7 Eleven and Sunoco

Typical Hartford County location with Dunkin'

7-Eleven and Sunoco announced a merger, so this could shake things up. In CNY, the few 7-Elevens with petrol have rival Gulf (which was absent from Syracuse for over two decades). We discussed 7-Eleven in an earlier post on new location ideas, but now A-Plus (which was originally with Atlantic; who spun off of Rockefellers Standard Oil conglomerate, the original Big Oil) could take the new name (took a while for another competitor Speedway to absorb Hess, so give it a year or so). 7-11 bought Wilson Farms which used to be owned by Tops. Participating Sunocos in Price Choppers market area have discounts customers can earn (also covered in a previous article). Some Sunocos have indie C-stores in them such as the Westvale (Delles), Fulton (Clancys), Oswego (Xpress Mart), Bridgeport (SunTrac), or Lyncourt (Ohri Gas Land) locations or regional chains like ExpressMart (deWitt flagship), Stewarts Shops (Albany County), Runway (Camillus) and Nice-'n-Easy (East Syracuse).  Also these existing C-stores are usually smaller than an average 7-Eleven. Sunoco bought Atlantic in 1993. Few older locations are still in business in CNY now such as in van Buren and Onondaga Hill if I'm not mistaken.
Due to the nature of the system, adding pumps to non-gas stores would take a lot of work and red tape.  The Eastwood 7-Eleven is right next door to yet another nemesis and Standard Oil spinoff, Mobil. A new Sunoco/7-Eleven could be built in an area with less competition. Just as long as I can use my FuelAdvantage every once in a while with another rise just made.

Notsky fills up at Sunoco (Food Bag used to be a Citgo)

US Bank

Omaha, NE location

Here are US Bank for a change.  When First Niagara and KeyBanks swapped and closed locations this past year, they left enough for another chain or local credit union to take over.  While my local FCU could get some (that's for another day), others may either be too close to existing locations or just not in their market area (they are only in Onondaga County).  US Bank meanwhile seem to be chiefly in the Midwest being from Hennepin County in the Minnesota Capital Region going towards the west coast.  Might be time they open east of the Mississippi.  I'd have to find a chain that operate in my area and Florida if I move there for the winter next year as my relatives who do that in the mid-Atlantic have to bank online so they don't have to try and set up with something there as few chains are really national.

deWitt - NY 5, Shoppingtown (former Key Bank)

Henrietta - NY 252 (former KeyBank)

Baldwinsville (Moyers Corners) - NY 31 and Ct Rt 57

Liverpool - Ct Rt 57, Shops at Seneca Mall (if Moyers Corners not chosen) or former CVS/pharmacy

Rochester (Collegetown) - NY 15, former CVS/pharmacy

Rochester (downtown) - Cumberland, N Clinton and Joseph Sts off Inner Loop (bus station after it merges operations with railway station across the street)

Bridgeport - NY 31, former Kinney Pharmacy

Auburn - Genesee St (former Walgreens)

Cicero - Circle Drive (former McDonalds)

Clarence - NY 5, former bank TBD

Syracuse (Shop City) - former BSBank/First Niagara Bank.

Gas discounts

Even across the seaway from HQ isn't this high!

