Well, the rumors we've been hearing for the past few months are true: Minnesota-based SuperValu Inc. is pulling out of the Connecticut market, announcing today that they are selling all of the 18 Shaw's supermarkets they currently operate here. Most of the stores are being sold to New Jersey's Wakefern Food Corporation, which owns the Shop-Rite and Price/Rite supermarkets. A handful of othes will be purchased by Stop & Shop, and SuperValu is still trying to find buyers for the remaining two that haven''t been spoken for, which will be closed by the end of March.
Here's a breakdown of the store locations being closed, and what will be opening in their places:
- Canton - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Clinton - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Darien - will reopen as Stop & Shop
- East Hartford - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite. Wakefern already has a large Price/Rite on Main Street in the center of East Hartford, but there is no information yet what will happen to that store.
- Enfield - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- East Hampton - will reopen as Stop & Shop
- Fairfield - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Hamden - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Manchester - No buyer found yet
- New Fairfield - will reopen as Stop & Shop
- New Haven - No buyer found yet
- Newington - will reopen as Stop & Shop
- Southbury - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Stratford - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Vernon - will reopen as Stop & Shop
- Wallingford - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- West Hartford - Wakefern, will reopen as Shop-Rite
- Windham - Wakefern, will reopen as Price/Rite
Shaw's has had a tough time competing in Connecticut; they entered the state in the mid 1990's and at their peak operated 26 stores here. In about 2005, they started closing down stores that weren't doing so well. At one time they were the only supermarket chain operating stores in all six New England states, but that distinction will be over soon.
Shaw's pulling out of Enfield also means that they will no longer be serving the Western Massachusetts area - the closet one to here will be Sturbridge, and unfortunately they've never had a special that was worth driving that far. I'm glad that we've got a Shop Rite opening here, though - perhaps the employees affected by the Shaw's closing will be able to keep their jobs working for Shop Rite.
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6 comments:
All the people who lost their jobs are really glad you're going to have a ShopRite there too.
Although I'm sure you meant that in a snarky wise-ass way, chances are Shop-Rite will offer to continue their employment.
I'm more concerned for the Shaw's employees in East Hartford, where there is already a Price/Rite on Main Street, and a large Shop-Rite on the Manchester-East Hartford town line. Wakefern must have some kind of plan going into this, and I hope it involves continued employment for everyone.
Shaw's is slightly high priced. I will welcome a ShopRite in Southbury. I'd really prefer a Price-Rite, but that doesn't fit in with the beautiful atmosphere there.
I did in fact mean it in a snarky wise-ass way. This is mostly due to the fact that even if they do offer employment to those people that do want to come back, all those full timers who've earned their benefits from years of hard work will not see those benefits carry over. A lot of these people have been working for over ten years and don't want to see their wages drop by several dollars or watch as their medical insurance that they direly need disappear.
But hey, enjoy saving a few bucks and acting self righteous. I understand I'm coming off sounding snarky and such but I'm also getting laid off and am a bit testy. So sorry.
Are you sure there is a Pricerite in East Hartford? Pricerites near mentioned locations are in West Hartford and Hamden.
I was mistaken about East Hartford - the store on Main Street is a Save-A-Lot (another SuperValu chain, by the way.)
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