PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Stop and Shop responded to accusations by state leaders that it has been sitting on unused properties to keep competitors from moving in.
Lt. Gov. Sabina Mato’ office said that the company had been renting out several properties across the state but not using them, so other stores can’t use them.
“Rhode Islanders deserve affordable, accessible, fresh food, and we need healthy competition to deliver that,” the lieutenant governor said. “Restrictive covenants allow superstores to block competition, make fresh food scarcer and more expensive, and inhibit the growth of local grocery stores. I want Rhode Island to lead the nation as the first state to pass a law against these anticompetitive agreements.”…