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I am curious as to how far north Waldbaum's reached in New York state! I remember Kingston (now partly a Staples) and Wappinger Falls (rebuilt as Hannaford). I am also aware that Waldbaums purchased Foodmart in Massachusetts, but I believe this did have any bearing on New York operations. I looked over the forum topics and found nothing pertaining to this topic. If I missed it, I'm sorry and point me in the right direction...

BDK

Hi, as I remember Kingston New York was as far as Waldbaums went. Middletown Ny had one for a few years, it became a Redners and recently closed. They had several stores in Rockland county Orangetown, Spring Valley, Nanuet come to mind.
Hope it Helps
Gerry

The was also a Waldbaum's in Vails Gate, NY at the intersection of NY Route 32, NY Route 94, & NY Route 300. The location was previously a Barkers Discount Department Store and is now a Price Chopper supermarket.

I liked this store very much - probably just as much as the barrel roofed Shop Rite Supermarket just up Route 32, which has since been demolished and moved to a new location in the same plaza..

When A&P had purchased the Waldbaum's chain, it had a great potential. Over the years though, A&P seems to have killed all of the good will Walbaum's had with their customers.

This may have been on Long Island. But does anyone remember the Waldbaum's that later became a Grand Union Superstore, one of the last Grand Unions? Store opened around 1992 and had a smoke shop next to it. The place reminded me of Whole Foods more than anything.

Perhaps GU Family Markets doesn't operate any Long Island/NYC stores?

GU Family Markets does not have any stores on Long Island/NYC anymore. I believe they exited that area in 2001. Their closest store is now Millerton, NY, located in Dutchess County.

BDK

That would be a no then. "GU Family Markets" refers to the organization that runs some Grand Union stores today. I am not sure how they choose which name to use, or who the "family" is. The Grand Union chain officially closed in 2001. Their Virginia/Maryland/DC stores closed way back in 1979.

I remember that Waldbaum's in Vails Gate. I believe it opened sometime in 1982. I was not aware that it was a Barker's at one time!! Also, there was a Basic's at the other end of that plaza in the early 1980's....

BDK

Hi, I lived in Maybrook in the early 80!s, know the shoping center that you speak of, remember the Grand Union, that became the Key Food, Caldors and the Shop Rite. But I simply can!t place the Waldbaums, The Fays Drug store up the street and The former A&P that became a foodtown in NewWindsor. But I simply can!t place the Waldbaums, memory is a funny thing.
A&P did what Safeway did to Genuardi!s took the things thatwere special about that chain and remove them( Great Kosher Deli get rid of it), thus turning them into a run of the mill store. The Kiss of Death!

The remaining grand union chain is owned by C&S wholesale grocers. They supply most of metro NY other than King Kullen and Shoprite

Jared wrote:The remaining grand union chain is owned by C&S wholesale grocers. They supply most of metro NY other than King Kullen and Shoprite

As noted elsewhere, C&S was Grand Union's major creditor, and when the chain went under they sold off most of the locations but retained some... those are the ones now operated as GU Family Markets. I've seen several in upstate NY -- they are small, outdated, and seem to be the Grand Union locations that were never updated. Sort of like being in a time warp, but not in a good way.

Jeffrey55 wrote:As noted elsewhere, C&S was Grand Union's major creditor, and when the chain went under they sold off most of the locations but retained some... those are the ones now operated as GU Family Markets. I've seen several in upstate NY -- they are small, outdated, and seem to be the Grand Union locations that were never updated. Sort of like being in a time warp, but not in a good way.

There are a couple newer (or more recently remodeled/expanded) stores (Tannersville comes to mind, similar design to the Valatie store mentioned below which was a later 90's new store to replace an older one next door) but you may also notice one other thing about (at least most of) their remaining locations:

NO OTHER STORES IN TOWN

They seem to have kept open only locations where they have no competition - the only slightly odd one would be the Nantucket Island one (there is a S&S there) - but their store (old A&P) is right where one of the ferries lands and thus probably does quite well.

Just as a couple examples:

- We had a GU Family Markets in Valatie, until Hannaford built a new store - about 4-5 months later the GU closed up.
- In the North Country of NY, Tops had taken over most of the Grand Unions for a few years - when they decided to get out of the market, most of the stores returned to Grand Union Family Markets, but a relatively new one (the sloped glass front, probably early-mid 1990's era) in Lake Placid never re-opened under GU since there is a Price Chopper there, while most (older and smaller stores) in surrounding towns without other markets did re-open.