By RORY SCHULER
On Tuesday evening, around 6 p.m., the long row of registers at Stop & Shop in Johnston was empty. There were clearly more employees than customers in the store.
By early November, the Johnston grocery store will be empty; closed forever.
When asked about the Johnston grocery store’s recently announced closure (slated to close by the end of the year), employees have been instructed to hand out tiny white slips of paper that assure the customer: “WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS.”
The slip of paper encourages curious shoppers to write to the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company Consumer Affairs Department via snail mail or email, or call (1-800-767-7772, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
“One call might not make a difference, but you never know,” said one of the young cashiers on duty Tuesday evening. “It actually might.”
“We’re a family here,” said another employee.
Employees couldn’t go on the record. They’ve been warned by the corporate office. Instead of answering questions, they’ve been told to distribute the little pieces of “contact us” paper.
Town residents have long noticed the mostly empty parking lot outside Stop & Shop since a new Market Basket opened a few blocks away on Hartford Avenue two years ago.
‘Underperforming’
Quincy, Massachusetts based Stop & Shop announced July 12 that it plans to close 32 “underperforming stores by year-end.” The list of closing stores included two Rhode Island locations: 11 Commerce Way, Johnston, and 176 Pittman St., Providence (the former Eastside Marketplace).
The closures are meant to “position (the) company for growth,” according to the company’s corporate press release, which also pledges “to offer positions to all impacted associates.”
After closing 32 stores, Stop & Shop still owns and operates more than 350 stores across five states.
“Stop & Shop associates at impacted locations will be offered other opportunities within the company,” the company promised in the press release.
Stop & Shop Spokesperson Stephanie Cunha, the public relations contact for Stop & Shop in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, answered questions on the impending closure Wednesday morning.
“The decision to close the Johnston store was difficult, and only made after careful analysis and deliberation,” Cunha explained when asked what factors contributed to the closing of the Johnston location. “The store was underperforming, and the decision was necessary to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand. A multitude of factors went into determining which store locations may close, including store performance, terms of our real estate deals and the broader community impact. While Stop & Shop does face strong competition across the neighborhoods we serve, we continue to maintain a strong market position in New England.”
Cunha shared a copy of the corporate press release.
“Stop & Shop is proud of the deep roots and community ties we have developed as a neighborhood grocer of more than 100 years, and we remain committed to nourishing our associates, customers and communities,” said President of Stop & Shop Gordon Reid. “As we announced in May, Stop & Shop has evaluated its overall store portfolio and made the difficult decision to close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
‘Farewell’
Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena Jr. recalled working at the store as a teenager.
“I worked there for a few years,” he said. “It was my first job at 16 years old when I was in high school. I’m glad all the employees get to keep their jobs at other locations.”
Reid again promised employees would not be left without jobs after the store closures.
“Our associates are a strong community dedicated to growing and working together, and all of our store associates will continue to have a place in the Stop & Shop family as we look forward to serving customers at other nearby locations,” added Reid.
Like most Johnston residents, the news of the store’s planned shuttering was disappointing, but not necessarily shocking.
“While it’s always sad to see a business close, this is the free market at work,” Polisena said. “It’s why I advocate for as much market competition as possible, so businesses have to compete against each other for the consumers’ dollar. Other grocery stores such as Aldi, Price Rite and particularly Market Basket took off, but Stop & Shop did little to innovate or improve the quality of their product. The end result was consumers spending their hard-earned money elsewhere.”
Little details can make or break a business in an arena of stiff competition. Nobody loves paying for crappy, low quality paper bags.
“Lastly, even though the fee is nominal, the 10¢ charge for paper bags was not very consumer friendly either,” Polisena said.
The Johnston store may simply be a casualty of the nationwide paper bag wars.
‘Hole in Town’
The Commerce Way shopping plaza, along Atwood Avenue in Johnston, is situated along a roadway that has become very prone to flooding during heavy rain. When the road floods, half of the region’s population is cut off from the store, while Market Basket enjoys an elevated vantage point high on an overlooking hill.
GameStop pulled its store from the plaza several years ago.
On Oct. 25, 2021, the Johnston Sun Rise reached out to Stop & Shop corporate offices asking if the Johnston location was in danger of impending closure.
Later that same day, a representative for Kel & Partners, a public relations firm hired by the grocery chain, responded: “Looping back with a statement that can be attributed to Stop & Shop: ‘The grocer has no plans to close the store and Stop & Shop is proud to serve the Johnston community.’”
Two and a half years later, the plans have changed.
When will Johnston’s Stop & Shop close?
“I do not have a specific date for this store’s closure yet,” Cunha said Wednesday morning. “All stores should close on or before Nov. 2 and it will be communicated to local teams and customers in advance.”
Will another large corporate retail client move into Stop & Shop’s place?
“As far as what goes there next, I’m open to anything modern that will serve the residents of Johnston,” Polisena said Tuesday. “The good thing is Carpionato Group is among the best landlords in the state, and they always find high-quality storefronts for their locations.”