Stop & Shop closes 2 grocery stores in NJ

Two more grocery stores are closing in New Jersey, as Stop & Shop has confirmed it is shuttering one store each in Bergen and Middlesex counties.

The Paramus store along Route 17 closed on Jan. 13, while the store in the Dayton section of South Brunswick will close on Feb. 24, a spokesperson said in an email to New Jersey 101.5.

The difficult decision was made “after a detailed review of the operating performance of our stores,” the spokesperson also said.

All store and pharmacy associates have the opportunity to transfer to other area Stop & Shop locations — which would be 58 stores statewide, once Dayton closes, the spokesperson said.

While it's unclear what exactly will happen to the storefront along Route 17, the Paramus property had been highlighted for development for several years.

In 2019, the Paramus Planning Board approved a plan to renovate the existing store while also adding several restaurants or fast food sites within the same shopping plaza.

"We never like to see any businesses close in town, but Paramus is blessed with a vital retail and now medical market and when one door closes another door opens," Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera said in a written response to New Jersey 101.5.

He also said he was not aware how the closure might changes those development plans, nor what may be planned for the space in the interim.

A request for comment by South Brunswick's mayor and deputy mayor was not immediately returned on Thursday.