TOUR: ShopRite - Garnerville, NY

ShopRite of Garnerville
Owner: Inserra Supermarkets

Opened: 2005

Previous Tenants: A&P (1997-2005)

Cooperative: Wakefern Food Corp.

Location: 56 W Ramapo Rd, Garnerville, NY

Photographed: June 2, 2021

That looks like an A&P, doesn't it? That's because, of course, it was! The Garnerville ShopRite was constructed in 1997 as an A&P, but the store was relatively short-lived, closing eight years later in 2005. ShopRite, owned by North Jersey operator Inserra Supermarkets, opened up shop later that same year. As we'll see, it's pretty clear why they could have a quick turnaround; they did almost nothing to the interior of the store.

This store's exterior (and interior, to a certain extent) looks a lot like Danbury, also a former A&P. But while that one made some strange choices regarding signage on the outside, this one has a much better approach. Why doesn't the Danbury store also have the lettering under the circle logo?

The Garnerville store also has an A&P-era street sign out front...

Now let's head in. As we can see, the store is, like Danbury, very plain but also strongly inspired by its past A&P decor. There's also way too much space...

Prepared foods, deli, and bakery line the right side of the grand aisle, with a few odd short grocery aisles between that and the produce department. Seafood is at the back of the grand aisle (although there's no longer a service seafood counter, and generally it seems the perishables have been cut back greatly), with meat on the back wall and dairy/frozen on the left side of the store.

What used to be a food court with prepared foods and maybe sandwiches made to order is now stocked with prepacked foods, although there's still a small seating area. And of course, most grocery fans will recognize those signs as repainted A&P Foodmarket decor, just with new lettering added!

Same in the deli department, with the old A&P sign being repainted and covered with some new lettering. There was too much space in this area, too, with lots of random displays and shelving. All of this felt like it had been cut back significantly.

The bakery, for some reason, retains its A&P-era checkerboard but not the arched sign frame. Upon moving in, Inserra opted instead for this odd minimal bakery sign. We can also see that maintenance here has not been great, with lots of burnt-out lights.

The produce department feels massive, but not exactly in a good way. It feels like there's way too much space around here. There's also a confusing section of two small grocery aisles between the deli/bakery area and the produce department. What would A&P have had here? Was this their section for things like condiments and packaged breads? That's the most logical thing I can think of. These days the selection is somewhat random.

It doesn't look like Inserra replaced any fixtures when they moved in, or since, although to be fair the store was still pretty new when they moved in.

Seafood counter at the back of the grand aisle with its original checkerboard and curved sign frame, but with new lettering -- and the service counter removed and replaced with this case of packaged fish.

A&P decor (and burnt-out lights) abound in the back of the store, where the meat department is. I wonder if Inserra has been letting the store slip because of minimal sales -- and the fact that they have a much nicer store just under two miles east -- or because they're the only non-kosher supermarket left in this immediate area. Either way, I'd be careful about letting this store go because the closest competitor, which is a kosher store, clearly doesn't mess around.

The grocery aisles feel much like an A&P's grocery aisles, although of course they're fully stocked with Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry items rather than America's Choice and Green Way.

The aisle markers were replaced with the standard Inserra type.

It does look like Inserra replaced some of the freezers, as these look quite new.

It's possible A&P had a row of coffin cases here rather than all-upright cases.

Some of the decor choices look intentional, like this sign, where a ShopRite logo replaces the graphics A&P would've had. See Assi Plaza, which has the full version of this decor package.

HABA, but no pharmacy. Inserra doesn't operate any pharmacies anymore, having closed them all a few years ago.

But there are more A&P relics here, along with a strange "Everything for your Kitchen" sign that apparently predates this store. Notice it in the picture below?

The A&P kitchen shop I referenced in Danbury is alive and well here! It's so odd to see that under a ShopRite sign that's probably at least as old as it (notice that that's the pre-2001 logo).

Dairy begins on the back wall and continues down the last aisle of the store.

I'm not positive, but I think Inserra replaced the picture that would've originally been here under the Dairy lettering.

And before we leave, one more look across the expansive front-end, again with the feeling that there's too much space here (and way too many burnt-out lights)...

This store is not in the best shape, but I'm glad I got to see the A&P relics left here! And in a few more days, we'll see another Inserra ShopRite nearby that's in much better shape. Tomorrow we have two stores in Haverstraw, around a mile and a half east. Check them out with one here on The Market Report and one over on The Independent Edition!