Since Stop & Shop opened at 65 Shore Road in Port Washington in March 2004, it has become the go-to grocery store for many Port Washington residents. Some residents are unaware that the local Stop & Shop is part of a large grocery chain that reaches far outside of New York. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs over 59,000 associates and operates 395 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York.
And, Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is about to get even larger. On July 20, Stop & Shop announced that it will expand its market reach by acquiring 25 A&P stores in the greater New York area, from The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, for $146 million. The acquisition includes grocery stores in Baldwin, Bayside, Long Beach, Huntington and Massapequa, among other locations.
“Stop & Shop is always looking for convenient locations to better serve our customers,” said Don Sussman, Stop & Shop’s New York Metro Division President. “We are very happy to have the opportunity to expand our presence in greater New York and serve new customers. We look forward to providing customers with unmatched selection, quality and value that they have come to expect from Stop & Shop.” Upon completion of the transaction, Stop & Shop plans to convert these existing Waldbaums, Pathmark and A&P stores into Stop & Shop stores. The sale is currently expected to close in the second half of 2015.
Before Stop & Shop opened in Port Washington, there was a Grand Union Supermarket in the location where Home Goods now is, according to Bobbie Polay, Executive Director of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce. The current Stop & Shop shopping center location was formerly owned by Lewis Oil, she stated. Since its 2004 opening in Port Washington, the local Stop & Shop has become one of the chain’s “showcase stores,” according to Arlene Putterman, Stop & Shop’s Manager of Public and Community Relations. The Port Washington location, which has 47,000 square feet of selling space and has approximately 100 full- and part-time employees, “has a wonderful assortment of fresh produce, new displays, the right merchandising mix and great presentation of product,” Putterman said. In addition, the store is very involved in the Port Washington community and donates frequently to many local organizations, including the school district, PYA, Lions Club, Parent Resource Center, Nicholas Center for Autism, Chabad, Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society and Harborfest.
The impending acquisition of new stores “will not affect the Port Washington store,” Putterman added.
