25 Facts About Jewel T

Jewel T-Osco is a regional supermarket chain in the Chicago metropolitan area, headquartered in Itasca, a western suburb.

Jewel T-Osco has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Boise-based Albertsons since 1999.

Jewel T originally started as a door-to-door coffee delivery service before it expanded into delivering non-perishable groceries and later into grocery stores, and supermarkets.

In 1932, Jewel T acquired the Chicago unit of the Canadian firm Loblaw Groceterias, Inc, then a chain of 77 self-service stores, as well as four Chicago grocery stores operated by the Middle West Stores Company, and began operating them under the name Jewel T Food Stores.

In 1957, Jewel T acquired the Champaign-based Eisner Food Stores, located in downstate Illinois and later in west central Indiana .

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Jewel T closed central Illinois locations that were formerly Eisner in Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, and Springfield .

In 1961, Jewel T acquired two growing non-food related retail chains, Chicago-based Osco Drug stores, and Brighton, Massachusetts-based Turn Style discount department stores, to complement their food store division when building one-stop shopping destinations, such as the new Family Centers and Jewel T-Osco food-drug combinations.

Jewel T expanded into the home improvement retail market by acquiring Republic Lumber in 1972.

Jewel T expanded their food store holdings by acquiring Cambridge-based Star Market in 1964 and the Great Falls-based Buttrey Food Stores in 1966 to add to their existing Jewel T and Eisner food store chains.

In 1965, Jewel T expanded into the convenience store business by opening Kwik Shoppe, a chain that was quickly renamed White Hen Pantry within a few months.

Between 1970 and 1990, Jewel T moved or expanded most of its stores to be freestanding buildings with ample parking.

Jewel T opened five stores in Michigan in the 1970s, but closed all five in 1996.

In return, Jewel T dropped plans for a defensive acquisition of Household International Inc and accepted American Stores' offer.

The Jewel T name returned to Florida five years after the company closed all of its Jewel T-T discount food stores in 1984.

Under American Stores, Jewel T returned to Wisconsin by opening a Jewel T-Osco store in a new shopping center in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1995.

Jewel T returned to Milwaukee in 1998 by purchasing a Pick 'n Save store and four Cub Foods stores and converting them into Jewel T Osco stores.

The first Jewel T Express was opened in front of a Jewel T-Osco in South Elgin in October 2000.

Not all Jewel Express locations closed or converted to Circle K Two Expresses, one in East Moline, Illinois and the other in Moline, Illinois continue with the Jewel Express concept.

In 1973, Jewel T Companies opened an experimental Jewel T Grand Bazaar, on the southwest side of Chicago; a store that encompassed an entire city block at the northwest corner of 54th Street and Pulaski Road.

Jewel T expanded into Pennsylvania in 1978 and many suburban Philadelphia kids in this gas crisis era remember mom driving the Vega or Pinto out to Jewel T, and bringing back powdered milk, frozen pretzels, and bulk frozen cherry pielettes.

Jewel T had approximately 30 stores in two states at the beginning of 1979 and 44 stores in four states by the following June.

In 1981, Jewel T opened stores in Atlanta and its 150th store in Louisiana.

At its height in 1981, Jewel T operated 150 stores in 10 states located mainly in the Mid-Atlantic, South East, the Gulf Coast, the Deep South, and Southern California.

Jewel T Companies expanded into the hardware and home improvement business by acquiring Republic Lumber in 1972.

Jewel T was progressive in creating partnerships with vendors, at a time when the practice was rare.

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