Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
The Grand Union supermarket in Warrensburg is slated to close on March 7.
“We were caught off guard with that,” Warrensburg Town Supervisor Kevin Geraghty told The Chronicle on Friday.
“We heard Aldi was buying up all these Grand Union stores,” he said. “They’re not buying the Warrensburg store.”
He said of the store, “It’s absolutely important, even with the (Price Chopper) across the bridge” south of the downtown.
Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Tyler tells The Chronicle, “Our community certainly does want another grocery store, and can support one.”
She said that in town, Jacobs and Toney, The Meat Store of the North, “also has a wide grocery selection, but it’s not a full-scale grocery store.”
The Chamber is already seeking a Grand Union successor. “We have had some exploratory conversations with some midsize retailers, just to see if we would fit their footprint, if there would be a general interest,” said Mrs. Tyler.
“It’s a very centralized location, a good piece of property, but it being in the Southern Adirondacks, it might not be on the radar of some of the midsize franchises that would actually fit. So we went out and talked to a whole bunch of them.”
The Aldi chain, based in Germany, is among those they’ve discussed, she said.
Mrs. Tyler declined to name others they’ve approached. “We don’t want to put anyone in a weird spot,” she said.
C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, New Hampshire owns the Grand Union. It purchased 12 Tops grocery stores when the Federal Trade Commission mandated that Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets off-load some stores as part of their merger in 2021.
“Not all Grand Union stores are closing,” Lauren La Bruno, Senior Vice President of Communications & Marketing at C&S, tells The Chronicle.
She said they will continue to operate the Grand Unions in Saranac Lake, Peru, Cortland, South Watertown and Sherrill, New York, plus one in Rutland, Vermont.
Four New York stores are being closed. Besides Warrensburg, also Rome, Norwich and Cooperstown.
The Warrensburg store has changed ownership several times since it was built in 1980. It is the last Grand Union in Warren County.
Mr. Geraghty said the property itself is owned by an LLC in Brooklyn.
“The Chamber put together a proposal,” Mrs. Tyler said, “for anybody that would like to know the specs on that property.
“It is privately owned, so it’s not for us or the Town to say who could go there. We just want to make sure that people in the outside world know this property exists, and this is how you would get in contact with the property owners, the Town of Warrensburg for the planning and zoning of it, or me as a liaison.
“That’s our philosophy for economic development in general. If we can make it easier for you to come and do business in Warrensburg, that’s why we’re here.”
Mrs. Tyler said, “On a annual basis, about 4,000 people live here, but we have such an influx of seasonal people. And, over the years, Warrensburg has become a hub for our other smaller surrounding communities.
“They come in for the Health Center (at Hudson Headwaters), and they’ll go to the grocery store, get gas, do all their things.
“Plus, we have a seasonal influx. Where the store is located on Route 9 — it’s the main artery to further points north.
“During the summer people stop at Grand Union to stock up for their week-long vacation, and also, in winter, our snowmobilers, and skiers going up to Gore.
“You get off at Exit 23, you head north, and the grocery store is right there.”
“It’s a vital part of our community that we obviously want to see continue,” said Mrs. Tyler, adding, “We are also open to other opportunities that would serve the community.”
Grand Union, more
“Grand Union had its start in 1916. It was one of the first supermarkets in the United States,” says its current owner, C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, N.H..
C&S says it had its start in 1918 as a supplier to independent groceries.
In 2000, C&S began purchasing and running grocery chains itself. Their first acquisition was Grand Union. It now operates “more than 200 corporate-run grocery stores,” including Grand Union, Family Fare, Piggly Wiggly, D&W Fresh Market, and Martin’s Super Markets.
C&S bought 12 Tops grocery stores, including Warrensburg, as part of the 2021 merger of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets to form Northeast Grocery. The FTC ordered the company to sell some Tops. All but were relaunched as Grand Unions in 2022.
Local Tops supermarkets that still operate include Corinth, Bolton, Chestertown, North Creek and Schroon Lake.
Wbg. seeks more senior housing behind G.U.
Warrensburg Town Supervisor Kevin Geraghty tells The Chronicle the town is hopes to add senior housing on town-owned property behind the Grand Union, on King Street.
“That’s one of our goals,” Mr. Geraghty said. “Our highway department was there. We demolished that building. We’re going to make the site ready and we’re trying to seek a developer, to find somebody who’s interested in developing that lot for senior housing.”
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