The Limited Lifespan of Price Chopper Limited

In Saratoga Springs, the limited-parking, limited-variety Price Chopper located below the Market Center Apartments has reached the end of its lifespan, and effectively closes on April 16, 2022, just under two weeks shy of ten years. The limited selection, parking, and proximity to two larger Market 32 stores with expanded product offerings, which attracted what little traffic this store had, were cited as reasons for closing this location, according to a press release from the Golub Corporation.

Here are some pictures I took of the store last year, in August 2021.

This store and the Market Center Apartments complex was built to replace an older, pitched-roof Central Market-era store on site.

Unique tight-nesting Unarco M59TN shopping carts, though this one is slightly newer, from 2014. The rest of the fleet consists of Unarco M90ZXs, Technibilt 5640s, and for some odd reason, Market32-branded Versacart V-172L carts. It is not clear where these will end up, while the M90ZXs and 5640s will just end up being refurbished, and the Market32 Versacarts may be sent to another location.

Grand Union: A Preliminary Look

On this day, March 2, 2022, the following stores held their official grand openings:

• 50 Gorman Way #1, Peru, New York 12972
• 12 S. Main Street & Norton Place, Rutland, Vermont 05701
• 3836 Main Street, Warrensburg, New York 12885

The store we will be looking at will be the third store listed above.

Apparently the store still has temporary signage on the building. This is a sign of things to come heading inside.

2013 Technibilt 5141D, a Tops unit re-badged as Grand Union. The full sized carts in the background are Technibilt model 6240, manufactured 8/31/2013, also re-badged Tops units.

Decor is left over from Tops. The most likely explanation for this is C&S is trying to determine how the store will perform before making further investments in the converted stores. Same for the shopping carts.

Banner with a badly cut horizontal Grand Union logo with the slogan "WHERE THE RED DOT MEANS SAVINGS!"

Deli in the back right corner. The people seen in front of the Convenient Lunch Meats signage are offering Boar's Head samples.

2 for $4 special on Best Yet Bread Crumbs. Notice the badly cut Grand Union logo as well as the re-badged aisle marker in the background.

One of the full-sized 2013 Technibilt carts. Knowing how the carts got replaced after being converted to Tops the second time in other stores, I would not be surprised if these get replaced within the next few years.

Please forgive the blurriness; here is a stack of Grand Union branded baskets. The Grand Union logos on the baskets are decals.

And to conclude, some memorabilia:

Complementary small reusable bag with Grand Union branding. Also shown is a receipt with a large Grand Union logo.

Knowing what was shown here, it is most likely to be expected that the other conversions will look like this on opening day, and will only see changes in the future.

 

- Retail Regents