Stop & Shop set to close underperforming stores

QUINCY, Mass. (WPRI) — Stop & Shop is preparing to close a number of underperforming stores, 12 News has learned.

ORIGINAL NOTE: https://www.wpri.com/business-news/stop-shop-to-close-underperforming-stores/

The Massachusetts-based grocer’s parent corporation, Ahold Delhaize, announced during a strategy meeting last week that Stop & Shop plans to shutter an unspecified number of stores.

JJ Fleeman, the Dutch corporation’s CEO, said the closures will help Stop & Shop “create a healthy store base” and “grow the brand.”

Despite fierce competition from other grocers, Fleeman said Stop & Shop has a rich heritage and strong presence throughout the Northeast.

Since 2018, Fleeman said Stop & Shop has remodeled more than 190 stores, which have been outperforming their original counterparts. The grocer has also enhanced its loyalty program, expanded its online offerings and optimized its operational efficiency.

“But that’s not enough and it’s not where we want to be or need to be,” Fleeman said. “We will be decisive and take deliberate and appropriate actions to ensure a stable future for the brand.”

Fleeman said Stop & Shop is focused on “ensuring a stable and thriving future” by “optimizing its portfolio to focus on core markets where it can win.”

It’s unclear exactly which stores are on the chopping block and when each one will officially close.

Stop & Shop has nearly 400 stores spanning Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Rhode Island is home to 27 Stop & Shops, while Massachusetts has 125 stores.