The Market Report

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A quick drive-by photo of the Romano family-owned ShopRite in Franklin, Sussex County, NJ: Looks like a huge store, but I've never been inside. RoNetco (the Romano family's company) is one of the more old-fashioned ShopRite operators, but they run very good stores.

After ongoing conflict within the corporate management of Top Tomato Superstores, a new division was formed called Vine Ripe Markets. So far Vine Ripe only has one location, in Westfield, NJ. A former car dealership was turned into a gourmet food store focusing on produce, meat, seafood, and deli. There is also a small grocery selection and a pretty nice bakery, but the deli is where this store really stands out. The entrance faces the parking lot, which is on the side of the store. Vine Ripe doesn't use a storebrand. Or do they? Not sure what this Price Rite product is doing on the shelves at Vine Ripe!

In the A&P bankruptcy, when Key Food acquired stores, they then sold them to owner-operators (with the exception of two in Queens, which remain corporately-owned). In this case, the former Waldbaum's Fresh Market on Amboy Rd on Staten Island was switched to independent owners Ed DiAntonio, Sam Abed, and Randy Abed, who did some minor renovations before reopening. This store, based on my visit, seems to be a slightly better version of a Waldbaum's. However, the store clearly isn't making the business it needs. Great placement of the trees. The entrance, on the right, brings you into a large produce department, followed by a deli/prepared foods department in the back corner. The former seafood counter is also in this corner followed by meat along the back wall. In-store bakery is in the far back corner with frozen foods in the last aisles and dairy along the side wall. Pharmacy is along the front-end. You enter on the right, under pharmacy. Superfresh did rep...

The Food Bazaar on Bruckner Blvd in the Bronx opened around 2005 after a major renovation (I think it was a Waldbaum's previously) and was again renovated around 2012. While I haven't been to the store, I've seen it... Or at least the back of it. The store faces Bruckner Blvd, which is to the right in the picture above. But there's no missing the Food Bazaar logo from any direction.

Anyone out there know how to pronounce Fteley , the name of the street this Fine Fare is on? This is Fine Fare's flagship store, and probably the largest Fine Fare out there. I don't know who owns it but it looks very nice. The architecture matches the neighboring CVS because they were both renovated at the same time.

Check out the newly-updated Resources and Spreadsheets page, which includes many new listings! Current Operations Allegiance Retail Services Aurora Grocery Group Great Valu Markets Wakefern Food Corp Historical Operations DiGiorgio Corp Pathmark stores Superfresh stores The Food Emporium stores Profiles & History America's Food Basket profile  Associated Supermarket Group profile City Supermarkets profile Food Fair Supermarkets profile Superfresh profile Twin City Group location listing And scroll down now to check out Dan's Supreme Key Food Marketplace on Staten Island, today's store tour!

As of August 2017, when these photos were taken, the 125th Street Pathmark in Harlem, Manhattan was still not only standing and vacant, but fully lit with a Pathmark sign! This store will be demolished and replaced with residential units. What a surprise.