Tops Friendly Market — Local services in Buffalo

This location is on my way home, so I (used to) swing in.

I happened to do a full-cart shopping one eve on the way home. The store was really busy so I didn’t expect to get in and out quickly, but... After waiting in the check-out lane for nearly 25 minutes, I ditched my cart (as did the guy in front of me..!) and left.

The woman checking out in front of him needed infant formula. Her order was completely totaled and bagged, and she was waiting for a store employee to bring the formula over from where they keep it locked up.

Again, the store was busy, but come on...! 25+ minutes..?!?

I understand infant formula has a high rate of theft, and thus it’s kept locked up, but there HAS to be a better solution. The young woman was embarrassed, the cashier was also uncomfortable, the guy in front of me had already unloaded his entire cart onto the conveyor belt, and I would have gone to another line but the ones that were open all had 3-5 people already in them, and soon there were 2 people behind me.

The guy in front of me turned around and informed me he had already been waiting nearly 10 minutes when I got in line.

Perhaps they could have FINISHED her grocery transaction, started cashing out the guy in front of me, then when the sacred formula arrived the cashier could have scanned her out quickly and then done my order, (although we stood there for so long he could have scanned out 4 or 5 people!).

I’m a business owner. I probably had between $125-$150 worth of groceries in my cart, as did the guy in front of me. After 20-25 minutes without moving, he ditched his cart and I followed about 30 seconds after him (... and apologized to the cashier as I said, “This is ridiculous, I’m done”). I also apologized to the 2 people who were still standing behind me - and moved my very full cart aside.

Tops lost my sales and the guy in front of me - and had to pay employees to put everything back. Not sure if the people behind me bailed - or had saintly patience to wait for the formula to appear, and then for the conveyor belt to get cleared.

Am I surprised they’re filing bankruptcy? Nope.

Horrible, horrible business practices.

I went home, cooled down and called the manager a little later. He apologized but didn’t seem to think Top’s “make-everyone-in-line-wait-while-we’re-super busy-and-take-forever-to-get-locked-up formula” policy was non-productive.

Really? You don’t think you should re-visit that policy? Huh.

If the infant formula is locked up over by the office, how about having the customer get in line by the office, (where they do banking, utility payments, lottery, etc...), and have them purchase the formula THERE! They can even take their carts full of purchased, bagged groceries over with them - there’s room!

I still like Tops, but now drive past the one on South Park, drive past my home, and go to the one in West Seneca.

If I ran my business this way I’d probably be filing for...

This Tops, should most certainly not, be called friendly. Most of the staff is very rude and unprofessional, swearing, dropping f-bombs. Most do act like you're bothering them and I only come here, occasionally, because, it's close to home, but, most of the time, I go to another location. Forcing people to have to walk all the way around the registers is ridiculous. Especially, when just picking up scripts. What if you have mobility issues? If they're so worried about the, u-scan, why aren't the employees there, all the time? I recently had such a rude cashier, never said a word to me.They were slamming my groceries on the counter and I said, you could've put them in the cart, they said, don't have to! Complaining about not feeling well. (I don't feel well, either but, I'm not going to be nasty to people). I said, I'm sorry, I hope you feel better, they continued being rude. I said you could still be pleasant, because, you are not. That's not an excuse to be combative. Everytime, I go in there, I regret it. Time to switch pharmacists and...

I have to agree with the comments that are negative. I live close to this Tops and this is the one that I frequent. I find the store an abomination. The cashiers will argue with you when they are in the wrong and the managers are also the same. I had an experience recently I went to this Tops with my daughter and instead of the cashier opening up a register she commenced to chat with her friends and when this was addressed lied and said she didn't say what she had. The manager was informed that the bathroom was atrocious instead of apologizing argued about whose fault it was that it was in the condition it was in. This is the worst Tops I have been to. It is a disgrace. There are never enough registers open. It just sucks the big one and not in a good way. If you have a car and are able to go to another then do yourself a favor don't go to this one. I neglected to say the one positive thing about this store is the deli section employees they are helpful and don't have the same attitude as the cashiers. This is the one positive thing...