Rite Aid in CNY, WNY et al

Glenolden, PA store (edited due to different laws there)

 Since Rite Aid sold a number of stores to Walgreens in 2019, they have had fewer locations in CNY (there were still six left in Onondaga County alone) and virtually none in the North Country. They've closed some in other parts of the nation, but could still make a comeback over here, while their competitor closed several of the stores they took over since, some in recent weeks. A few of them Rite Aid should get back as many are where there is no close alternative for people without private transport. Also fill in vacancies that the others won't. Rite Aid also left downtown Albany, but we covered that (see second list). However, Rite Aid are under administration, so they and their competitors are closing stores left and right at this time. As of 4 October 2025, all remaining stores have been closed.

Syracuse (west side) - W Onondaga St (former store and Walgreens)

Canastota - NY 5 & 13 (former store and Walgreens)

Manlius - NY 92 (former Kinney Drugs)

North Syracuse - US 11 (former store and Walgreens in village, although located roughly between Sweetheart Corners and former Cicero stores)

Pulaski - US 11 & NY 13 (former store and Walgreens)

Auburn - Genesee St (same as above, although both chains are still on NY 5)

Rochester (19th Ward) - Thurston Rd. & Brooks Ave. (former store and Walgreens; near airport, UR and Wegmans HQ; non-CNY)

Past locations:

North Syracuse - US 11 & S Bay Rd, Northern Lights; later Freddys? (defunct rival chain from Rochester); later Party City? (both chains in the same sinking boat in 2025)

Syracuse (Eastwood) (1) - NY 290 between Grant Blvd and North Ave; now Walgreens (built 2006)

Syracuse (Eastwood) (2) - NY 290 and Homecroft Rd; former Loblaws/Peters IGA/Foodtown/Carls/Fays/Eckerd; now Family Dollar (see earlier post)

East Syracuse (1) - Kirkville Rd; former Church Leader Drug/Fays/Eckerd; now Walgreens

East Syracuse (2) - NY 290; now Family Dollar

Syracuse (downtown) (1) - S Salina St; original store (Rite Aid had acquired local chain Daws Drugs in the late '60s, bringing them to CNY); later Record Town and Dollar Wise; now vacant

Syracuse (downtown) (2) - S Salina & E Fayette Sts; 1979-2019; former Woolworths; now DGX

Syracuse (downtown) (3) - S Warren & E Fayette Sts; Discount Center (likely regular store before 1979 when other one opened a block away); demolished, now corner park

Syracuse (Valley) - NY 80 & 173 - former Eckerd; now DG Market

Syracuse (south side) - US 11; later Walgreens; now vacant

Syracuse/Nedrow  - US 11; former Eckerd; now Walgreens (almost Fays with a drive-thru until 1997 acquisition by JCPenney; pictured below)

Hannibal - NY 3; former Fays/Eckerd; later Walgreens; now vacant

Fulton - NY 3; later Walgreens; now vacant

Oswego - NY 104 & 481; former Fays/Eckerd; now demolished

Cortland - US 11 & NY 41; former Eckerd; now Walgreens

Cortlandville - NY 222 & 281

Glens Falls - NY 9L

Ransomville - NY 93 & CR 17

deWitt - NY 5, Shoppingtown Mall; former CVS?/Fays/Eckerd; now vacant pending demolition for District East

Manlius (1) (village) - NY 92; former Harveys Leader Drug/Eckerd; now Unplugged Gaming

Manlius (2) (Buellville) - NY 92; former Eckerd; now Walgreens

Fayetteville - N Burdick St; former Fays/Eckerd; now Walgreens

Cazenovia - US 20; former Fays/Eckerd; now Walgreens

Canastota - NY 5 & 13; later Walgreens; now closed

Chittenango - NY 5; later Walgreens; now closed

Cicero (1) - US 11 & Caughdenoy Rd; later Walgreens; CAVA pending

Cicero (2) - NY 31 & Thompson Rd; now Ace Hardware

Auburn (1) - US 20 & NY 38A; now VA Health Clinic

Auburn (2) - NY 5; TBD

Albany (Colonie) - NY 5 & CR 156; later Goodwill; now Ace Hardware

Baldwinsville (1) - River Mall, Downer St; now Powerhouse Gym

Baldwinsville (2) (Moyers Corners) - NY 31 & CR 57; former Fays/Eckerd, Kimbrook Plaza, now Planet Fitness

