Business

Stores filling up Riverhead shopping center

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Advance Auto Parts recently opened on Route 58 in Riverhead.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Advance Auto Parts recently opened on Route 58 in Riverhead.

Advance Auto Parts and Island Federal Credit Union are occupying the retail space on Riverhead’s Route 58 formerly used by Aid Auto Stores, a Shirley-based chain that closed all five of their Suffolk County locations last July.

Advance Auto Parts, a national chain with 3,500 locations, opened April 9 and has taken up shop in part of the building.

“Everybody has been really accepting of us and we couldn’t be happier as far as the reception has gone,” said Gary Cottiers, general manager at Advance.

Route 58 strip mall
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | An Aaron’s furniture rental store is also in the works for the strip mall.

“I’ve worked in Riverhead in many capacities as far as retail goes, so I’m pretty familiar with the customers,” he said.

The remaining space will be used by Island Federal Credit Union, which has five branches on Long Island and plans to open its doors later this spring. A call to credit union officials was not immediately returned.

A furniture rental operation called Aaron’s is also in the works for a neighboring storefront.

Last year, after citing a down economy, cultural and economic changes in the auto industry and competition from national chains, Aid Auto president Anthony Pirrera announced that the company, which had stores in Riverhead, Shirley, Rocky Point, Ronkonkoma and Medford, was going out of business.

Aid Auto Stores occupied its Riverhead location for almost 20 years.

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