Stop & Shop has released a list of 32 stores they’re planning to close this year.
And the footprint of the Northeastern supermarket chain in Massachusetts is about to shrink, with plans to close 8 stores in the state. The company said the stores will close by Nov. 2.
“Stop & Shop is proud of the deep roots and community ties we have developed as a neighborhood grocer of more than 100 years, and we remain committed to nourishing our associates, customers and communities,” said Gordon Reid, President, Stop & Shop in a press release. “As we announced in May, Stop & Shop has evaluated its overall store portfolio and made the difficult decision to close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
In May, corporate parent company Dutch-based Ahold Delhaize of Stop & Shop told investors that it plans to close underperforming locations. Chief executive for the United States JJ Fleeman said the company would be taking into account brand density, the position each store holds in the market and how well it performs.
What Stop & Shop stores are closing in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, the following stores are closing:
- Brockton: 932 North Montello St.
- Raynham: 36 New State Highway
- Halifax: 341 Plymouth St.
- Shrewsbury: 539-571 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury
- Newton (bfresh Market): 165 Needham St.
- Springfield: 415 Cooley St. (1600 Boston Rd. and 1277 Liberty St., Springfield will remain open)
- Worcester: 545 Lincoln St. (940 West Boylston St. and 949 Grafton St., Worcester will remain open)
- Pembroke: 24 Mattakeesett St. (125 Church St., Pembroke will remain open)
The specific dates of each store closing will be communicated to local customers at a later point, according to the press release.
How many Stop & Shop locations are there?
As of July 2024, Stop & Shop has 397 stores, according to their website, with the largest footprint in Massachusetts.
They have 125 stores in Massachusetts, 100 in New York, 88 in Connecticut, 57 in New Jersey and 27 in Rhode Island.
Why is Stop & Shop planning to close stores?
In the presentation to investors in May, Fleeman said to assure “a stable and thriving” future they needed to focus on “optimizing the portfolio to focus on core markets where it can win.”
Remodels that Stop & Stop have done in some stores since 2018 helped performance. But, overall “it’s not enough, and it’s not where we want to be or need to be,” Fleeman said.
What other brands does Ahold Delhaize own?
Ahold Delhaize operates more than 7,700 food stores in the Eastern United States, plus several European countries including Greece, Serbia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Belgium and the Netherlands, employing more than 400,000 people. Besides Stop & Shop, its US brands include Food Lion, the Giant Company, Giant Food and Hannaford.
Paul Edward Parker contributed to this report.