Massachusetts lawmakers demand answers on price-gouging study between Stop & Shop locations
by: Ashley Shook
BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts lawmakers are demanding information from Stop & Shop’s parent company on reports of price-gouging concerns.
A letter was sent to CEO Frans Muller of Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Stop & Shop, concerning higher prices in minority and working-class communities in Massachusetts. “These types of price discrepancies place significant burdens on already-struggling consumers,” wrote U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, and Ed Markey, along with Representatives Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley.
A 2023 study by a group of Boston youth volunteers at the Hyde Square Task Force revealed Stop & Shop was charging 18 percent more for groceries in a largely minority and working-class area of Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, compared to the store location in Dedham, a more affluent suburb.
Examples from Stop & Shop in Jamaica Plain vs. Dedham included:
- Bubba’s turkey burgers were $2 more
- Stop & Shop-branded crinkle-cut French fries were 90 cents more
- Smithfield bacon was $2 more
Lawmakers are requesting that Ahold Delhaize explain the reasons for the price difference and the pricing algorithms used by the company. They would also like to know if there are any steps taken to lower prices and improve consistency across all 124 Massachusetts locations.
(Photo: WPRI)