd., centrally located in the Grandview/Marble Cliff area.

Decline and closure

In 1976, six company executives took Big Bear private through a leveraged buyout. The company returned to public ownership in 1983. However, during the late 1980s, Big Bear’s performance weakened due to competition from emerging formats like Cub Foods and Meijer entering its market region. Facing this intensified rivalry, after 54 years as an independent entity with both public and private phases, the company decided to place itself on the auction block in late 1988.

In April 1989, Penn Traffic—a major supermarket holding company owning multiple regional chains—acquired Big Bear for $35 per share for all outstanding common stock. Penn Traffic financed this purchase heavily through debt, which burdened the company financially. By 1993, Big Bear became a division within Penn Traffic and underwent various strategic changes including repositioning toward a broader market segment by moving down-market, which alienated some of its wealthier customers. This period also saw the departure of longtime president Steven Breech and his management team. Breech was succeeded by Phillip Hawkins, previously CEO of Vons Supermarkets and brought in as a turnaround expert.

Hawkins’ initial focus was on cutting overhead expenses to counteract declining sales at most store locations. As longtime Columbus shoppers voiced dissatisfaction with deteriorating store conditions, Hawkins and his team launched the well-known "All We Did Was Listen" campaign in June 1997 featuring Hawkins addressing employees reassuringly. His strategy aimed to shift Big Bear from an upscale chain to a more competitively priced retailer by reducing operating costs. However, ongoing sales declines led to further payroll reductions that contributed to worsening store environments.

By 2003, financial troubles intensified as cash flow problems caused suppliers to withdraw products due to overdue accounts. Employees sarcastically referenced Hawkins’ "All we did was listen" slogan as empty rhetoric reflecting management’s limited response to staff and customer concerns. Ultimately, under Hawkins’ short leadership period, Big Bear suffered significant losses and began closing stores.

The chain’s final closure occurred in 2004 after Penn Traffic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within ten years. Prime store locations were purchased and reopened under Giant Eagle or Kroger banners; however, as of May 2014, many former Big Bear sites—particularly in Ohio and West Virginia—remain vacant.