Owner of Shaw's Plaza "Exploring All Options" to Fill Soon-to-be Vacant Supermarket

With Shaw's announcing it will be closing six of its underperforming supermarkets - including the Stoughton location - by August 3, Shaw's Plaza on Washington Street will lose its anchor store, and a 35,000 square foot retail space will be vacant.

Coolidge Properties in Brookline owns the Stoughton shopping plaza, which typically operates above 90-percent occupancy.

While Coolidge Properties Vice President Jeff Vecchio said he was "confident" this site would be "very viable" for another grocer, or non-food company, he expressed disappointment that Shaw's decided to leave Stoughton.

"While the Shaw’s banner has struggled the last number of years both chain-wide and in Stoughton due to increased competition and mismanagement, we are disappointed that the new Shaw’s ownership group did not show more of a commitment to turning this location around. They decided instead to close this store just 3 months after their acquisition of the chain," Vecchio said in a statement sent to Stoughton Patch.

His company is "considering all options" when it comes to filling this soon-to-be vacant supermarket space.

"We are confident that with the right management in place this is a very viable site for another grocer and that the Stoughton market would not only support it but also welcome it," Vecchio said in the statement.

"Due to the convenient location of the property and its unsurpassed visibility on Rt. 138, there has already been interest expressed from non-food users as well," he continued. "We will continue to explore all options for the site.”

Shaw's announced its plans to close a half dozen stores (four in Massachusetts and two in Rhode Island) last Monday.

"We strive to ensure the success of all our stores, however, it is occasionally necessary for us to close those that are not meeting company goals," Steve Sylven, External Communications Manager for Shaw's, wrote in an email sent to the Stoughton Board of Selectmen, informing the Board of the company's plan to close the Stoughton supermarket.

"The store has not been profitable for quite some time, and despite the best efforts of the company and our associates, we have not been able to reposition it to better compete in the marketplace and don’t anticipate being able to change this trend," the email continues. 

"Please know that the decision was made only after careful evaluation and it became clear that the store’s closure was necessary to reduce our expenses and best position the company as a whole for ongoing growth."

Shaw's is one of the largest employers in town, with more than 100 people working there, according to data from the Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development.

At 35,538 square feet, it is also one of the larger storefronts in town, but for a suburban supermarket, the size is an aberration, Vecchio said. Typically suburban supermarkets are in the 45,000 to 55,000 square foot range, he said.

But he doesn't see the smaller size as a determent. Vecchio said that area is better suited for a smaller grocer, and a store there could probably do the same volume of sales with 35,000 square feet of space as it could with 45,000 square feet, meaning a smaller space could allow for better profit margins.

While Shaw's is going out, there are many storefronts that will still be in the plaza, including a dry cleaner, pharmacy, variety store, electronics store, liquor store, pizza shop, nail salon, laundromat, hair salon, and dentist. 

"It certainly doesn't help that Shaw's is leaving, but the other businesses will continue to be viable," Vecchio said.