Baldwinsville (3) (Tri-County Mall) - Downer St; previously Eckerd, now vacant

Liverpool (Bayberry) (1) - CR 57; former Eckerd; now Walgreens

Liverpool (Bayberry) (2) - CR 57; the Shops at Seneca Mall; former Eckerd, now U-Haul

Liverpool (Galeville) - Old Liverpool Rd; former Eckerd; later Family Dollar; now vacant

Liverpool/North Syracuse - Bear & Buckley Rds; former Eckerd; now Dollar General

Mattydale - US 11 & Malden Rd; former Eckerd; later Walgreens; now closed

North Syracuse (1) - US 11; now Syracuse Lash & Beauty

North Syracuse (2) - US 11 & Centerville St; now DG Market

Central Square - NY 49; now closed

Watertown - NY 3; former Fays/Eckerd; now closed

Norwich (1) - NY 12 & E Main St; former Eckerd; now Walgreens

Norwich (2) - NY 12; now Dollar Tree

Norwich (3) - NY 12; now Aarons Rental Purchase

Syracuse (Tipp Hill) (1) - NY 5 & Avery Ave; later Walgreens; now Dollar General

Syracuse (Tipp Hill) (2) - W Fayette St; now Modular Comfort Systems

Syracuse (east side) (1) - Westcott St; now convenience store

Syracuse (east side) (2) - NY 92; former site of historic home; later Walgreens; now vacant

Syracuse (Fairmount) (1) - W Genesee St; Fairmount Fair Mall; demolished by late '80s, now plaza

Syracuse (Fairmount) (2) - W Genesee St; former flagship Fays/Eckerd; now Dollar Tree

Syracuse (north side) (1) - Grant Blvd & Butternut St; now AutoZone

Syracuse (north side) (2) - Butternut & N McBride Sts; now Family Dollar (Rite Aid later moved across street)

Syracuse (north side) (3) - Butternut & Lodi Sts (briefly); former Eckerd (unnecessary after acquisition with existing store right there, yet now vacant as of Fall 2025); now Dollar General

Syracuse (north side) (4) - Butternut & Lodi Sts (final)

Syracuse (Skunk City) - Onondaga Blvd & Avery Ave; former Eckerd; now Walgreens

Syracuse (near west side) - W Onondaga St; later Walgreens; now vacant

Syracuse (east side) (3) - E Colvin St & Nottingham Rd; Skytop Plaza; former Drumlins Pharmacy/Fays Cornerdrug/Eckerd; now Walgreens

Camillus - W Genesee St, Camillus Plaza/Commons; previously Carls, Fays and Eckerd; now vacant

St Lawrence County - US 11 et al; now Walgreens

Endwell - Hooper St; previously Fays; now closed

Endicott - NY 17C & 26; previously Fays' last new store; later Eckerd; now Walgreens

Binghamton - NY 7; now closed

Whitesboro - NY 69

New Hartford (Commercial Drive) - NY 5A

New Hartford (Washington Mills) - CR 26 & NY 8, Kellogg Mall; previously Fays and Eckerd

Rome - NY 46 & 49

Oneida - NY 46

Utica - Genesee St

Buffalo - 29/9/25: ABC 7 WKBW announced that a total of 16 locations in the city had shuttered, affecting many low-income neighborhoods and overwhelming other chains. They were all on:

NY 5/Main St. (2)
Niagara St.
NY 384/Delaware Ave.
Elmwood Ave.
Sheridan Dr.
Tonawanda St.
Connecticut St.
US 62/Bailey Ave.
William St.
Genesee St.
NY 16/Seneca St.
W Ferry St.
Abbott Rd.
E Lovejoy St.
NY 324/Sheridan Dr.
NY 240 & William St.
US 62 & NY 130; previously Eckerd

Dryden - NY 13 & 38; previously Victory Markets, Great American, and Eckerd; now demolished (pictured below)

Nedrow store with AI weather change (former Eckerd)

Dryden store with classic logo (AI)

Impacted by Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

 

This is where I live. Done up since then.

