Compare Fresh - Bronx, NY (Longwood)

Compare Fresh Marketplace

Opened: May 2025

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: none

Cooperative: Associated Supermarket Group

Location: 1010 Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY

Photographed: June 30, 2025

Let's review some history here. In 2014, following the bankruptcy and subsequent demise of wholesaler White Rose, the retail side of White Rose (Met Foodmarkets and Pioneer Supermarkets) and Associated Food Holdings, which was supplied by White Rose, struggled. They found it difficult to supply their stores through the bankruptcy. Met/Pioneer and Associated were cooperatives, made up of independent store owners, some of whom decided to leave those groups. Met/Pioneer and Associated collectively lost nearly 100 independent store owners, many joining rival cooperatives. The largest group went to Key Food, which created a new banner -- Food Universe -- for them. So after White Rose's bankruptcy, Met/Pioneer was merged with Associated (which also had the Compare Foods brand) to create the new Associated Supermarket Group. Having dealt with their supplier's bankruptcy and many members leaving, ASG struggled to get off the ground at the beginning. Eventually, the cooperative was sold to a private equity firm, which subsequently sold the company to its co-CEOs. That was about three years ago, and since then, ASG really seems to be on firm footing. Not only are their own stores as well-run as they've ever been, they've been consistently adding new stores and new members under a variety of different brands. Here in the South Bronx, they've just opened up their newest location in the Longwood section.

Originally slated to be an Antillana SuperFood (also an ASG chain), the brand-new Compare Fresh Marketplace on Westchester Avenue opened in a space of only 5100 square feet this May. It's a new-build store. A small Antillana affiliate is just across the street. This store may be owned by the same people as Antillana, but I'm not sure.

Produce is in the first aisle on the right side of the store, with meats on the back wall. There are about five aisles here, with frozen foods on the outside of the last one. In the front-left corner, there's a section for the rest of frozen and dairy, and the deli is on the front wall between there and the registers.

They've certainly made the best use of the small space they have.

There's a Fine Fare about three blocks west and a Key Food two blocks east.

You can see how tall all of the shelves are stacked to make use of the vertical space here in the crowded South Bronx.

Meats are on the back wall and then frozen foods continue down the last aisle.

More choices (and more food access) here in this neighborhood is always good, but so far the store has an average of just 2 stars on Google Maps. People bring up issues with card skimmers and service. Obviously, that's not a good first impression. We'll see what the response is longer-term.