Great American

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TW-Upstate NY
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Re: Great American

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

drpep wrote:0ne on Pultney Street which was a former Loblaws and now a Salvation Army Thrift Store.
That brings up something that I'd thought of earlier in the thread but didn't mention. I know of at least two others that were former Loblaws as well: Gloversville and Amsterdam which were formerly Chicago Markets (the Utica chain Victory bought in the mid-80's) locations prior to Great American. I've also read that the Ilion location was once a Loblaws as well. Can anybody confirm this? It was there by 1982 so the time frame certainly fits. It also had recessed drum lighting which was a staple in some of the newer 70's Loblaws built shortly before they exited the market.
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

Forgot that Great American was also in Millerton,NY at former Trotta's Market!! I believe this was 1992??, then Grand Union took it over in 1995?? Also as an FYI, I believe there is a town hall meeting in Millerton tonight, and Hannaford building a store there is on the agenda!!!
maynesG
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Re: Great American

Post by maynesG »

Hi, Millerton Ny also had a small First National in the 40,50,60!s inthe down town section of town
This store was and independent grocer untill at least 1982.
Gerry
GreatAmericanBagBoy
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Re: Great American

Post by GreatAmericanBagBoy »

Great American operated two stores in Norwich, NY.

#424 was the local flagship at the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell St. Managers there frequently moved into district manager or buyer positions. #436 was in the south plaza, now a Save-a-Lot.

There was a store on Grand Blvd. in Johnson City, in the Campus Plaza in Vestal, and on 2 on Front St in Binghamton (one where Lowe's is now, one down by the railroad overpass, now county health) as well as other Binghamton area locations.

Stores were also located in the following towns I haven't yet seen posted: Sherburne (now the Big M), Hamilton (Wayne's Market), New Berlin on the site of the current Stewart's, Bridgeport, Alexandria Bay, Massena, Cincinnatus, Chittenango, Oneida, Kingston.
GreatAmericanBagBoy
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Re: Great American

Post by GreatAmericanBagBoy »

Also, the former A&P executive was Aaron Malinsky, who had no intention of running a grocery chain, he bought it to break up and sell the real estate, particularly in the Utica and Binghamton markets. Sadly, the loss of Great Americans has left "food deserts" of sorts in isolated areas of upstate.

The chain had its share of problems before Malinsky and was pretty much on its death bed in a lot of ways, Malinsky just swept into Norwich and did his best Dr. Kervorkian impression.
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

GreatAmericanBagBoy wrote:Great American operated two stores in Norwich, NY.

#424 was the local flagship at the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell St. Managers there frequently moved into district manager or buyer positions. #436 was in the south plaza, now a Save-a-Lot.

There was a store on Grand Blvd. in Johnson City, in the Campus Plaza in Vestal, and on 2 on Front St in Binghamton (one where Lowe's is now, one down by the railroad overpass, now county health) as well as other Binghamton area locations.

Stores were also located in the following towns I haven't yet seen posted: Sherburne (now the Big M), Hamilton (Wayne's Market), New Berlin on the site of the current Stewart's, Bridgeport, Alexandria Bay, Massena, Cincinnatus, Chittenango, Oneida, Kingston.
Thanks for the additions. I must ask, where was the Kingston store located? I just can't recall where it was...
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

With GreatAmericanBagBoy's help, and with me finding a few more, we need to update BillyGr's list. The following locations need to be added...ALL NY locations...Vestal, Horseheads, Millerton, Owego, Malone, Hamilton, New Berlin, Massena, Cinncinnatus, Chittenango, Oneida, Kingston, Fulton, Fayetteville, Clinton, Syracuse, Manlius, Odegensburg, Alexandria Bay and add 1 to Norwich and 1 to Binghamton. That should make 81 TOTAL now. Some were Victory Markets and some Great American Food Stores..

Also, with a little more work I found out this tidbit. From an article in the Boonville Herald dated May 23, 1979, Victory Markets Inc. had 86 stores in operation. The breakdown is as follows (with no locations given)...

48- Great Americans
32- Victory Markets
3- Peter Pumpkin Stores (Hartwick,NY, Marathon,NY and Cinncinnatus,NY))
3- Valu-Way Discount Food Stores (Fulton,NY, Dewitt,NY, and ??))

