NEW YORK, June 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop today announced a $140 million capital investment in its New York City stores to improve the shopping experience for local customers with a focus on adding thousands of new items from around the globe to ensure the assortment at each store reflects the diversity of the neighborhood it serves. Store remodels will deliver a fresh new look and feel for customers and will also showcase value with deal bins and the addition of the Flashfood program which offers fresh foods at up to 50% off. Stop & Shop’s Bay Plaza store in the Bronx is the first to be remodeled and will celebrate its Grand Reopening with a ribbon cutting on June 10, with additional store upgrades across the boroughs taking place over the next two years. In addition to the investment in its stores, Stop & Shop has committed $1 million to fight food insecurity across NYC this year through several local initiatives and community partnerships.
Stop & Shop began operating in New York City more than two decades ago and currently operates 25 stores in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island – and home delivery in all five boroughs. Stop & Shop employs more than 3,300 associates in the city.
“We’re proud to make such a significant investment in New York City, and we’re excited to show customers that we can be the one-stop shop for everything they need and that we’re delivering great value, particularly in this current economic environment,” said Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop. “We’re also committed to fighting hunger in the boroughs and as part of our $1M commitment, we’re investing nearly half a million in the city’s public schools and colleges to ensure local students have consistent access to healthy food so they can succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
At the center of Stop & Shop’s enhancements to its NYC stores is a significantly expanded assortment with thousands of new items across the store to better meet the needs of the diverse neighbors it serves. Stop & Shop’s Bay Plaza store in the Bronx, for example, will feature a new ‘Global Market’ with authentic products from 14 different regions tailored to its neighbors and for those looking for unique products for globally inspired cooking. The Global Market will include a wide array of West Indian & Caribbean products, including items specific to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, plus Halal meat, dairy, and grocery items. As part of the Maspeth, Queens, remodel, Stop & Shop will expand its Chinese and South American offerings, and Sheepshead Bay customers will enjoy more Eastern European and Kosher foods. Additionally, stores will also offer hundreds of items locally made in the New York Metro area including West African fonio chips from NYC-based Yolélé and Mike’s Amazing® vegetable oils and mayonnaise.
Stop & Shop’s New York City stores will also have a renewed focus on value, offering more sale bins and special values on relevant products highlighted in a New York City-specific weekly circular ad. Stop & Shop is also the first retailer in New York City’s five boroughs to offer Flashfood, which gives customers access to fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery and other items nearing their best-by date at discounts up to 50% off. The mobile app not only helps regular shoppers save over $500 a year on their grocery bills, it furthers Stop & Shop’s commitment to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Flashfood will launch at the Bay Plaza store on June 10 and will expand to other New York stores later this year.
Stop & Shop is also making a significant investment in the community outside its stores with a $1 million pledge in 2022 to fight food insecurity across the boroughs. A decades’ long partner of Food Bank for New York City, Stop & Shop will once again be sponsoring the food bank’s Mobile Pantry – an eight-week-long distribution of fresh produce and pantry staples – that will kick-off in Ozone Park, Queens, on June 24. Stop & Shop is also launching a new food security initiative in partnership with Montefiore Hospital & Quincy Asian Resources set to begin at PS199X in South Bronx - and is significantly expanding the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program in the boroughs. The program was established to help limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom by making sure that they have consistent access to food. By year-end, Stop & Shop will support more than 30 in-school pantries across NYC.
Stop & Shop’s investment in New York City will be celebrated at the Bay Plaza Store with a ribbon cutting ceremony with community leaders and elected officials at 2136 Bartow Avenue in the Bronx at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 10, 2022. Customers are welcome to join the celebration Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, to enjoy product samples, free giveaways and live music.
About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop offers a wide assortment with a focus on fresh, healthy options at a great value. Stop & Shop's GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose how and where they want to shop - in-store or online for delivery or same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger, supporting our troops, and investing in pediatric cancer research to help find a cure. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
About Flashfood
Flashfood is a mobile app that is tackling the mounting problem of food waste by connecting local shoppers with grocery items nearing their best before date. Founded in 2016, Flashfood is live in more than 1,210 grocery stores throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, and Canada. Flashfood has diverted 40 million pounds of food, saved shoppers millions of dollars on their groceries, and fed hundreds of thousands of families more affordably. Flashfood partners include Meijer, The GIANT Company, Tops Friendly Markets, SpartanNash, Giant Eagle, and Loblaw Corp. Flashfood is available on iOS and Android. Find out more at www.flashfood.com.