Long Island’s grocery market is seeing significant activity as discount, specialty and premium grocers expand, new concepts enter the market, and former supermarket spaces are repositioned for new operators and uses.
The competition for grocery space reflects the strength and diversity of the Long Island consumer. Discount grocers such as Aldi and Lidl continue to capture shoppers looking for value, while premium and specialty operators such as Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace and Whole Foods Market and appeal to consumers seeking natural, premium and unique products, along with prepared foods.
The result is an active market for well-located supermarket real estate across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Discount, Specialty and Premium Grocers are leading grocer expansion on Long Island
Recent market activity demonstrates just how quickly many former grocery stores are finding new life.
As reported in Newsday, some larger former supermarkets are also being subdivided or repositioned to accommodate multiple tenants. Of the 19 Long Island grocery stores that have closed over the past five years, 10 have been taken by new grocers, four have been repurposed for other uses and five remain available for lease.
Former Stop & Shop and King Kullen locations, in particular, have attracted a range of replacement tenants. Grocery operators including Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, Whole Foods Market, Aldi, Food Bazaar, Giunta’s Meat Farms and Holiday Farms have taken former supermarket locations, while non-grocery users such as Walmart and Crunch Fitness demonstrate the broader demand for these large-format retail spaces.
New grocers are entering the market
Wegmans made its Long Island debut in Lake Grove in 2025, bringing the highly regarded supermarket brand to the region for the first time.
In 2026, Sprouts Farmers Market entered New York State with its first location in Centereach. Additional Sprouts locations in Smithtown and Levittown are expected to follow, further adding to the competitive grocery landscape.
These openings reflect Long Island’s continued appeal to grocery operators looking to establish or grow their presence in a densely populated, high-income market.
A remarkable surge in Long Island grocery activity
RIPCO Vice Chairman Brian Schuster, whose perspective was recently featured in Newsday, has been working in the Long Island retail market for decades and sees the current level of supermarket activity as particularly noteworthy.
“Long Island is a strong draw for grocers seeking to expand in or enter the region because it is a high-income, densely populated area. That underlying demand also helps explain why supermarket vacancies can attract replacement users relatively quickly.
“I’ve been in the business since 1990, and I don’t think I’ve seen this level of supermarket activity.
As grocery concepts continue to evolve and operators compete for market share, Long Island’s former supermarket spaces remain an important part of the region’s changing retail landscape.
For real estate opportunities across the Long Island market, contact the RIPCO team at 516.933.8880.
Market data and reporting featured in Newsday, with additional market intelligence from RIPCO.
