Northeast Grocery

Northeast Grocery is a privately held supermarket company headquartered in Schenectady, New York. It was established in 2021 through the merger of Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets, bringing two long-established regional grocery operators under one parent organization. The transaction created a large supermarket group serving communities across the northeastern United States while allowing the principal consumer-facing banners to continue operating under their established names. The company’s retail portfolio includes Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper, and Market 32. Tops operates supermarkets and a smaller number of gas-station and convenience locations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Price Chopper operates stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Market 32 is the more contemporary supermarket banner associated with the Price Chopper business. Together, the banners provide conventional grocery assortments that include fresh produce, meat and seafood, dairy, bakery, prepared foods, pantry items, frozen foods, household products, and other supermarket services. Price Chopper and Tops announced their proposed merger on February 8, 2021. The planned structure was designed to preserve local operating identities: Northeast Grocery would be based in Schenectady, while the Price Chopper and Tops organizations would retain their primary offices in Schenectady and Williamsville, respectively. The banners were also expected to continue with local management within the combined organization. This approach combined purchasing, corporate, and operational capabilities while maintaining the regional identities familiar to customers. Regulatory approval required the divestiture of 12 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers. Most of those locations subsequently reopened under C&S’s Grand Union banner. After the divestitures, the merger was completed approximately nine months after the announcement, creating Northeast Grocery as the parent company for the two supermarket businesses. The company therefore began operations with a substantial store network rather than being launched as a new retail banner. Leadership initially remained with Price Chopper President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Grimmett, who was responsible for guiding the early integration. Grimmett retired in February 2022, after which leadership transitioned to Frank Curci, the chief executive of Tops Friendly Markets. In February 2024, John Persons became President and Chief Executive Officer. The succession reflects the company’s continuing effort to integrate two regional grocery organizations while preserving their individual banners and local market presence. Northeast Grocery’s positioning is primarily regional rather than national. Its scale comes from a multi-banner store portfolio concentrated in the Northeast, and its operating model emphasizes community-based supermarkets, local management continuity, and broad everyday grocery coverage. The company’s principal strategic challenge is to capture efficiencies from the merger without weakening the local identities and customer relationships associated with Tops, Price Chopper, and Market 32.

Northeast Grocery was created through the 2021 combination of Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets, two regional supermarket businesses with deep roots in the northeastern United States. The companies announced the proposed merger on February 8, 2021. Rather than replacing the established retail identities with a single new consumer-facing chain, the transaction created a parent company intended to oversee both businesses while preserving their principal banners and local operating structures. The planned corporate arrangement placed Northeast Grocery’s headquarters in Schenectady, New York. Price Chopper’s primary office was also to remain in Schenectady, while Tops was expected to retain its main office in Williamsville, New York. The companies stated that the banners would continue operating with local management under the new ownership structure. This model was intended to combine the advantages of greater scale with the customer familiarity and regional character of the existing supermarket brands. The transaction received regulatory scrutiny because the combined group would control a significant number of supermarkets in overlapping northeastern markets. As a condition of approval, the Federal Trade Commission required the divestiture of 12 stores. C&S Wholesale Grocers acquired those locations, and most later reopened under the Grand Union name. The divestitures reduced the overlap identified by regulators and allowed the broader merger to proceed. The merger was completed roughly nine months after the February announcement. Its completion formed Northeast Grocery as the parent company for Tops Friendly Markets and Price Chopper, with Market 32 also part of the combined group’s brand portfolio. The resulting organization had nearly 300 stores across the Northeast. Tops’ network included supermarkets in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, as well as a smaller group of gas-station and convenience locations. Price Chopper operated in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Scott Grimmett, who had served as Price Chopper’s president and chief executive officer, remained in charge during the initial integration period. His role was to guide the combination of the two organizations while maintaining continuity across their established operations. Grimmett retired in February 2022, after which Frank Curci, the chief executive of Tops Friendly Markets, became the principal leader of Northeast Grocery. In February 2024, John Persons assumed the President and Chief Executive Officer position. Northeast Grocery’s history is therefore defined less by the creation of a new supermarket banner than by the consolidation of two regional grocery systems. Its operating concept combines shared corporate ownership and purchasing scale with separate customer-facing brands. Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper, and Market 32 continue to represent the group in their respective markets, while Northeast Grocery provides the parent-company framework for the combined business.

• 2024

  John Persons becomes chief executive

  [1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  John Persons assumed the President and Chief Executive Officer role in February.

• 2022

  Leadership transition after Grimmett retirement

  [1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  Scott Grimmett retired in February, and leadership transitioned to Frank Curci.

• 2021

  Merger announced

  [1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets announced plans on February 8 to combine under a new parent organization.

• 2021

  Store divestitures required for approval

  [1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  The FTC required 12 stores to be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers as a condition of regulatory approval.

• 2021

  Northeast Grocery established

  [1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  The merger was completed approximately nine months after announcement, creating Northeast Grocery as the parent company for the combined supermarket businesses.

A regional, multi-banner supermarket group serving communities across the northeastern United States through established grocery brands and locally oriented store operations.

• Supermarket banner

  Tops Friendly Markets

  Tops Friendly Markets is one of Northeast Grocery’s principal supermarket banners. Its stores serve customers in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont and offer conventional grocery departments such as produce, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery, deli, prepared foods, pantry goods, frozen foods, beverages, and household merchandise. The Tops network also includes a limited number of gas-station and convenience locations.

• Supermarket banner

  Price Chopper

  Price Chopper is a regional supermarket banner operating across six northeastern states: New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Its stores provide broad everyday grocery assortments, including fresh foods, packaged groceries, bakery and deli items, dairy, frozen products, beverages, and general household merchandise.

• Supermarket banner

  Market 32

  Market 32 is a supermarket banner within the Northeast Grocery group and is associated with the Price Chopper business. It represents the group’s contemporary supermarket format while remaining part of the broader regional grocery portfolio.

• 2021

  Combine Price Chopper and Tops under a new parent companyM&A

  Background

  Price Chopper and Tops sought to combine their regional supermarket operations while retaining their established consumer-facing banners and local management structures.

  Action taken

  The companies completed the merger and established Northeast Grocery as the parent organization headquartered in Schenectady, New York.

  Aftermath

  The combined group operated nearly 300 stores across the Northeast, subject to the divestiture of 12 stores required by the FTC.

  Source

• 2021

  Divest 12 stores to secure regulatory approvalOther

  Background

  Federal regulators required the merger parties to address competitive overlap in certain markets before approving the transaction.

  Action taken

  Twelve stores were sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers, with most later reopening under the Grand Union banner.

  Aftermath

  The divestitures cleared the regulatory condition and enabled the broader merger to close.

  Source

• 2024

  John Persons becomes President and CEO[1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  John Persons assumed the President and Chief Executive Officer role in February 2024.

• 2022

  Scott Grimmett retires from Northeast Grocery leadership[1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Scott Grimmett, who had led the early integration after the merger, retired in February 2022. Leadership then transitioned to Tops chief executive Frank Curci.

• 2021

  Price Chopper and Tops announce merger plans[1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The two regional supermarket operators announced plans to combine under a new parent company that would later be named Northeast Grocery.

• 2021

  FTC requires divestiture of 12 stores as merger condition[1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Regulation

  Regulatory approval for the merger required the sale of 12 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers. Most of the divested locations reopened under the Grand Union banner.

• 2021

  Northeast Grocery merger completed[1]Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The merger was completed about nine months after its announcement, establishing Northeast Grocery as the parent company overseeing the Price Chopper and Tops businesses.

1. 1Northeast Groceryen.wikipedia.org