Snapshots of Auburn: Real Deals at Grant Plaza

To conclude the Real Deals tour, we are heading to their hometown of Auburn, to a store that also did not make the cut on The Roadtrip from Hell, Part 2.

As of this writing, their Grant Plaza store, pictured here on August 29, 2020, is still operating.

A Quick Look at Waterloo's Real Deals

Continuing with the Real Deals tour, we look at a store that did not make the cut on The Roadtrip from Hell, Part 2.

This store, pictured on August 29, 2020 would close in March 2023. This space is now occupied by LC New York, an online business that opened a deep discount store here.

Cart Tax: This store had 2009 Unarco M95 shopping carts from Walmart, which still had the Walmart-branded SafeStrap seat belts. LC New York would not re-use these carts; instead they use blue United Steel & Wire model 350 shopping carts.

Snapshots of Lyons: Real Deals

Our next stop on the Real Deals tour is a store that did not make the cut on The Roadtrip from Hell.

This 8,125 sq.ft. store, pictured on August 15, 2020, would close no later than March 2023. This store is now KB's Discount Store, who appears to have re-used the store's fixtures and decor.

[FLASHBACK] A Quick Look at Watertown's Real Deals

Our next store takes us up to the North Country, in the city of Watertown. Photos of this store were taken on October 11, 2018.

This store was in Northland Plaza, whose address is shown as Eastern Ave. (NY-3), but is also visible from State St. (NY-12). Judging by reviews on Google, this appears to have been a recent closure.

Cart Tax: At the time these photos were taken, the shopping carts consisted of these Slater's Marketplace Tote Cart model 1212 units. This store would later have mid 2000s red Technibilt #1938 carts.

Sherrill Revisited

Our Tour de Union continues with another converted P&C in the Central New York area.

As with the vast majority of the Central New York stores, this one was originally built as P&C Foods, then became Tops in 2010.

A basket with a bizarre sticker bearing a colorless Grand Union logo.

Front end, which had the self-checkouts removed when this store was converted from Tops from Grand Union. Also to the right is a pharmacy, which somehow still operates in this store. Most likely operated by an independent.

Frozen foods on the left side of the store, a section which prominently features coffin-style coolers. Also note the dairy section on the left-hand wall.

Cart Tax: The only new carts here are these Bemis Convenience carts. Everything else is rebadged Tops fare.

Thank you for shopping with Grand Union, of course with the GU logo replacing the Tops logo.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As I continue to tour them, I find them less impressing, given they have done nothing but swap out Tops branding with the Grand Union branding. It does not seem C&S is in it for the long haul with these stores. The product selection is not much different from the Tops they replaced, nor much different than most independent/franchise stores here in Upstate NY that are supplied by C&S.

Also, this poorly-designed logo continues to bother me, given the absence of spacing between the "Grand" and "Union". Also the "red dot" is too big, and thus cuts into the letter "I" below it. When converted to horizontal, the letter "I" is too short and has part of the red dot sitting on top of it despite the logo being all caps.

Until next time, take care of yourself, and each other!

- Retail Regents

[FLASHBACK] Snapshots of Norwich: Real Deals Dollar Store

As Real Deals winds down operations, it is time to look back at some of their stores. We go back to September 26, 2018 to a store in a shopping center in Norwich, New York.

This store (and the Tractor Supply next to it) were part of Ames #326, which was previously a Big N discount store. Surprisingly, this store is still operating as of this writing.