The regional grocery chain, Shoppers Food, is downsizing its Maryland operations, with store closures slated for the coming month in four specific locations, the company has confirmed. The affected stores, according to a report by CBS News Baltimore, will shutter by or before October 11 and include 1200 Eastern Blvd. in Essex, 7790 Riverdale Rd. in New Carrollton, 1170 W. Smallwood Drive in Waldorf, and 551 Jermor Lane in Westminster. United Natural Food Inc., the wholesaler for Shoppers Food, indicates these closures are part of a strategy to refine operational efficiency.
Shoppers Food, with a history tracing back to the 1940s and an acquisition in 1999, currently operates nearly 20 stores across the Washington, D.C. area, Maryland, and Virginia, including seven in Baltimore—now, with the imminent closures, their presence in the region will somewhat diminish, “We are deeply grateful to our team members for their contributions and will support them through this transition,” UNFI remarked, stressing its commitment to communities through other nearby stores and online delivery. Yet despite this commitment, some worry that closures point to broader retail challenges in the state, such as those highlighted by a Fox Baltimore report detailing how retail theft has compelled local grocery chains to implement new security measures…