ELLENVILLE, NY — Just over a year after opening its doors, the Tops Friendly Market in Ellenville is set to close.

The supermarket will permanently close at 3 p.m. on October 2, according to the company. Tops announced the decision on September 17, saying the Ellenville location had struggled to attract enough customers despite efforts to boost business.

The closure comes after Tops opened at the former ShopRite location in June 2025. ShopRite had operated there for roughly 30 years before closing in August 2024, leaving the site without a supermarket for nearly a year. Tops renovated the property before reopening it.

Speaking on Radio Catskill’s The Local Edition, Shawangunk Journal reporter Chris Rowley said that gap may have changed local shopping habits for good.

During the period without a supermarket at the site, Rowley said shoppers began traveling elsewhere — including Liberty, Pine Bush and Walmart — or shifted to smaller local stores such as Peter’s Market.

“People found other places to go,” Rowley said, adding that Tops never appeared to build a strong enough local customer base after opening.

Rowley said the closing is significant for Ellenville and the Town of Wawarsing because a full-service supermarket can play an important role in a small community.

“It’s a blow to Ellenville, Wawarsing,” Rowley said.

The Shawangunk Journal reported that some customers were surprised by the announcement. One Ellenville resident said the closing could make grocery shopping considerably more difficult for people without cars. He told the newspaper that a taxi ride to Walmart costs him about $22, compared with roughly $9 to reach Tops in the village.

Rowley said Tops also faced competition from Walmart and from shopping routines that became established after ShopRite closed.

“You get your patterns established,” he said, noting that some residents now travel as far as Liberty, Pine Bush, Kingston or Middletown for groceries.

The closure will also affect employees. Tops said all full-time and part-time workers at the Ellenville store will be offered positions at other Tops locations.

Tops President Ron Ferri said in a statement that the company recognizes the store’s role in the community and appreciates customers who supported the location since it opened.

For Rowley, the closing raises a larger question about what kind of grocery store, if any, could successfully take over the space.

“Loss of Tops will harm our area,” he said. “I don’t know what could come in there.”