With the loss of Tops Friendly Market in Ellenville, a number of Facebook commenters have suggested other stores to fill the void, with Aldi being the most frequently cited. The chain of more than 2,000 discount grocery stores is known for its low prices, thanks to cost-cutting measures such as carrying a smaller variety of brands and using a simplified store setup. In many cases, you’re rooting through cardboard boxes for your cereal.

One comment on the Shawangunk Journal Facebook page, left by Charles Jones, said an Aldi would be “the best thing for them to do.” Another commenter, Barb Schmitt, wrote, “That location should have been an Aldi’s for a competitive price option for the community.”

Evan Trent, the mayor of Ellenville, said he did not want to “throw out any preference” on a grocery chain, but he said that he sees the appeal of Aldi, especially when many supermarkets struggle to compete with the nearby Walmart.

“An organization like Aldi can and does go toe-to-toe with an organization like Walmart on everyday low pricing,” Trent said. “I think they would have a good chance of competing here and being very successful.”

There is only one Aldi in Ulster County, in Kingston. The other closest locations are Newburgh and Wappingers Falls. Would they take a shot at Ellenville?

The Aldi website includes a list of property requirements, inviting available locations that meet their criteria to send a site plan, contact information and other details about the property.

They are interested in a lot at least 22,000 square feet with at least 95 parking spaces, 2.5-acre pads for development and purchase, end-cap or inline space with minimum of 103’ of frontage. They prefer a signalized, full access intersection in a dense trade area population within 3 miles, sites located in community and regional shopping districts with convenient access to population, sites zoned to allow grocery use and a specific traffic count.

The Tops site meets a lot of those qualifications – it has a signalized, full access intersection on 46,750 square feet and its proximity to a dense population is part of the reason why many Ellenville residents are upset at its impending closure. As the plaza has already been used for a grocery store, a potential Aldi would not have to appear at the planning board and would instead need a change of use.

Aldi traffic requirement, however, are a big obstacle. They require “Daily traffic count in excess of 20,000 vehicles per day.” A recent traffic study of 209 in Kerhonkson, just a few miles up the road, logged just 9,200 vehicles a day, less than half of what Aldi wants to see.

Seventeen percent of Ellenville residents do not own a car. Ellenville has a population of just over four thousand people and the rest of Wawarsing has a population around eight thousand, meaning they’d need to see more cars than the entire population of the town and village.

So, for now, it seems like whatever comes next will have to be something else.

Other Possibilities?

Other Facebook comments named Lidl, another retail chain that has yet to open a location in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The majority of Lidl’s products are exclusive store brands, allowing the chain to keep its prices low by negotiating directly with manufacturers, plus their weekly “Middle of Lidl” deals. Unfortunately for Ellenville, Lidl also asks for a minimum daily traffic count of 20,000 vehicles per day.

On the original Shawangunk Journal Facebook post about Tops closing, one commenter said, “Too big for Aldi. Maybe Trader Joe’s?” Another commenter tagged Hannaford Supermarkets and said, “Can you move in now please.” Yet another commenter said, “Ellenville just needs a Price Chopper.”

While Hannaford Supermarkets already has a strong presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley, its Pine Bush store is just 14 miles from the Tops location, which could be too close to be a consideration. Plus, Pine Bush and the Town of Crawford have a much higher median income than Ellenville and its surroundings on the western side of the Shawangunk Ridge.

Trader Joe’s, unlike Aldi or Lidl, does not publish exact requirements for opening a store. However, in a 2024 episode of the "Inside Trader Joe's" podcast, Matt Sloan, TJ's Vice President of Marketing spoke to their process. Sloan named population density and parking availability as two factors. Of Trader Joe’s 38 New York locations, roughly half are in New York City, indicating they have a heavy preference for an urban center.

Price Chopper is not a likely option: Price Chopper and Tops Markets are owned by the same parent company, Northeast Grocery, Inc. The merger occurred in 2021.

Another possibility is MyTown Marketplace, which currently has stores in Highland Falls, Rosendale and Stone Ridge (formerly Emmanuel’s). While MyTown Marketplace is a smaller business that may face challenges competing with Walmart, its status as a locally established chain could give it a better understanding of local residents’ needs and help it develop strategies to remain competitive.

There are no easy answers as to what store can – or will – take over the Tops Friendly Markets location in Ellenville. Any business that could succeed would need to be willing and able to take a risk in a location where two previous supermarkets have already failed, while also taking on the challenge of operating a chain just a short distance from Walmart in a small, rural community.