QUINCY, MASS. — Stop & Shop, a grocery store chain based in the Boston suburb of Quincy, has announced plans to close 32 locations by the end of this year.
Situated throughout the Northeast, the stores — described in a press release as “underperforming” — are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. According to the grocer, the affected stores will shutter on or before Nov. 2. Associates at the locations will be offered other employment within the company.
“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,” says Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop.
The company has remodeled 190 stores since 2018, and Reid notes that the remodeled stores are performing better than the stores selected for closure. Accordingly, Stop & Shop plans to focus on “growth through price investments and store remodels.”
Following the closures, Stop & Shop’s portfolio will comprise more than 350 stores across five states, with 81 stores in Connecticut, 115 in Massachusetts, 47 in New Jersey, 91 in New York and 25 in Rhode Island. Stop & Shop recently opened a 52,000-square-foot flagship store at Allston Yards, a 10.6-acre mixed-use development in Boston.
Dutch investment firm Ahold Delhaize is the parent company of Stop & Shop. The company owns nearly 8,000 grocery stores in the United States and Europe. Its portfolio of brands includes several U.S. chains, such as Food Lion, Giant and Hannaford.
— Hayden Spiess