Dive Brief:

• Stop & Shop announced Friday it plans to shutter 32 underperforming stores by the end of the year.

• The closures will help position the chain, which is undergoing a sweeping remodeling program, for future growth, the Ahold Delhaize-owned chain said. 

• The announcement follows Ahold Delhaize’s disclosure in May that it planned to close an unspecified number of Stop & Shop stores in an effort to improve the chain’s performance. 

Dive Insight:

Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement on Friday that the chain evaluated its overall store portfolio and decided to close some of its locations “to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.” 

The stores slated for closure include 10 locations in New Jersey, eight in Massachusetts, seven in New York, five in Connecticut and two in Rhode Island. The locations are slated to shutter on or before Nov. 2.

Nearly one-third of Stop & Shop's upcoming store closures are in New Jersey

The Garden State will see almost 20% of its Stop & Shop locations shutter.

Stop & Shop said it plans to offer jobs to all workers impacted by the closures. 

After the 32 stores close, the grocer said it will “continue to have a strong presence across its five-state footprint with more than 350 stores.”

Stop & Shop will share specific store closing dates with local customers “well in advance” of when they will go out of business, according to the press release. 

The chain said it is focused on large, multi-year price investments in-store and online as well as continuing its store remodeling as part of its growth strategy. Stop & Shop will also prioritize “delivering lower everyday prices, as well as even more savings for our customers through strong promotions,” Reid said. 

Since starting its remodeling program in 2018, Stop & Shop has refreshed more than 190 locations — half of its current store count. Stop & Shop noted that the remodeled stores are outperforming ones that aren’t updated. 

The grocer opened its newly built Boston flagship location last month in the city’s Allston Yards development, replacing an older store across the street.

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