After little more than a year, Tops Friendly Market has announced that it will permanently close its Ellenville store at 3:00 p.m. on October 2.

The company made the stunning announcement on September 17, just two weeks before the doors shut. Shoppers we spoke to were not aware of the announcement until asked. The decision, the company said, follows consistent struggles to attract sufficient customer volume, despite “numerous efforts to energize and reinvigorate the store” since its opening last year, though they did not provide details on those efforts.

“It’s a shame,” said John Carpenter, an Ellenville resident and Tops shopper. “I really started liking this store, especially the meat deals are great here.”

Tops came to Ellenville to fill the vacancy left by ShopRite after it closed on August 31, 2024, after 30 years in the location. ShopRite, by contrast, gave ten months notice of their departure. Prior to opening last year, Tops completed major renovations on the property. In between, for almost a year, there was no grocery store in the location.

Gloria Cannon, shopping at the time, was shocked to hear the news. “Oh my God," she said. "I cannot believe this. Why? Why is another good store gonna close?”

Upon learning of the company's reasoning, Cannon said that changing some of the prices may help. Still, she asked the question “where is Ellenville going to go?” Cannon said she did not want to have to choose another store for her groceries, but might switch to Peter’s Market or Walmart. She also said that she hoped Peter’s Market would not close, as it is “the only good store that we have.”

However, for shoppers like Carpenter, a senior citizen that does not drive, making the switch to Walmart will not be so simple. He said that taxi fares to go to Walmart are significantly more expensive than the commute to Tops -- about $22 to Walmart and $9 to Tops, which is in the village.

A third shopper who did not share her name had an especially emotional reaction, saying that the news made her “sad all over again.”

“I don't want to keep dealing with Walmart. I like a grocery store that has quality food that I can count on. Sales that make me want to keep coming back,” the woman said. “Having lost Shoprite and going without for a whole year, driving up to Pine Bush to go to Hannaford's, which costs too much. I'm so sick of us people not mattering. Why don't we matter more?”

All full-time and part-time associates will be offered positions at other Tops locations, the company said in their press release. Tops managers declined to comment, instead redirecting to their public relations contact. At time of publication, messages left with two different public relation officials had not been answered.

“We recognize the importance of our local store in the Ellenville community and appreciate the loyalty and support many customers have shown since we opened,” President Ron Ferri said in a statement.