Also, they operated 14 Self-Service gas stations....
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

Ilion,NY was indeed a former Loblaws, as was Whitesboro,NY and Little Falls,NY. If we add the Chicago Markets(NY) in 1986 and the Genetti's Supermarkets(PA) in 1969, this adds a lot of stores...
TW-Upstate NY wrote:
drpep wrote:0ne on Pultney Street which was a former Loblaws and now a Salvation Army Thrift Store.
That brings up something that I'd thought of earlier in the thread but didn't mention. I know of at least two others that were former Loblaws as well: Gloversville and Amsterdam which were formerly Chicago Markets (the Utica chain Victory bought in the mid-80's) locations prior to Great American. I've also read that the Ilion location was once a Loblaws as well. Can anybody confirm this? It was there by 1982 so the time frame certainly fits. It also had recessed drum lighting which was a staple in some of the newer 70's Loblaws built shortly before they exited the market.
GreatAmericanBagBoy
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Re: Great American

Post by GreatAmericanBagBoy »

I believe Victory Markets also supplied a few independent franchisees under the Food King name, but the only one I am aware of is the store still operating in Waterville, NY. Can anyone verify this for me?
GreatAmericanBagBoy
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Re: Great American

Post by GreatAmericanBagBoy »

I believe the New Berlin location was a Peter Pumpkin in the 70s, and the IGA in Morris, NY was once either a Peter Pumpkin or a Victory. That store is now I believe a Big M owned by Marquit's out of New Berlin.

The gas stations were "U Pump Em". I believe they folded up in the early-mid 80s.

Victory also operated a small convenience store adjacent to their Tracy Baking Co. distribution center on Midland Ave. That building was originally the NYO&W freight station, still exists and used by CWS. NYSW3636, presuming your handle is a reference to the yellow jacket locomotive of the same number, you probably already knew that.

nysw3636 wrote:With GreatAmericanBagBoy's help, and with me finding a few more, we need to update BillyGr's list. The following locations need to be added...ALL NY locations...Vestal, Horseheads, Millerton, Owego, Malone, Hamilton, New Berlin, Massena, Cinncinnatus, Chittenango, Oneida, Kingston, Fulton, Fayetteville, Clinton, Syracuse, Manlius, Odegensburg, Alexandria Bay and add 1 to Norwich and 1 to Binghamton. That should make 81 TOTAL now. Some were Victory Markets and some Great American Food Stores..

Also, with a little more work I found out this tidbit. From an article in the Boonville Herald dated May 23, 1979, Victory Markets Inc. had 86 stores in operation. The breakdown is as follows (with no locations given)...

48- Great Americans
32- Victory Markets
3- Peter Pumpkin Stores (Hartwick,NY, Marathon,NY and Cinncinnatus,NY))
3- Valu-Way Discount Food Stores (Fulton,NY, Dewitt,NY, and ??))

Also, they operated 14 Self-Service gas stations....
TW-Upstate NY
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Re: Great American

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

I remember one of those gas stations. It was in the parking lot of one of their stores in a very small shopping plaza (3 stores) along NY Route 7 just outside Oneonta. Rode by it a lot when I was a kid when we made numerous trips between Pa. and what is now home. I never made the connection. We moved back here in 1980 and thus stopped making regualr trips out that way so the time frame would indeed fit. Where were some of the other ones located because that was the only one I ever knew of.

PS: And yes I too can confirm that the Little Falls store was indeed a Loblaws.
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

U Pump em had 14 locations... The ones I found are Manlius,NY, Oneonta,NY, Schoharie,NY, Norwich,NY, and Bridgeport,NY. Need to find the others...

Former 11 Chicago Markets bought in 1987 are Utica,NY(6), Rome,NY(2), Herkimer,NY, Gloversville,NY and Amsterdam,NY.

Onieda Supermarkets (5) bought in April 1968 are Fort Plain,NY, Cherry Valley,NY, Fonda,NY, Cairo,NY and Grand Gorge,NY.

Former Loblaws (they bought 12 in 1977) are Corning,NY, Ilion,NY, Whitesboro,NY, Little Falls,NY. Need to find the others...

Genetti Super Markets (bought the 11 store PA chain in 1969). Stores I found are Hazelton,PA, Shenandoah,PA, Freeland,PA, Tamaqua,PA and East Stroudsburg,PA.

Valu-Way Discount Stores were Dewitt,NY, Fulton,NY and Baldwinsville,NY
GreatAmericanBagBoy
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Re: Great American

Post by GreatAmericanBagBoy »

I am about 90% certain that there was a U Pump 'Em on Upper Front Street in Binghamton, where US 11 veers left and NY 12 begins, on the current site of Lowe's. That site I recall also hosted a Great American store.
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

I found a few more Victory Markets. Walton,NY, Deposit, NY, Apalachin,NY, Dryden,NY, Groton,NY, and Oriskany Falls,NY.
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nysw3636
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Re: Great American

Post by nysw3636 »

GreatAmericanBagBoy wrote:I believe Victory Markets also supplied a few independent franchisees under the Food King name, but the only one I am aware of is the store still operating in Waterville, NY. Can anyone verify this for me?
Interesting!! I have heard of Food King before, but not Victory Markets supplying them. I found a few...

Slipko Brothers Food King-Niagara Falls,NY
Garrett's Food King-Waterville,NY
Nino's Food King-Hamburg,NY
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