Thriftimart

[Drakonyx]

Anyone else remember a grocery store called Thriftimart on the southwest corner of Shaw and West? Not to be confused with Thrifty Drug and Discount Store, which was in the same strip mall, I think this was a minor chain that had other stores in Southern California, but this was the only one I know of in Fresno. Not sure when it closed, but it was a few decades ago.

[oldschool]

Was Thriftimart the store that took a long time to open? I remember something about a Union issue. Not sure. They finally did open. It was a nice store. Was Pardini's out there too? Those were the good old days.

oldschool

[Drakonyx]

I honestly don't remember that controversy. I was pretty young at the time. I think there is a Party City there now. Pardini's is a little west of there.

[thebattyfold]

I loved that Thift-T-Mart. Mom used to shop there. The neighbors (who had a better income) shopped next door at Alpha Beta. Thrift-T-Mart used to carry the Iris soft drinks and other “store brands”. When The Mart folded, my understanding is that they were absorbed by Smart & Final. I don’t recall S&F taking over that location though.

A few of my best buddies lived in the neighborhood behind these stores. There was a giant, empty field between the two forever. In the mid-eighties, we would sneak out at night, cross through the field and head up to the 7-Eleven on the NE side of Shaw and West. I think both grocery stores were defunct by then.

[Osandad]

Wasn’t it next to Montgomery Ward?

[Mike Better]

There where two Thriftimart stores in Fresno. One on Shaw and one on the 4700 block of Blackstone Ave. It shared a wall with Montgomery Ward's (now a Target)and uniquely there was a through way between the two stores. It allowed customers to transition from one store to the other without leaving the air conditioning.
In 1985 Thriftimart and it's wholesale sister company Smart & Final Iris Co. were sold to Casino et Cie a french grocer looking to make it's way into the very competitive Southern California market.
Most of the Thriftimart stores were sold off to Safeway/Vons. The Blackstone location was converted to a Smart & Final Iris Co store.
I was fortunate to have been assigned responsibilities as Assitant Manager. I was the local man with the keys while the closed Thriftimart was converted to Smart & Final Iris Co by the Socal based merchandisers and store set-up crews. This crew included a young Rocky Laverty grandson of the founder of Thriftimart. Rocky would eventually become CEO of Smart & Final.