Grand Union

[AmesNewington]

I wonder if the remaining locations will be around for much longer???

[Scrabbleship]

The former Great American Store of Millerton, NY was taken over by Grand Union during the 80's.

Actually wasn't taken over by Grand Union until 1996. Originally was locally-owned Trotta's (later of Sharon CT, now defunct) until they sold it to Great American in 1993, Great American sold it when the logistics of a store isolated 50 miles from the nearest store took its toll. This location has been eternally been rumored to become either a Stop & Shop or Hannaford, the latter would like to build down the road between this location and the state line.

[gu4ever]

Clean, Fresh and good marketing attached to a former Grand Union lobster tank. The tank is now being used as an atrium in a restaurant in Claremont, NH. This photo comes thanks to Matthew Avery from the Grand Union group on facebook.

[Caldor1999]

so i guess Grand Union had a location in Manhattan judging by this 1988 picture

[Caldor1999]

grand union Yarmouth, Massachusetts stayed open till 2007 before it was turned into a stop &  shop

[dk50b]

so i guess Grand Union had a location in Manhattan judging by this 1988 picture

They certainly did.  That one was in Greenwich Village, part of Washington Square Village.  It was at 130 Bleecker St. near the corner of W. Broadway.  Now an Associated/Morton Williams

http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=Z9LH4#bGlkPXluNjE4eDEwNTcyMjYx

I'm fairly sure they had other Manhattan locations.   Early company history was discussed in previous posts, but they did have an enormous headquarters and warehouse in Brooklyn

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilio_guerra/4329758809/

[TRJ_22487]

From Siteride.com
Norwalk, CT (listed as approved Marshall's)







Ramsey, NJ (Before/After)

[JoeC2364]

From The Buffalo News 7/20/12
http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article956610.ece



Tops acquires 21 sites from Grand Union

Move expands presence upstate, in Vermont

Tops Friendly Markets announced the acquisition of 21 supermarkets in upstate New York and Vermont on Thursday. The Amherst-based grocery chain reached an agreement with Grand Union Markets LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Tops said it made the move to expand its footprint throughout the region, which now boasts a total of 153 stores. Familiarity helped spark the deal.

"C&S is a partner and supplies most of [our] New York stores," said Katie McKenna, Tops' public relations manager. "These are stores that Tops has operated in the past, and it knows the area and communities. We're getting into smaller formats because that's what some communities are looking for."

The deal made great sense for both organizations, according to Michael Newbold, chief administrative officer for C&S Wholesale Grocers.

"It allows Tops to strengthen its retail network, while C&S will continue to focus on its core business of supplying innovative supply and logistics solutions to its wholesale customers," Newbold said in a release.

The average size of the new stores is about 20,000 square feet, and there are no immediate plans to change the name on store banners. The goal set forth by Tops is to bring excellent customer service and quality products to small communities.

"We plan ... to invest in those stores and the surrounding communities in an effort to best serve our associates and customers," Kevin Darrinton, Tops' chief operating officer, said in a release.

There are roughly 600 employees at the 21 locations, and Tops plans to keep all current workers on board.

McKenna said that the Grand Union name is very strong in most of the communities and that Tops' "strong operational perspective" will make the stores even more successful.

[AmesNewington]

From The Buffalo News 7/20/12
http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article956610.ece



Tops acquires 21 sites from Grand Union

Move expands presence upstate, in Vermont

Tops Friendly Markets announced the acquisition of 21 supermarkets in upstate New York and Vermont on Thursday. The Amherst-based grocery chain reached an agreement with Grand Union Markets LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Tops said it made the move to expand its footprint throughout the region, which now boasts a total of 153 stores. Familiarity helped spark the deal.

"C&S is a partner and supplies most of [our] New York stores," said Katie McKenna, Tops' public relations manager. "These are stores that Tops has operated in the past, and it knows the area and communities. We're getting into smaller formats because that's what some communities are looking for."

The deal made great sense for both organizations, according to Michael Newbold, chief administrative officer for C&S Wholesale Grocers.