    Many chains around the country have offered gas discounts for several years now. Some have their own brand like Tops shown here, while others partner with a third party, as some of Tops' former sister chains use Shell (which left Syracuse decades ago) if not have their own (like Martins). Price Chopper was one of the first in Upstate NY to have a program in collaboration with participating Sunocos.  Valero had one each at Strupplers and Village Market IGA in Oswego County until both became Tops in the past couple years. In the Hudson Valley where Tops have grown south of former Grand Unions they acquired, they bought some of their ex-sister chains stores after they merged with another from Europe because of overlap and FTC regulations, and there shoppers save on gift cards to be used at area Shell, Irving (I don't even see these in their native Canada when I go, and doing the math with metric measurements, it costs much more), BP (left Syracuse along with their sisters Arco and Amoco) and Gulf (recently back in CNY) stations. Tops in my neck of the woods and Price Chopper in theirs let customers who don't drive use points to save on bus passes so they don't go to waste if they don't have access to someone elses vehicle, but it only makes sense if you live there. Someone in Hannafords ad said that the discounts barely make a dent (they don't even believe in a card). ShopRite have it in a different way and I've seen it as they recently returned to Albany County (never knew they were there in the past as I heard of them from downstate and went down the river later). Various other chains and indies nationwide will have a promotion somewhere. Tops let you earn more points with manufacturers' coupons while Price Chopper/Market 32s kiosks will provide a store one to use when you spend a certain amount. With the latter I try to get at least 20¢ off a gallon. At Speedway, it takes a few months just to even get to 10¢ off but I keep at it until I reach it. Back at Tops, at the end of an earning cycle, there's a two-week hiatus, and you have to use the remaining 100s of points or they will be wiped at the start of the next period. Back at the starting gate, then. In Pennsylvania, WNY, and Twin Tiers, Sunoco also have deals with Weis Markets (who also have their answer to Tops Xpress called Gas 'n Go, with Elmira being the only one in NYS to date), Shop 'n Save (WNY) and Redners (PA; no NY stores). Sunoco would likely have them with chains around the country, but the cookies only gave me limited  information for the Northeast, which is enough. Planet Fitness and Advance Auto Parts have had their own discounts with Shell, but unless you live by one or are planning to be near one, then Shell no!
Prices fluctuate between events overseas and the economy. Another rise is inevitable, but at least there's a way to keep the price down a little. On the west coast, they could use this even more (you know how it is, making it look like a bargain already back east!). Even though I don't drive myself and shouldn't have to worry, I like to share my discount with others whenever possible, even though they often have their own loyalty to another chain or are full up. If there's no plan B for the points, then they're useless.

Hannafords current and Tops' former sister chains Giant (Landover [MD]) and Giant (Carlisle [PA])/Martins also have their scheme, from which Tops Xpress spun off after the chain along with BI-LO left Ahold nearly two decades ago as of 2025. ShopRite once again are no longer in the Capital Region, and their stations couldn't hold a candle to Price Chopper/Market 32s Sunoco deal anyway.

Notsky fills up at Tops Xpress (AI).

Woolworths

Former Bakersfield, CA store, which may be an indie shop now from the looks of it (recent photo)

    Since Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Dollarama (Canada), Five Below, even Ben Franklin in some small towns, as well as indie variety stores like 99¢ City are alive and well, then there's almost no reason why trailblazers Woolworths are not in this country anymore, as it's been for these past two decades. Many say Walmart and the like are to blame. Foot Locker (since sold to Dicks) are the legal successor to the original chain. Existing and defunct chains in the Commonwealth and México (spun off like the UK had in 1982) are not related (the Canadian chains were replaced by The Bargain! Shop [some stores like Ft Erie and Gananoque, ONT closed] and Walmart [Woolco absorbed in 1994]) respectively. Foot Locker could own the revived chain or at least licence the name to a new company if it came down to that. Here's where Woolworths 2.0 "wool'd" be today:

Manlius - former Kinney Pharmacy, NY 92
Elbridge - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Auburn - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25
Watertown - Paddock Arcade, NY 3 (not far from where early store was as it's a small town)
New Hartford - former Tuesday Morning, former NY 5/8/12 (chose downtown proper for post location)
Fulton - TBD (former kmart on NY 481 is too big)
Oswego - former Dollar Tree, NY 104
Cicero - former Green Planet Grocery, NY 31
North Syracuse - Northern Lights Plaza; former Media Play, US 11
Cortland - next to Grand Union, NY 281
deWitt - TBD, NY 5

Rotterdam - Viaport, NY 337
Junius Ponds - Finger Lakes Premium Outlets, NY 318
Bridgeport, former Kinney Drugs, NY 31
Liverpool -  former Verizon Wireless, NY 31
Syracuse - former Chappells/Bon Ton, Destiny USA (although Five Below are already in newer section)

