Shaw's Closes Gloucester, Concord Stores Amid Realignment

Shaw's Supermarkets, owned by Albertsons, is closing two locations in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire, as part of a strategic realignment to address underperforming stores. This decision comes amid rising food prices, with the latest Consumer Price Index data recording a 2.8% annual increase in key goods and services. Albertsons' failed merger with Kroger, blocked on antitrust grounds, has influenced the need to reevaluate and possibly close more locations in the future. The company aims to relocate affected employees to nearby stores and continues to focus on providing valued products and services to its customers. Shaw's has 55 stores in Massachusetts and 25 in New Hampshire, with plans to continue operations at other locations nearby. This restructuring reflects broader market trends, including attempts by other grocery chains like Stop & Shop to close underperforming stores to strengthen their brand.