SHREWSBURY, Mass. – Stop & Shop is closing stores due to underperformance, and one local food bank says the loss of the stores will impact them as well.
What You Need To Know
- Supermarket chain Stop & Shop is set to close 32 stores the company terms as "underperforming" by the end of the year
- There are five locations in Connecticut and eight in Massachusetts on the list, including ones at 545 Lincoln St., Worcester, 539-571 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury and 415 Cooley St., Springfield
- The Worcester County Food Bank reports the closing Shrewsbury location donated 35,403lbs of food from Oct. 2023 to Sept. 2024, with more than 7,000lbs coming from customer donations
- WCFB said Stop & Shop corporate typically donates about 1,000 turkeys for Thanksgiving annually, but the food bank has asked for supermarket giftcards this year to give the families they serve the option to shop
The Stop & Shop on Route 9 in Shrewsbury is set to close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. While customers will have to find another grocery store, the Worcester County Food Bank spoke to Spectrum News 1 about what the closure will mean for them.
The Worcester County Food Bank calls Stop & Shop a longstanding donor and generous supporter.
The food bank receives donated product from seven local Stop & Shop stores, but the number will soon be down to five as the locations in Shrewsbury and on Lincoln Street in Worcester close their doors.
Worcester County Food Bank CEO Jean McMurray said the Shrewsbury location alone provided more than 35,000 pounds of food within the last year between store and customer donations
McMurray said their relationship with Stop and Shop is as strong as ever, and the loss of the nearby Shrewsbury store won’t go unnoticed.
“The impact is significant because not only do they donate product, but their customers donate product. They also collect financial donations for us," McMurray said. "So, we're sorry to see them go and we wish them continued success, but it does mean that we will be receiving less food donations from Stop & Shop, and we're all about distributing as much donated food as possible.”
The Worcester County Food Bank plans to send a truck to the Shrewsbury Stop and Shop on Friday to pick up whatever frozen and nonperishable food items are left.
McMurray said it’s a bit of a full-circle moment as the Worcester County Food Bank sent a truck 26 years ago to pick up remaining product from the store at the Route 9 location before Stop & Shop moved in.
The food bank is hoping the community can help the fill the gap and address local food insecurity.