This is very personal. Please support my appeal. I don't usually do this, but I must get the word out there.

UPDATE: Susan Sposato 1949-2023

Still need support to tie up loose ends.

Shoe Carnival

Hattiesburg, IA store

 I just discovered Shoe Carnival in a coupon book that covers national chains and local businesses alike. Some of the chains they have that we don't in my area yet were already covered here, so here's one that hasn't. This one's bigger than I thought, so now it's back to finding bigger spots. We always get stuff late around here!

Syracuse - former Against All Odds, Destiny USA

deWitt - former Bed Bath & Beyond; Marshalls Homegoods Plaza, NY 5

New Hartford - former Macys, Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A

Cortland - former kmart, NY 281

Ithaca - former Hobby Lobby, NY 13/34/96

Auburn - Fingerlakes Mall, NY 5 & US 20

Amherst - former Best Buy, NY 78

Henrietta - former avenue, NY 252

Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Watertown - former Sears or Christmas Tree Shops, Salmon Run Mall, NY 3

Baltimore City and County (Towson/Columbia) - former Shoe City locations where there is no overlap (where chain were based) 

Food Desert on Syracuse's South Side

The store months before it closed up.

 Please sign this petition and be part of the solution! Don't let this be another statistic. I suggested Grand Union, Big M, Lidl, IGA, Hannaford, Grocery Outlet or Save-A-Lot go in there. It was even an A&P and Acme decades ago. This is an all too familiar scene around the nation in rural small towns and inner city neighborhoods alike, particularly communities of color. One food desert is one too many.

UPDATE (7/10/25): Tops' competitor in Buffalo, Super Imperial Market, will open their first non-WNY location there in May 2026. It is a combination of Imperial Market and Super Price Choppers (no relation, but are also in Erie, PA). Turns out they carry Best Yet like their soon to be rival down the road, Green Hills Farms, even though it's one of the most common private labels in smaller and indie stores.

Spot Coffee

Rochester location on NY 96 over by NBC 10 WHEC (closed as of 2 March 2025)

 When I first discovered Spot Coffee in Monroe County last year (pictured), I assumed it was local. It's only recently that I learned it's a regional chain from Erie County sixty miles away from Rochester. They're even open as far east as Warren County! Since some of their competitors closed locations in between, Spot can find some new ones. (UPDATE: Spot in Rochester is now closed as of 2 March 2025, and has since become Eden Coffee and Co.).

Syracuse (east side) - former Red Lobster, NY 5

Various (Upstate NY only) - former Starbucks

Cicero - former Jimmy Johns, E Circle Dr & Horan Rd

North Syracuse - former Hofmann Hot Haus/Salt City Dogs, Northern Lights Plaza, US 11 & S Bay Rd

Canastota, former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Fairmount - former Subway, W Genesee St

Syracuse (north side) - former Against All Odds, Destiny USA (food court already has Starbucks and is full up anyway)

Liverpool - former Catherines or Verizon Wireless; COR Plaza, NY 31

Auburn - former Tim Hortons, NY 5; Kubal Coffee, Genesee St, downtown; and/or Fingerlakes Mall, food court; NY 5 & US 20

Weedsport - former Tim Hortons, NY 31 & 34

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A

Colonie - Colonie Center, NY 5 & Wolf Road

Camillus - former Firehouse Subs, W Genesee St (instead of Fairmount)

New Trailways counter at Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse

Adirondack Trailways bus in Ulster County, which is really near the Catskills.

