Groceteria.com

Towns like Oxford, and Tully, NY are severely hurt by losing stores like Great American. From Oxford, Wal-Mart is only 4-5 miles, and Price Chopper another mile. So a quick trip for some forgotten items- especially fresh meat or veggies- is difficult; essentially 6 miles, as WalMart is unacceptable when it comes to fresh, quality meat and produce.

As to the demise of Victory Markets, Inc, of Norwich, NY...

In about 1989 or 1990, Victory Markets purchased 7-8 stores in the Albany area from another chain. They weren't well marketed and not well received. This was I believe during the era of ownership by an Australian holding company, whose name I forget. That company sold to another firm held by a jackass named Aaron Malinsky, who promptly liquidated all assets.

But the demise goes to the local ownership. Darryl Gregson was CEO. Stores were opened in questionable locations, just about every vice president drove a company supplied Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis, and there were some other nice perks at the top. At the warehouse levels, theft was rampant, and some fairly questionable workers compensation claims were filed. Add to that Victory's decision to build their frozen warehouse in downtown Norwich- pretty isolated compared to their other strongholds of Binghamton and Utica, which each offered easy interstate access- combined with a decline in the maintenance and cleanliness of their aging stores, the encroachment of Wegman's, Hannaford, and Price Chopper, and a number of other factors (like the general economic decline of their small-town home turf), and the chain couldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

GreatAmericanBagBoy wrote:As to the demise of Victory Markets, Inc, of Norwich, NY...

In about 1989 or 1990, Victory Markets purchased 7-8 stores in the Albany area from another chain. They weren't well marketed and not well received.

Those would have been the stores that they bought from the Big V group, which at the time was a member of the ShopRite co-op.
Also, there was something at the time (after the change to the Great American name) about them employing illegal workers or something of the sort, which probably didn't help.

Here are some pictures I took of Great Americans this spring along Route 7 between Afton and Oneonta, NY.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drpep1024/ ... 992639478/

Cool! Where is the antique store where the toy trucks are located?

Oneonta, NY

valleyankee wrote:When I was a teen we use to shop at a Great American supermarket in New Paltz, New York. I remember their store brand was "Food Club" and was made by Topco who is still in business.

When the supermarket closed some dirty place too it over. eventually they closed and the location became a womans clothing store.

Since then an old Ames location was torn down and they built a new Super Stop and Shop.

The Great American in New Paltz closed in the early 1990's (by 1992?). The dirty market you are referring to was called C-U Market. It was half the old Great American store and was not very clean. Most likely the reason they did not last very long. Today, one half is Peter Harris Clothing and the other half Advanced Auto Parts. Other Great American stores I remember are Saugerties, Monticello, Liberty (2 stores), and Cairo. The Cairo store is now Slaters Great American and does well....

BDK

Hi , don!t forget the small downtown store that was adjacent to the A&P in Jeffersonville Ny.
That store did not even have refrigerated produce but was in wire racks on the far wall,
Gerry

I don't remember the Jeffersonville, NY store, but there was a Great American in Port Jervis, NY, which closed in early/mid 1999. As the original poster of this thread noted, there is very little information about Great American stores and their history.

Hi , I remember The Great American Store in Port Jervis, I used to call on it it when I worked for Quaker Oats. Port Jervis had and Acme located where the Rite Aid is, and a colonial A&P where the empty Save A Lot is located.
I had a good friend that came from A&P that managed New Paltz back in the early 80!s.
My impresion of that store was that the store seemed dirty. The first Victory Market that I
ever saw was in Lake George Ny , back in the early 70!s. It was small and was packed with
product and customers.
I believe that in this tread, I believe that I left the web Site to and upstate paper that had a decent history of the company.
Thanks Gerry

maynesG wrote: I believe that in this tread, I believe that I left the web Site to and upstate paper that had a decent history of the company.
Thanks Gerry

The link no longer works, but I sent an email to the Daily Star asking for info on that article. No reply yet...

BDK

GreatAmericanBagBoy wrote:
As to the demise of Victory Markets, Inc, of Norwich, NY...

In about 1989 or 1990, Victory Markets purchased 7-8 stores in the Albany area from another chain. They weren't well marketed and not well received. This was I believe during the era of ownership by an Australian holding company, whose name I forget. That company sold to another firm held by a jackass named Aaron Malinsky, who promptly liquidated all assets.

But the demise goes to the local ownership. Darryl Gregson was CEO. Stores were opened in questionable locations, just about every vice president drove a company supplied Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis, and there were some other nice perks at the top. At the warehouse levels, theft was rampant, and some fairly questionable workers compensation claims were filed. Add to that Victory's decision to build their frozen warehouse in downtown Norwich- pretty isolated compared to their other strongholds of Binghamton and Utica, which each offered easy interstate access- combined with a decline in the maintenance and cleanliness of their aging stores, the encroachment of Wegman's, Hannaford, and Price Chopper, and a number of other factors (like the general economic decline of their small-town home turf), and the chain couldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

Here is a few of links I found on this subject. I was not aware that Giant Eagle was interested in Victory Markets...

Is this the same Aaron Malinsky?

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A%26P+Nam ... a050210391

Next is LNC Industries (Australian) takeover bid...

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/09/busin ... offer.html

And finally, Giant Eagle interested in Victory Markets...

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article- ... ready.html

BDK

nysw3636 wrote:

valleyankee wrote:When I was a teen we use to shop at a Great American supermarket in New Paltz, New York. I remember their store brand was "Food Club" and was made by Topco who is still in business.

When the supermarket closed some dirty place too it over. eventually they closed and the location became a womans clothing store.

Since then an old Ames location was torn down and they built a new Super Stop and Shop.

The Great American in New Paltz closed in the early 1990's (by 1992?). The dirty market you are referring to was called C-U Market. It was half the old Great American store and was not very clean. Most likely the reason they did not last very long. Today, one half is Peter Harris Clothing and the other half Advanced Auto Parts. Other Great American stores I remember are Saugerties, Monticello, Liberty (2 stores), and Cairo. The Cairo store is now Slaters Great American and does well....

BDK

The Great American in New Paltz,NY closed in October 1995.

Just a quick addition, in case anyone wants to check out Slater's Great American in Cairo before it closes down:

http://blog.timesunion.com/business/new ... iro/22591/

there is one that I believe is still standing in Canajoharie I didn't know that there used to be a shoprite in Albany ironic that they are moving back into the area.