Two of New York Metro’s most successful independent retailers – Bogopa and PSK Foods – have added multiple new stores to their rosters over the past month.
Long Island City, NY-based Bogopa (which primarily trades as Food Bazaar) has acquired four of the 32 closed (or soon-to-be closed) Stop & Shop stores that were announced in July.
The family-owned merchant has already opened three of those supermarkets – in Hempstead, NY; Brooklyn NY (Cropsey Avenue near Coney Island); and Carlstadt, NJ. Set to open on October 18 is another former Stop & Shop unit in Piscataway, NJ. Multiple sources have told us that Bogopa is also interested in the large Stop & Shop unit (80,000 square feet) in Mount Vernon, NY, which if acquired, would likely replace an existing 60,000 square foot Food Bazaar (a former Pathmark) that opened in 2012. With the additional four stores, Bogopa will now operate 37 stores.
Also last month, PSK Supermarkets, the largest member of Allegiance Retail Services co-op, announced that it has acquired Peck’s Markets, the four-store grocery group headquartered in Callicoon, NY. All of the units are located in Sullivan County – Livingston Manor, Eldred, Jefferson and Callicoon.
The acquisition gives the Mount Vernon, NY-based employee-owned company (ESOP) 18 supermarkets in the Empire State. The stores, which operate under the Foodtown, Freshtown and Pathmark banners, are located in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn as well as in Dutchess and Columbia counties. Peck’s is also an employee-owned firm.
Noah Katz, president and CEO of PSK, explained how the acquisition came about: “Peck’s CEO Lee Reimer approached us in the winter of 2023 regarding a possible sale of the four stores after a vote by more than 200 associates at Peck’s. They wanted to sell, but only to a company that would continue to provide a good working environment for its people with the possibility of growth.”
Katz was told that Peck’s did not want to sell to a big box chain out of concern that the associates and communities they service would not be cared for in the same manner. When Reimer presented the opportunity to sell Peck’s to PSK, the vote was a unanimous yes vote.
“Being able to pass on savings, Peck’s Markets will be able to compete with the major chains in the area,” said Katz. He further stated that PSK welcomed Peck’s associates into the larger company and will maintain current local vendors and charitable relationships.
Future plans for Peck’s Markets, once they are fully transitioned, include the implementation of new technologies and remodel plans.
“The growth we are seeing among our members is a testament to the strength of the ARS co-op in terms of purchasing power, merchandising support, marketing and advertising services, IT support – POS and shelf label, and retail execution – category management and resets,” said Joseph Fantozzi, COO and president of Allegiance Retail Services. “As we grow, our purchasing strength grows through bargaining power, creating savings that can be passed on to customer – so important in today’s economic climate.”