"It allows Tops to strengthen its retail network, while C&S will continue to focus on its core business of supplying innovative supply and logistics solutions to its wholesale customers," Newbold said in a release.

The average size of the new stores is about 20,000 square feet, and there are no immediate plans to change the name on store banners. The goal set forth by Tops is to bring excellent customer service and quality products to small communities.

"We plan ... to invest in those stores and the surrounding communities in an effort to best serve our associates and customers," Kevin Darrinton, Tops' chief operating officer, said in a release.

There are roughly 600 employees at the 21 locations, and Tops plans to keep all current workers on board.

McKenna said that the Grand Union name is very strong in most of the communities and that Tops' "strong operational perspective" will make the stores even more successful.

I wonder if this includes the Grand Union store in Storrs, CT.

[nysw3636]

I wonder if this includes the Grand Union store in Storrs, CT.

From the article I read, Millerton, NY, Storrs, Ct, and Nantucket, MA are not included in the deal.

[AmesNewington]

I wonder if this includes the Grand Union store in Storrs, CT.

From the article I read, Millerton, NY, Storrs, Ct, and Nantucket, MA are not included in the deal.

I'm wondering if they are going to close these locations permanently.

[retailisking]

Very interesting development, as Tops specifically avoided hanging on to the now-former P&C Markets in the same region when Penn Traffic liquidated. Many of those P&Cs were also smaller units in markets with little or no competition. I assume that C&S (which has been trying to unload GU for years) made Tops an offer they couldn't refuse.  I wonder if this signals greater ambitions for Tops in the region; you will note that Shaw's is on the block, for example, and apart from market share issues in some Vermont towns there is no overlap, and C&S has expressed interest in buying Shaw's parent Supervalu's wholesale operations. Stay tuned...

[Scrabbleship]

I wonder if this includes the Grand Union store in Storrs, CT.

From the article I read, Millerton, NY, Storrs, Ct, and Nantucket, MA are not included in the deal.

I'm wondering if they are going to close these locations permanently.

I'd think they may go to a second party for the exact opposite reason. Nantucket has wealth and in terms chains otherwise only has Stop & Shop. Storrs has tons of college students and only a Big Y otherwise. Millerton serves an area that is both remote and has a lot of extreme commuter/weekend wealth; next closest supermarket is either the Freshtown (ex-GU) in Amenia, the Stop & Shop in North Canaan, CT, or the Big Y in Great Barrington, MA.

My guesses: Stop & Shop gets Storrs and possibly Millerton. If Millerton doesn't get Stop & Shop, it can be Hannaford's foot in the door (they've wanted to build a store down the road on the state line). Nantucket is a wild card - Shaw's, Hannaford, or someone else.

[retailisking]

I wouldn't count out Price Chopper for Storrs or Middleton, either. I agree that Nantucket is a wild card; I can't see Shaw's as an acquirer with Supervalu's situation in flux.

[RoleModel]

I wouldn't count out Price Chopper for Storrs or Middleton, either. I agree that Nantucket is a wild card; I can't see Shaw's as an acquirer with Supervalu's situation in flux.

I'd imagine C&S would rather sell to one of their clients (Stop & Shop being the most notable and sensible) first before selling to a non-client.

[retailisking]

I'd imagine C&S would rather sell to one of their clients (Stop & Shop being the most notable and sensible) first before selling to a non-client.

That's a key consideration, and I'm sure C&S still hasn't forgotten Price Chopper buying C&S-supplied Big D back in the 90s, either.

[BillyGr]

Don't forget that Price Chopper (and Hannaford) did buy several Grand Unions around the time of the bankruptcy (and that was through C&S, since they bought them as a group and then resold them, at least as far as I remember).

While surely they'd rather it go to one of their customers, if they aren't interested then getting the money from the store sale (or leasing it to someone) is probably the next best option?