 Trailways and Greyhound ended their partnership after 25 years time, and in New York State, the regional franchise in Hurley, just outside Kingston (I used to live not too far from there), will no longer pool with their competitor, so if your destination is only served by one of them, you can only book with that one or an app that has it.  At the Syracuse station, the split is made clear with a separate counter being built for Trailways where Dunkin' used to be (which indirectly moved around the corner to NY 370/Park St.).  This may confuse some people, as you'd be directed across the hall if one doesn't cover a certain route and time.  Having both companies available will make it easier for last-minute travellers, seniors, those with older or no mobile phones, the disabled, and those who live in well off-the-grid type communities (I sometimes see Amish families and occasionally Mennonites).  This could happen at Boehlert Union Station in Utica where there's a closed takeaway that could be converted, yet the Greyhound counter has been closed, leaving customers having to use the app or pay when they get to their stop if it's a bigger area (paying somehow, of course), and then in Rochester, there has been talk of merging bus operations with the Louise Slaughter Amtrak Station across the street as the Trailways station is old and small (even for there) and only meant to last so long.  You have to wait for Greyhound or Megabus downtown right now not far from where the station used to be at a mere stop as if it were a small town, which makes no sense in a larger city and when the elements take over.  Port Authority downstate must have something planned, while in Albany, CDTA have considered building a new hub for both theirs and intercity, which would include the two lines, along with Peter Pan and Yankee Trails.  Greyhound and FlixBus are now sister companies, yet have different management, and back in CNY, you get FlixBus a mile away from the station at Pilot, where you'd have to be dropped off by someone you know, a cab or rideshare.  I just wish I could get to Rochester and Ithaca in my time frame and price range having no access to a private vehicle going out of town (one can relate), and gas prices are making more people use buses and trains instead or car and planes.  However, bus and airline companies alike are having staffing issues at this time.  Just hope this works out for everybody.

UPDATE: Trailways' ticket counter moved down the hall to where the video games once were and they have formed a new alliance with Greyhound and FlixBus through a third party company in Jackson County, making it easier for riders, yet where to get the bus can keep changing, and worse, it can be out of doors, in a smaller building or the outskirts of town, even in larger areas, which is not good for vulnerable populations, yet Syracuse remains streets ahead of most cities with a one-stop shop for most bus lines (OurBus go to SU and the airport only) and Amtrak with a building to keep everyone safe, warm and dry that's not too hard to find or get to. As for what will go in the east end of the building, more as this develops, since I'll try to get on the road again despite changes in my own life.

Sears in CNY, Finger Lakes, North Country and Capital Region

Typical mall Sears in happier times. Forgot where exactly, however.

 Sears once ruled the retail landscape, but had also taken a downturn thanks to Walmart and amazon in that order. They had several locations in CNY and beyond that are all but gone. Few if any are left. Vacant unless otherwise indicated. The last three are the Capital Region since I grew up going there, and Grandma, may she rest in peace brought us there, and had the catalogue, as well along with the other place. I could throw in the rest of the state, but I don't want to get carried away, so I'll stick to these now.

Syracuse (south side) - US 11; closed in 1974; will become semiconductor workforce training hub through ON-RAMP state programme in the wake of neighbour JMA and Micron opening in Clay

Fayetteville - NY 5, Fayetteville Mall; 1974-95; replaced by P&C at Towne Center; now Tops

deWitt - NY 5, Shoppingtown Mall; 1995-2018; previously Deys; don't ask!

Cicero - Penn Can Mall (now Drivers Village); closed by 1988; later Steinbach and Burlington; now vacant

Clay - NY 31, Great Northern Mall, closed after thirty years; now Sky Zone Trampoline Park

Fairmount - Fairmount Fair, closed 1987; replaced by numerous retailers since such as Marshalls Homegoods and Old Navy

Auburn - NY 5 & US 20, Fingerlakes Mall

New Hartford - NY 5 & 5A, Sangertown Square, now Boscovs

Henrietta - NY 252, Marketplace Mall; now URMC office

Cortland (1) - NY 13, Riverside Plaza, Sears Hometown Outlet

Cortland (2) - NY 281; Cortlandville Mall

Cortland (3) - Downtown; US 11 and NY 41 & 222

Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA, Sears Outlet (spun off from Sears proper); various

Westvale - NY 5, Westvale Plaza, Sears Hardware; now Thrifty Shopper

Liverpool - CR 57, Sears Hardware; now American Red Cross

Watertown (1) - NY 3, Salmon Run Mall

Watertown (2) - NY 12?, Downtown

Ithaca (Lansing) - NY 34, The Shops at Ithaca Mall, now Cayuga Health (along with former Bon-Ton)

Camillus - Camillus Mall, 1987-2001; now Lowes

Colonie - NY 5, Colonie Center; now Whole Foods (amazon-owned) and Floor & Décor

Albany - NY 32?, Downtown

Wilton - NY 50, Wilton Mall; now Saratoga Hospital office