Seven Stop & Shop locations and a bfresh market are shuttering across Massachusetts at the end of the month. Local food banks are working to get the stores’ remaining items into the hands of residents dealing with hunger.
The supermarket chain announced in July they would close 32 locations that were “underperforming.” Stop & Shop’s communication’s team says that, across the Northeast, the organization is already partnered with local hunger relief agencies that pick up food two to three times a week.
One of those organizations is Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which typically serves about 115,000 residents per month.
“We have been in touch with the store manager from the Cooley St. Stop & Shop,” said Deb Ondo, the communications manager at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “He expects to have anywhere between two to five pallets of a variety of food items available as of November 1.”
One of the food bank’s members, Martin Luther King Community Center, will be receiving the goods — and, if there’s too much food, it will be distributed to others in their network, too.
Ondo said the number of people in need is high, and supermarket prices have tightened residents’ budgets.
“We’ve been watching the numbers rise. And, you know, there are multiple reasons. Certainly inflation, even though it’s easing,” Ondo said.
Two other closing Stop & Shops are in Shrewsbury and Worcester, and Worcester County Food Bank will be working with the Shrewsbury location.
“We will send a truck over there and we will be picking up any remaining frozen as well as some nonperishable food items,” said Jean McMurray, CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank.
She said Stop & Shop is one of the group’s longest-standing partners, and the food bank receives donations from seven of the store’s locations in Worcester County.
The organization and its partners are serving over 15,500 people per week.
McMurray says she can actually see the location that will be closing from her office.
“I know that people are supposed to be relocated to other locations for jobs. But they’ve been such a good neighbor to us in a lot of different ways,” she said. “Obviously, the food has been helpful. But, you know, during the pandemic and during other rough times, they they were very willing to help us with more food resources.”
Stop & Shop doesn’t know what or how much will be donated to each nonprofit until closer to the date of closure. They’re looking to unload the rest of their inventory, too.
“For items that their local hunger-relief partner may not pick up, i.e. pet food, our stores have worked to identify local animal shelters that may pick up those items,” Jennifer Barr Brogan, director of external communications & community relations, said in a message.
After the closures, Stop & Shop will operate more than 350 stores, including 115 in Massachusetts.
Closing locations are:
- 165 Needham St., Newton bfresh Market
- 539-571 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury
- 932 North Montello St., Brockton
- 24 Mattakeesett St., Pembroke
- 36 New State Highway, Raynham
- 341 Plymouth St., Halifax
- 415 Cooley St., Springfield
- 545 Lincoln St., Worcester