Some known former CNY, WNY and Capital Region locations:

Syracuse (downtown) - later Rite Aid; now DGX, but other parts are vacant, even including upstairs since Woolworths closed in 1979

Albany (uptown) - Westgate Plaza, NY 5; closed by 1993

Albany (downtown) - NY 32 & Steuben St; closed decades ago
Colonie - Northway Mall, NY 5, probably where Target are now
deWitt - Shoppingtown, NY 5 (plaza and mall; closed 1975 and 1991, respectively)

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96
Utica - downtown (first failed store located there; newer store opened when chain grew later)
Fulton - now Dollar General; final CNY location; NY 481

Former chemist division The Rx Place had stores in Carousel Center (now Destiny USA down cellar where Burlington are now, and was later CompUSA), deWitt on NY 5 (where Marshalls HomeGoods are today, and onetime Pathmark Super Drug), and Poughkeepsie on US 9 at South Hills Mall (later PharmHouse and PharMor, which acquired Rx Place from Woolworths in the mid-'90s).

CarMax

Colonie location on NY 5 near Albany

Seeing a commercial for CarMax with MadTV and Ithaca College alum Andrew Daly, and going by the Henrietta location gave me the idea for the next post. I might even buy a car from them when I get the money. As usual, we always get things last around here (shock, horror).

Toppers Pizza

Milwaukee County location

Toppers Pizza are mainly in the Midwest, but should work their way to the Northeast:

Manlius - former Kinney Drugs, NY 92
Baldwinsville/Weedsport/Auburn - former Tim Hortons
Utica - former Nicky Doodles or Parkway Pizza
Ithaca - former Starbucks

Fairmount - former Pies Guys, NY 297
Cicero - former Buffalo Wild Wings, US 11; Jimmy Johns; or former Marks Pizzeria, NY 31
Liverpool - former Marks Pizzeria, CR 57
Rochester - former Calios, NY 252 (Henrietta)
Watertown - former Tilted Kilt, NY 3
East Syracuse - former Carmellas (Bridge St.)
Cortland - former Naples Italian Eatery, Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Auburn - former Family Dollar, Dennys, or Tim Hortons, NY 5
North Syracuse - former Salt City Dogs, Northern Lights or former Pies Guys (village), US 11
Oswego - former Pizza Hut, NY 104
Canandaigua - former Ponderosa, NY 5 & US 20
Albany - former D.P. Dough, Western Ave. and Quail St. or I Love NY Pizza, US 9

Shoppingtown

JCPenney has since left.

As more people shop online and the economy can be uneasy it seems dead malls are becoming more common in the US and Canada. Shoppingtown in deWitt is a blatant example of such a lost cause. In my day it had almost everything but as the years went by society changed but the developers' mindsets didn't so it became a modern day Tumbleweed Connection! TGI Fridays and JCPenney (in the back above) have just closed shop. The library will go next year. Trying to fill it all up at this point would be fruitless so maybe once the row between the town council and Moonbeam is sorted perhaps the wrecking ball could swing like Miley and they could cut their losses. A lifestyle center like Township 5 across town in Camillus or Legacy Place in Boston suburb Dedham, MA could be the next step. Whole Foods, IKEA, Ross Stores, 99 Pub and Toppers Pizza just to name a few could take over returning the place to its roots as a plaza bringing it full circle. There are several other centers in CNY alone and across North America that make Pompeii look like Hong Kong but this could be part of the solution. I might look into Niagara Square in Niagara Falls, ONT next (also made a strip centre in recent years).
Kohan, the company that bought former sister mall Great Northern Mall could buy Shoppingtown as well as they know how to flip malls like that show on HGTV on the west coast can flip houses. However, Moonbeam insist that it's not for sale and that they shall reformat in the months to come.  CarMax could go there (see later post). I now tend to call the mall Shoppingnowt!