Big Lots #1270

Opened: late 1990s

Location: 4879 State Highway 30, Amsterdam, NY

Previous Tenants: W.T. Grant / Kmart 7074 (1976-1994)

Photographed: December 28, 2020, February 12, 2023 and December 11, 2024

Today's post takes us to an unassuming plaza-based Big Lots with a history.

In the Perth Plaza, this Big Lots store started out as a W.T. Grant store and became Kmart #7074 before moving to Super Kmart #4923 at 4930 State Highway 30 in 1994. It would get split between Norma Jean Theaters (later Emerald Cinemas, which has since closed) and Big Lots in the late 1990s. The current exterior is the result of a plaza-wide remodel that started at the end of 2015 and was completed in early 2016. 

The cart bay is located to the right of the entrance. Notice the recently-added ex-Sam's Club Unarco M170Z shopping carts in the left-most row.

This Big Lots has the furniture section separate from the rest of the store.

The back half of the furniture section, which houses mattresses appears to have been backroom space for Grants/Kmart.

With the interior wrapped up, let's take a look outside...

Out toward the former Emerald Cinema space is where the store's former auto center was bricked in.

12/11/2024 UPDATE: All the older carts have been removed from service. These carts were being pushed out the door as their replacements were coming in at the time of these photos (same day as this update). Their replacements are Advance HC200s, most likely from either the Queensbury or Troy stores.

Inside Big M: DeRuyter, NY

Our next post takes us to another grocery store/gas station combo in rural Upstate NY. All photos were taken on August 4, 2022.

This store is a relocation; they were allegedly located at the corner of Cortland and Utica Streets before relocating here in 2002. The store received an expansion in 2018, giving it a new vestibule/cart bay on the left side before entering the main store. The store also has a Sunoco gas station. The store's shopping carts can be seen in Volume 6, Section 2, shown here and here.

The front of the store functions as more of a convenience store, where snacks and beverages are sold. Also the registers are located in this part of the store.

A Brief Look Inside P&C: Cortland, NY

 Today's post takes us to one of two remaining P&C-branded stores in Upstate NY.

This store as well as the Ithaca store are the only two still bearing the P&C name. After the demise of Penn Traffic, these stores are run by a group called Hometown Markets LLC., headed by high-ranking officials of Penn Traffic. This store got an exterior facelift in 2014.

While this is the only good picture I have of the inside, it shows the grand aisle and an aisle marker, both of which appear to be from a late-stage decor package implemented shortly before Penn Traffic went under.