Tops renovates 5 Pennsylvania stores, closes 1

Five Tops Friendly Markets across Pennsylvania are getting a $6 million facelift, while a sixth location in Erie is set to close, the Williamsville, New York-based grocer announced Tuesday. 

The stores, located in Erie, Waterford, Union City, Meadville, make up a combined 225,000 square feet of store space, but that footprint is expected to grow as a result of the massive renovation to increase the size of fresh food and produce sections. 

Renovations include new exterior paint, new landscaping, enhancements to the facade, new décor, energy-efficient lighting and state-of-the-art self-checkouts, the grocer noted. 

The new produce and fresh-food areas will include local and organic options, and the bakery sections will include a larger selection of cakes and pastries. The revamped deli areas will offer more grab-and-go items “and affordable restaurant-style options," the grocer said.

The grocer is also building a new fuel station at the Erie location at 712 W. 38th St. In Erie, Tops is also adding new beer and wine options at its 1702 E. 38th St. location.

Work is already underway at several of the locations, and three of the supermarkets are expected to reopen soon. 

“At Tops, we constantly evaluate the best ways to serve our local customers and reinvest into our communities,” said Ron Ferri, executive vice president of operations and distribution for Tops Markets, in a statement. “These latest enhancements will help make life a little easier for shoppers by focusing on affordable, easy-to-prepare meal options and a wider selection of products.”

The company announced that its 1520 W. 26th St. location in Erie, along with the adjacent fuel station, will close on June 23. “Closing a store is always a difficult decision,” Ferri said in a statement. “The expiration of the lease combined with the proximity of other Tops locations as well as the new amenities we’ll now be able to add at those locations all factored into the decision. We are offering all affected associates positions at nearby stores.”

The Erie locations and the store at 230 S. High St, in Waterford will be completed in a few weeks, and the stores are set to reopen on June 25. Those in Meadville and Union City will reopen in the later summer or early fall.