Our last stop here in Bath is a look at another really, really nice Tops. I snapped a few drive-by pictures early in the week I was here, but we returned and went into the store, so I have a full tour. It features much newer decor than the one we saw in
Canandaigua, but I would imagine it opened with that decor.
Surprisingly, this store is only about 45,000 square feet. It feels much larger. Also interesting, it's almost a perfect square.
Daytime drive-by, and then a nighttime visit...
Produce and natural/organic run along the first aisle, with deli in an island facing. Bakery is at the back of the first aisle with meat/seafood on the back wall. Dairy is in the last aisle. I'm not remembering entirely, but I believe pharmacy is in an island in the middle of the grocery aisles facing the front end.
I'm assuming this time capsule was installed when the store was built in 1996. And hey, you want a (terrifying) fun fact? If we go to plan, we'll be covering the old Pathmark on Ferry St in Newark, NJ that day. It's the store that
this one replaced. Yep, I've photographed it. Yep, I have The Market Report's posts scheduled that far in advance. I warned you it was terrifying. Now for this Tops!
You enter on the front side of the front end, then make a 90-degree turn to enter the produce department. Interestingly, this store's bottle deposit machines actually face into the store.
You then turn to enter a beautiful produce department (with great signage, too, by the way).
Deli runs along the opposite side of the produce department in an island.
The decor and merchandising in this store is top-notch. Very impressive! There is a substantial natural and organic selection at the back of this aisle as well.
And facing the natural and organic department is a small cafe at the back of the deli.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. It might be a controversial opinion, but Tops' bakery is far, far superior to Wegmans'. Awesome cookies and donuts!
Here's an overview of the whole first aisle from the back. See what I mean about the store feeling larger than it is?
More really nice decor on the back wall in the meat and seafood (closed for the night) areas.
The decor is very similar to the
Dan's Supreme Key Food stores of a few years ago, so I wouldn't be surprised if they shared a design firm (
Off the Wall).
Pretty standard but still quite attractive grocery aisles.
The last aisles contain frozen and dairy products.
The lower ceiling appears to be a little bit of an impediment to the decor, but they made it work.
And beer is in the front corner of that aisle.
As I mentioned, I don't exactly recall where the pharmacy is but I believe it's in an island in the grocery aisles.
And now for a look across the front end before wrapping up our coverage of Bath...
We're also getting very close to wrapping up our coverage of the Finger Lakes! We'll be moving down towards the area just outside of Elmira/Corning tomorrow.
Tops Friendly Markets
309 W Morris St, Bath, NY
Open 24 Hours
topsmarkets.com
(607) 776-1015
Photographed August 2018
Neat store! I like your sunset pics. And the time capsule is very interesting as well! Don't see those too often.
ReplyDeleteLOL at you having posts scheduled that far out, too :P I have enough *content* to get me through then, but I don't have it all scheduled yet!
Thanks! I thought they came out quite well too. I have enough content to extend well beyond then, but I haven't scheduled it past I think the summer of 2021 just yet.
DeleteOkay, I might have to show up on that day. I've seen those at other Tops online before, and all of them have dates around that. I wonder what they contain. Whatever they are, I'm sure its a lot of Ahold memorabilia.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Ahold memorabilia, those checkout lights were the standard issue for Giant-Martin's-Edwards stores as well in the 90s and 2000s.
The fact that you have posts scheduled until 2021 scares me. It also makes me want to mark the date down on my calendar so I see whether or not you stick to your plan.
I barely have enough to make it to the end of the year LOL.
Ah yes, that's correct about the checkout lane markers! Please do keep me to my word on that. We shall see whether the plan remains!
DeleteI only have my blog posts planned through the end of the year for both of my blogs - I'm barely thinking of 2020 yet, let alone 2021! Like Retail Retell though, I certainly have the content to get me through 2021 (especially for MFR). I'm still holding onto photosets from 2015 and 2016 too that haven't seen the light of day yet.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I know too that you put a lot more research into each post, whereas I'm more describing my visit in present-day, so you spend longer on each post, and they end up being longer posts too.
DeleteTrying to identify decor packages or when they were used is almost impossible since it always varies from store to store. Seems like the decor is just as diverse as their cart selection! Seems that nearly every store is different in some way.
ReplyDeleteFair enough! This store does have quite a few different carts too. And I think it's very funny that you're commenting on these Finger Lakes posts now (of course, I'm glad you're reading them!) because although I live in New Jersey and Massachusetts, I'm in the Finger Lakes right now and in fact was pulling out of the store's parking lot an hour before you left this comment.
DeleteI was at the Cortland store a couple weeks back and part of the fleet consisted of ex-Stop & Shop carts (one of them had an uncensored Stop & Shop handle!). Same town also has a Save-a-Lot which still has the old (1970s or 1980s) logo on the building.
DeleteSpeaking of the Finger Lakes, they subdivided the former Geneva location, and part of it is a relocated Dollar Tree. At least that one won't be going to waste!
Very interesting! I didn't quite make it to Cortland but I did pass by Geneva. After I finish posting NYC and the Westchester/Hudson Valley area I'll post my latest stores in the Hudson Valley including that one.
DeleteThe decor package Tops used for the Bath location was a package developed when Tops bought Penn Traffic. It kept elements of the former Giant PA/Ahold package while simplifying other parts of it and using different aisle markers/fonts. Bath was one of the last stores to get that package as Tops then rolled out a new decor package in 2013 which is found in the Elmira, NY store.
ReplyDeleteAs of 2019, Tops completely rethought their interior and exteriors and rolled out their current "gray" package. It is significantly more upscale in look and Tops is rapidly renovating many stores to this new look. It is found in the Dansville, NY store.
Thanks for the details here! I really like all of those decor packages that you mention, and I find that Tops pretty consistently has clean, attractive, and well-run stores. I really want to go see a Tops with that gray decor package, too!
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