Grand Union set for Hartwick Seminary after FTC OKs Price Chopper/Tops merger

Last year’s merger putting competing grocers Price Chopper and Tops under a single parent company left local shoppers wondering the fate of branded stores in Otsego County.

As a condition of approving the merger, the Federal Trade Commission required proposed parent company Northeast Grocery to divest its interest in a dozen stores — among them the Tops Market on Route 28 in Hartwick Seminary.

C&S Wholesale Grocers, a century-old supplier to independent grocery stores throughout the country, purchased the stores in question and, in the next few months, will replace the Tops brand with Grand Union.

“This is another very exciting opportunity for C&S to further expand into the retail market,” Rick Cohen, executive chairman of C&S Wholesale Grocers said. “This is an important component of our growth and future success.”

“The Grand Union stores will showcase C&S’s already successful retail strategies and be supported by our strong wholesale supply chain and programs to deliver solid retail performance,” he continued.

When asked, all three players involved in the merger, divestiture, and rebranding of the stores declined to comment beyond prepared statements provided to the media.

Price Chopper locations in Cooperstown and Oneonta will retain their brand identity under the new Northeast Grocery parent banner, as will Price Chopper and Tops Markets throughout the remainder of the new parent company’s service region.

While no specific dates have yet been scheduled, C&S plans grand openings for the Hartwick Seminary and other Grand Union locations for mid-January through mid-February 2022, and states the company “will continue to recognize the union workforce at these locations.”

“We are very excited to bring this iconic supermarket back to the communities it has fed for generations,” said C&S Chief Executive Officer Bob Palmer.