I still see Archie Comics in the supermarket, yeah. I have no idea why though. Who reads Archie? I mean, It's like Spider-Man except he's not Spider-Man AND he IS the good looking jock that the girls want to go to make out point with. Any troubles Archie has with women are because he's a dope, not because he's shy or anything. Who the hell wants to read that?
The American comics industry at this point is largely about carving out a niche. Archie has been really damn successful at doing that.
First of all, in a world of action comics for adults, it's a humor comic for kids. Its blandness is actually an asset in that parents can buy it for their kids without worrying that there's going to be anything controversial in there.
Second, the mere fact that it's the ONLY comic you're likely to see on the impulse-buy rack at a supermarket checkout counter (for now -- Disney's got some plans to move back into that space) is also an asset. Most people don't go to comic stores. But if a kid sees a brightly-colored comic book and points to it and asks Mommy to buy it, odds are pretty good it's going to be Archie.
Third, it's a brand with 60 years of history. It's recognizable. For my dad's generation, you see Archie Andrews and it makes "Sugar Sugar" start playing in your head. It's one of those things people have a soft spot for even if it's not very good.
And finally, and here's where we came into this conversation, whether or not the stories are actually interesting or engaging, there's been some great damn art on the series over the years. DeCarlo was one of the greats, and they're still reprinting the hell out of his work.
All that said, I don't think I've ever purchased an Archie comic myself. (Unless you count Archie-published licensed comics like TMNT and Sonic. In which case I haven't purchased an Archie comic in...ten years?)