ShopRite opens Lawnside, NJ store

ShopRite opened in Lawnside, NJ last weekend at the site of a former Pathmark. The 56,000 square foot store had been vacant for 15 months. The new supermarket is the second store owned by David and Renee Zallie.

According to a number of reports, area residents expressed their excitement Sunday about having a grocery store back in the township. One customer, who weighed 400 pounds before having gastric bypass surgery, was happy to find out that the new ShopRite offers free nutritional counseling. Isn't that nice.

Pathmark closing three South Jersey stores

Several reports yesterday confirmed that A&P officials told employees that the company was closing Pathmark stores in Cherry Hill, Camden and Edgewater Park in 60 days. The closings will leave Ventnor as home to the only Pathmark in New Jersey. A&P closed Super Fresh stores in Westmont, Marlton and Plainsboro earlier this year.

The closing may be especially troublesome for Camden, often referred to as a food desert. However, ShopRite plans to open a store in Lawnside within the next couple years (ShopRite to open store in Camden County's Lawnside Township). The new store will be about 10 minutes from the Pathmark location.

According to a union official that represents employees at Pathmark, A&P said they were "losing a lot of money..."

Supermarket analyst Matthew Casey said all three stores were unprofitable.

In a news report last night on one of the major networks, the reporter claimed that shopping patterns for thousands of people would change due to the closings. I would argue that if shopping patters hadn't already changed, the stores wouldn't be closing.

ShopRite to open store in Camden County's Lawnside Township

Wakefern Food Corp. announced earlier this month that Somerset Stores, owned by David and Renee Zallie, will begin construction on a new ShopRite to open in Lawnside, NJ. The Camden County town is best known for its establishment in 1926 as the first independent self-governing African American community north of the Mason-Dixon line.

The 56,000 square foot store will have a pharmacy, in-store cafe with free wifi, and a catering department. It will have the usual supermarket departments as well as a Mediterranean olive bar and meat market with its own brand of smoked meats from the store's own smokehouse.

The smokehouse sounds awesome. The olive bar... not so much. But that's just me.

Pathmark to close South Jersey store

A&P, whose plans to emerge from bankruptcy were approved last month, announced last week it is closing its Pathmark store in Lawnside, NJ next month. The company cited the store's lease expiration as the reason for the closing.