Tops: Store of the Community

MARK HAMSTRA

In many ways, Tops' newest location in Spencerport, N.Y., on the western edge of Rochester, reflects the close community connection Tops seeks to create with its customers.

Residents of the moderately upscale community had been seeking a supermarket in their downtown area since an IGA closed several years ago, and Tops saw an opportunity to create a store that sought to meet their needs.

“This was a population base that was hungry for a supermarket, and had the ability to support a smaller format,” said Frank Curci, president and chief executive officer, Tops, in an interview at the store. “People have supported this store like no place we have ever seen before.”

The 38,000-square-foot location is much smaller than a typical Tops, but its design includes much of the company's most recent thinking on store layout and construction and close to a full assortment of product selection.

Other than the 55 stores that Tops added to its network through the January acquisition of Penn Traffic, the Spencerport store is the first new location Tops has opened since it was acquired by Ahold in 2007.

Curci said he believes such opportunities could be a key component of the retailer's growth in the future.

“This is where we can do something our competitors can't — we can go into a community like this that can support a smaller store but not a big store,” he said.