Stop & Shop to Close 32 Stores as Part of Growth Plan
Stop & Shop announced the next steps in its plans to position the company for growth. In addition to continuing to make investments in price and the customer experience as part of its growth strategy in its markets, Stop & Shop will close 32 underperforming stores by year-end. Following the closures, Stop & Shop will continue to have a strong presence across its five-state footprint with more than 350 stores. Stop & Shop associates at impacted locations will be offered other opportunities within the company.
“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. “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.”
The 32 impacted store locations, which are anticipated to close on or before Nov. 2, 2024, include:
Connecticut
- 100 Division St., Ansonia
- 211 High St., Torrington (931 Torringford St., Torrington will remain open)
- 1937 West Main St., Stamford (2200 Bedford St., Stamford will remain open)
- 855 Bridgeport Ave., Milford (1360 East Town Road, Milford will remain open)
- 72 Newtown Road, Danbury (44 Lake Avenue Ext., Danbury will remain open)
Massachusetts
- 932 North Montello St., Brockton
- 36 New State Highway, Raynham
- 341 Plymouth St., Halifax
- 539-571 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury
- 165 Needham St., Newton (bfresh Market)
- 415 Cooley St., Springfield (1600 Boston Rd. and 1277 Liberty St., Springfield will remain open)
- 545 Lincoln St. Worcester (940 West Boylston St. and 949 Grafton St., Worcester will remain open)
- 24 Mattakeesett St., Pembroke (125 Church St., Pembroke will remain open)
New Jersey
- 1083 Inman Ave., Edison
- 1049 US Highway 1 South, Edison
- 4861 US Highway 9, Howell
- 1278 US Highway 22, Phillipsburg
- 581 Stelton Rd., Piscataway
- 625 Paterson Ave., Carlstadt
- 1221 State Route 27, Franklin Township
- 130 Skyline Dr., Ringwood
- 505 Richmond Ave, Point Pleasant Beach
- 2275 West County Line Rd., Jackson
New York
- 2965 Cropsey Ave., Brooklyn
- 130 Wheatley Plaza, Greenvale
- 7 Samsondale Plaza, West Haverstraw
- 294 Middle Country Road, Coram
- 240 East Sanford Blvd., Mt. Vernon
- 132 Fulton Ave., Hempstead
- 2525 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow
Rhode Island
- 11 Commerce Way, Johnston
- 176 Pittman St., Providence (Eastside Marketplace)
“Our associates are a strong community dedicated to growing and working together, and all of our store associates will continue to have a place in the Stop & Shop family as we look forward to serving customers at other nearby locations,” added Reid.
Stop & Shop will communicate specific store closing dates to local customers well in advance of any store closures. Stop & Shop remains committed to serving its communities through other store locations, online shopping and home delivery services.
“Stop & Shop is focused on growing through large, multi-year price investments and a stronger customer value proposition, both in-store and online. This means we’ll be focused on delivering lower everyday prices, as well as even more savings for our customers through strong promotions,” added Reid. “Since 2018, we have completed more than 190 store remodels, with the customer shopping experience in mind. These stores are outperforming other Stop & Shop stores that haven’t been remodeled. We’re taking these learnings and implementing them at other stores as we build upon our strong foundation, similar to our new Boston flagship location, opened last month in the Allston Yards development. We look forward to continuing to serve and care for our communities and to grow Stop & Shop as a local brand for many years to come.”
After the store closures are complete, Stop & Shop will operate more than 350 stores spanning five states, including 81 stores in Connecticut, 115 in Massachusetts, 47 in New Jersey, 91 in New York and 25 in Rhode Island.
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Chip City, Kellanova Team on Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cookie
Photo of the Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cookie courtesy Chip City
Credit: Adrián Rivera Ferrán.
Chip City Cookies, NYC’s fastest-growing gourmet cookie chain known for oversized gooey cookies and innovative flavors, has formed a partnership with Kellanova to create a limited-edition, Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cookie. This special treat features a maple-flavored brown sugar cookie mixed with dried blueberries, topped with maple frosting and Eggo Grahams.
The Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cookie will be available for two weekends in July: Saturday, July 12 to Sunday, July 13, and again on Saturday, July 26 to Sunday, July 27, at all 41 Chip City locations (New York City and Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and Illinois, for $7 per cookie.
“It’s always fun working on new flavors and creations, especially ones that evoke feelings of nostalgia. Cookies have a way of taking us back to our childhood and filling us with warm memories. This is how we feel about Eggo Waffles. They’re timeless, and the collaboration pairs perfectly with our Chip City gooey cookies,” said Theodore Gailas, co-founder and chief brand officer of Chip City Cookies.
Born in Astoria, Queens, in July 2017, Chip City began as a hobby between two childhood friends as they sought to recreate the simple taste of their childhood. What began as a fun challenge to see who could create the best cookie turned into the Chip City we know and love today.
The cookies are huge, clocking in at four inches across and nearly six ounces each. They’re buttery and ooey-gooey, made with just a handful of real ingredients that can be found in any pantry. From classic Chocolate Chip to Oatmeal Apple Pie and Cookies N’ Cream, these are the cookies that have taken New York by storm and they’re shipping nationwide.
Chip City has 41 locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island with plans to have at least nine opening soon.
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FDA Bans Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food. Brominated vegetable oil is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine. The agency concluded that the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe after the results of studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health found the potential for adverse health effects in humans.
The FDA has regulated BVO as a food additive since the agency removed it from the codified list of Generally Recognized As Safe or GRAS substances in 1970. As authorized, it was used in small amounts to keep the citrus flavoring from floating to the top in some beverages, and manufacturers were required to list BVO, or the specific brominated vegetable oil such as brominated soybean oil, in the ingredients list if it was used. Few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.
The FDA is taking this action as part of our regulatory authority over ingredients added to food, which includes reassessing previously evaluated food ingredients and addressing safety concerns. Reassessing the safety of food ingredients as new, relevant data become available, is a priority for the FDA and a key part of our food safety mission.
The rule is effective on Aug. 2. The compliance date for this rule is one year after the effective date, to provide the opportunity for companies to reformulate, relabel, and deplete the inventory of BVO-containing products before the FDA begins enforcing the final rule.
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