[gu4ever]

Tops had purchase a large chunk of these store in northeastern NY during the bankruptcy, started renovations and then sold them to c&s because they were not profitable locations for them? <----- "if memory serves me right".
I remember visiting several of the stores that had the new interior sign package froms Tops Markets but had been converted to the grand union family market logos during the purchase by C&S.
Interesting to see that once again Tops is going to retry the purchase of these stores... The economy certainly hasn't improved since the last round of operating theses locations.... Wonder how this venture will be?
On a possitive note, I'm glad for the communities that have the Grand Union family market stores and the new aquisition by Tops, hopefully Tops will follow thru and greatly improve the customer service, specialty departments and general freshness of produce, meats, deli and dairy. Most locations that I visited in the last few years have long lost their popular 80's logo... "clean, fresh and good make a grand union"....

[retailisking]

Price Chopper and C&S are somewhat linked in that they are both member/owners of the Topco cooperative. Would PC get its Topco product via C&S?

I really wonder, like many of you other guys, what's in it for Tops to operate the Grand Union stores as Tops is only marginally profitable as it is.

[BillyGr]

The first time many of these (northern) stores were owned by Tops, they were still a part of the Ahold group (Stop & Shop, Giant, US Foodservice etc.) and it seems that some of the issues were those of the corporation rather than the stores themselves.

Now Tops is a separate company and has been in expansion (like the P&C locations), so it seems that these stores will just expand that North and East.

Additionally, C&S has done a good job of closing any Grand Union where competition existed (at least here in NY), so the majority of these stores are in towns with no other supermarket (and once you get up into the Adirondacks, many of them you have to go 20-50 miles or even more to find a major store like PC/Hannaford, maybe passing another of the GU stores en route).
In those locations the convenience of the stores should make them do well.  People might still go on a longer trip once in a while to stock up in a larger store with (maybe) lower prices, but are probably not as likely to do so as regularly as they might have several years back?

[Joeg]

I remember the old Grand Union from the 60's and 70's, including triple s stamps!!  To bad they had to go under.

[JimSawhill]

I remember the old Grand Union from the 60's and 70's, including triple s stamps!!  To bad they had to go under.

Trading Stamps were cool... S&H, TopValue and of course, Triple S....When I moved from my parents house... I found books of trading Stamps...

[AmesNewington]

If anyone has any updates on the Grand Union/Tops acquisition, please post here.

[JoeC2364]

Well all i got was this now
The deal enables Tops to focus on running supermarkets and C&S to focus on its wholesale distribution business.  For now, the Grand Union name will remain on 20 stores as well as the lone Bryant Supermarket in Greenville, N.Y.  A decision to change the stores to the Tops brand may come later.  The three Vermont Grand Union stores give the supermarket chain a chance to grow in Vermont. They are in Hardwick, Rutland and Northfield

[JimSawhill]

I wouldn't count out Price Chopper for Storrs or Middleton, either. I agree that Nantucket is a wild card; I can't see Shaw's as an acquirer with Supervalu's situation in flux.

<p>I heard (from a different site, the UCONN HUSKIES BONEYARD), that PC is building a new store on Rt 152 across from UCONN.

[Joeg]

You are correct.

[AmesNewington]

Now that the Topps deal has followed through, is the Storrs GU still open? I can't find any indication that they have closed. I have read that Millerton NY's GU will become a Freshtown and Nantucket will close when their lease is up. But not one article on Storrs.

[JimSawhill]

Now that the Topps deal has followed through, is the Storrs GU still open? I can't find any indication that they have closed. I have read that Millerton NY's GU will become a Freshtown and Nantucket will close when their lease is up. But not one article on Storrs.

I hope the GU will become a Geissler's or a Highland Park Market.. :). No, Really it should be raised along with the whole Plaza...

[nysw3636]

Now that the Topps deal has followed through, is the Storrs GU still open? I can't find any indication that they have closed. I have read that Millerton NY's GU will become a Freshtown and Nantucket will close when their lease is up. But not one article on Storrs.

The Grand Union in Millerton,NY will become a Freshtown ONLY if Hannaford does not get approved to build a store there.

[nysw3636]

Just an FYI, all former GU Family Markets in New York State (excluding Millerton, still GU Markets LLC) have changed their New York State liquor license to Tops Markets LLC. These are temporary permits...