The popular Northeastern grocery store chain Stop & Shop announced the closure of 32 “underperforming” stores set to shutter by November 2. Three locations will close in Rhode Island alone. Despite the closures, several hundred will remain. Reactions varied, but one thing was common: schadenfreude—and for good reason.
Stop & Shop has become notorious. Thousands of complaints about subpar quality food and exorbitant prices litter their Google reviews. Workers have had to strike due to low pay and reduced benefits, and some direct management has demonstrated unhealthy attitudes towards workers. Locals privy to the chain have even questioned their store placement: Why are Stop & Shops exclusively found in food deserts and lower-income areas?
Unsurprisingly, many were delighted to see them fall on their face. However, while Stop & Shop has misgivings, it does provide a whole grocery store experience. Aside from a Walmart Supercenter, the store offers everything you need for nearly any cuisine. This is something other chains like Aldi and Trader Joe’s lack. Of course, the experience came at unreasonably high prices.
Put simply, Stop & Shop lacks the competitive edge and doesn’t treat its employees as well as other retailers. It was a recipe for disaster, making it remarkable they’d survived this long without taking a hit.
If Stop & Shop wants to recover, it has to keep customers happy: have competitive prices, treat their employees as human beings, and be involved with the local communities they service.
*Article comparing Stop & Shop prices vs. other popular retailers.