Stopping at the Olde Kountry Market

The Olde Kountry Market

Owner: Myron & Regina Stoltzfus

Opened: 2003

Location: 6505 New York 5, Vernon, NY

Date Photographed: September 11, 2024

A pit stop made along the way back from the DeWitt Wegmans is this general store located off New York Route 5 outside of Vernon. It is a Mennonite market that sells unique grocery items produced either locally or within the state of New York, with some exceptions. Like many stores of its kind, there are also housewares, craft items, and religious keepsakes. The left half of the building houses the outdoor storage shed part of the business.

The main grocery aisles here are split into two.

Board games are displayed in the back right corner of the store.

Items like home decor, popcorn and spices are seen along the front right corner of the store.

Cart Tax: This store's carts are newer and fairly nondescript. The top one is a common foreign-made cart, which uniquely has a powder-coated frame whereas many carts of that style are chrome-framed, while the bottom cart is a c. 2018 or 2019 Versacart EXpress5050.

Bigger and Busier! - Wegmans #30

Wegmans #30

Opened: 1995

Location: 6789 E. Genesee Street, Dewitt, NY

Date Photographed: July 19, 2018; April 23, 2021; and September 11, 2024

Our next post takes us further west to the Syracuse market, to what is perhaps Wegmans' largest and busiest store. This store, which originally opened in 1995 tips the scales at 152,273 square feet, which has not been eclipsed by any other location. This store was also the first in the Syracuse market to get the current logo, in 2017. It would not be until 2023 that any other stores in the area would get the new logo.

Entering from the left vestibule. Also of note is the door setup, which is currently a single set of sliding doors, which replaced a set of dual swinging doors around the same time as the logo update.

Like many Wegmans stores, this store offers multiple options for special needs customers - motorized wheelchair carts, two Technibilt Caroline's Carts, and a "Go-To" Cart - a wire Peggs cart built on a modified KNM700 chassis.

The first thing we see is a spacious produce area, with an island for cut fruit.

Another view of the cut fruit island, as well as the sandwich area. Restrooms would be behind us to the right.

Here we see the self checkout area and juice section, which is positioned just before the bakery. And speaking of the bakery...

The right half of the bakery houses pre-packaged goods, as well as individual muffins and doughnuts.

Meats line the right-hand wall and corner, with Seafood on various islands.

Rear corridor once outside the grand aisle. Just up ahead is the dairy section.

The first few grocery aisles consist of nonfoods and health food items. Pharmacy is on its own island. This is where the split aisles begin.

Here is a frontal view of where that last picture would have been.

Frozen foods are in their own area in the front left corner of the store.

Bottled water and juices in 25a, stored on warehouse shelving.

Price Chopper #242

Price Chopper #242

Opened: 2014

Previous Tenants: none (A Big M Supermarket and several smaller stores on site were demolished in 2013)

Location: *55 East Main St, Little Falls, NY

Date Photographed: June 9, 2020 and September 7, 2024

Our next post takes us back west to the small city of Little Falls. This store of about 30,500 sq.ft. opened in the summer of 2014 after being delayed due to problems with the rock on site. A Big M, which sat up on Main Street alongide a Movie Gallery closed in December 2012 and was demolished the following year for this store and its parking lot.

*While the address is technically 55 East Main Street, the parking lot can only be accessed through Albany Street or through the Shoppers Square shopping center via South William Street.

As is typical for stores of this era, the grand aisle is on the right-hand side with all other grocery items to the left. This location does not have a Starbucks due to its smaller size.

The right corner houses the "Pizza Subs Sandwich" section, with the "Bake Shop" to the left of it.

Seafood is to the left of the bakery section.

Aisle 13 houses the dairy department.

Frozen foods/frozen dairy lines the front, as well as aisle 12 (not shown).

Brief Tours: Price Chopper - Loudonville, NY

Price Chopper #188

Opened: 2001

Previous Tenants: Grand Union

Location: 475 Albany Shaker Rd, Albany, NY

Date Photographed: August 8, 2020

Our next post takes us to just one of three Price Chopper branded stores remaining in the Albany area. This store of about 38,000 sq.ft. originally opened in 2001 in a former Grand Union supermarket, which was then 28,000 sq.ft. In 2012, the zoning board approved of a 10,000 sq.ft. expansion which would result in a neighboring beverage store moving to a nearby strip mall. This store's renovation would conclude in 2014.

Here we have the grand aisle on the right side of the store. From front to back, we have Starbucks, Delicatessen, Cheese, Olive Bar, and the Corner Bakery.

Back actionway, with Seafood just off to your right. Frozen foods and dairy are in the middle grocery aisles.

Curiously the entire left side of the store, including the final aisle (14) is home to non-food items, including paper products, kitchen "gadgets", and light bulbs to name a few. Part of the pharmacy is visible along the front wall.

Am I Missing Something? - Price Chopper #161

In today's post, we are exploring another older Price Chopper with something off about it. Let's begin.

Opened: Between 1994 and 1997

Location: 5631 New York 12, Norwich, NY

Date Photographed: September 26, 2018 and March 25, 2021

Our next post takes us back to the upper Southern Tier, to another large supermarket in the town of Norwich. According to a Loopnet property listing, this shopping center was built in 1994, yet this Price Chopper has a store number (a low 16x) that is associated with stores that opened around 1997 and 1998. Either this was a different store or this was added on later. A store of 1994 would probably have a high 12x or low 13x store number, such as Oneonta.

This store's grand aisle houses produce, and floral (not shown). Immediately we see something doesn't look right. Could this have been another neon store à la Oneonta?

Center pharmacy typical in older stores like this.

This is where the fun begins - there are gondolas for frozen foods, seasonal, and dairy splitting the back actionway. The first image shows this from the meat department along the back wall, the second one shows it from a similar angle outside the grocery aisles, and the third image shows this from the dairy section looking back toward the meat department.

Much like the Oneonta store, I cannot help but think there was a floating drop ceiling in the green frame. These ceilings had mirrored tile and the grid lighting seen in areas of the store with a drop ceiling. Such a ceiling could be seen in this store in Vermont.

This area appears to the deli area.

A back-to-front view of what would be the deli and bakery area (which sits along the front right wall). Bread is located to the right (left if viewed from the front).

Looking toward the front of the store. This concludes our tour of this store.

To close out the post, two things come to mind: Would this have been a neon store? And if so, would a store of 1997 still be using neon? Comment down below!

- Retail Regents