It’s an incredibly crowded grocery space! The empty buildings tell the story and how long it takes to attract and build for a newcomer willing to take big risks. Sprouts in Aberdeen for one.
A&P, Foodtown, KMart, remember Bradlees. Against what is still standing. Crazy industry.
I have very mixed feelings about ShopRite.
Also gone is Pathmark.
All of my local S&S are closing, and I’m pretty sad about it! Recently their weekly specials have been great.
Years back it seems like the supermarket market was healthier with more players, but they keep exiting and it looks like ShopRite is going to be the only one left. Even the S&S that are not closing are always ghost towns. Foodtowns are mostly gone, and Acme’s are circling the drain as well.
But Aldi and Lidl are doing quite well. There are also Walmart and Target, as well as Food Emporium, Wegman’s, Whole Foods, NetCost, Asian Food Market (which occupies the full space some supermarket did before), Grocery Outlet, and (of course) Costco. (All these are in Marlboro/OldBridgeMatawan/Aberdeen/Hazlet.)
So so crowded. Aldi doubled down and moved when Lidl took onHwy 35. And in the wine/liquor category we are seeing a similar growth along the same areas.
The failures and wins in food and beverage are a window into real estate migration and just how much food life has exploded.
Perhaps the S&S’s left standing will continue to be competitive but the loss may dwindle their public support to those left standing. In Keyport, the S&S serves 3 senior complexes. If that store closes, busing will be their major option.
Yes, I’m aware of all of those places, I was talking specifically about the standard grade supermarket chains, places like Shoprite A&P Pathmark Foodtown Stop and Shop etc…
The only other player in that space is Wegmans, and they’re great but they don’t do great sales like Shoprite / S&S. And there’s just not that many Wegmans across the state, I don’t have any near me.
Also Super Walmarts aren’t that common, and neither Walmart nor Target, even Costco do sales like the supermarkets do.
A lot of smaller markets are seeing success like Aldi/Lidl/TJ and that’s great. But even their sales usually don’t match the standard supermarket sales.
As for places like NetCost and Grocery outlet, Food Emporium etc, they are one offs so I’m not including them in the general market health. I don’t have any near me.
I went to Grocery Outlet a few times and stopped, their fresh food deals (meat and veggies, fruit) are simply not that great. They seem more of a place for factory processed food deals.
Ditto. I went to their grand opening and never returned.
@joonjoon Where will you shop once your local S&S closes?
I’m kind of obsessed with grocery store deal hunting, being in the Edison area I have access to a TON of Asian markets, (HMart, Lotte, Kam Man, Asian Food, 99 Ranch, Patel Bros, India Grocers, etc). Other than that I have Shoprite and Aldi nearby, and Costco.
Previously I lived near the Hazlet corridor and that was really a great spot. Shoprite here is right next to my gym so I walk through it pretty much every day as part of my gym run. Unfortunately this one is stingy with their clearance deals, not much 70% off. 
Edison is quite the hub! When I’m booze shopping at the Rt 27 Costco, I shop the hub!
Target & Walmart as well
I hate that surveillance robot at Stop & Shop that “look for spills on the floor.” Yeah, right. He seems particularly interested in “spills on the floor” right in front of me when I’m getting lunch at the self serve hot wing bar.
One of the three Stop & Shops in my area closed a couple years ago, the remaining two are not on the list. I generally only stop in if I need a thing or two.
That robot was going around the store and this little girl kept telling it hello, that exchange made my day
NJ S&S meal deal today includes free bags of S&S carrots and celery, free 12oz bag egg noodles, free box Progresso chicken broth when you purchase a Perdue whole roaster chicken at $1.99#. The whole shabang cost me $12.00.
