Customers glad to have new Stop & Shop store

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A new Stop & Shop opened in Baldwin last Friday, in time for the staff to iron out any wrinkles before the start of the holiday season.

Reaction to the new store, at 905 Atlantic Ave., was generally positive among the small group of shoppers informally surveyed by the Herald.

“It was clean. [Employees] helped out a lot,” said Pete Manno, of Baldwin. “There were a lot of snacks. I got full.”

Cleanliness seemed to be a top criterion for many of those questioned. “It was clean. There were a lot of workers, all helpful — so far,” said shopper Laurie Jerome, also of Baldwin. “We have to get used to it. It’s great to have a supermarket back in Baldwin.”

The Stop & Shop replaces a Waldbaum’s, which closed last week as part of a bankruptcy filing by its owner, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., or A&P. Still to come in Baldwin are new Gala Fresh Farms andIdeal Food Basket markets. Although officials of those stores say they hope to open soon, no firm dates have been set.

Officials at all three stores say the competition among them is minimal, because the inventory each carries varies widely. Besides the usual produce, bakery, meat and seafood departments, the Baldwin Stop & Shop will offer natural and organic products, including more than 1,400 Nature’s Promise products, and gluten-free and special diet selections, Stop & Shop said in a statement. The store will have a refreshed modern décor, updated refrigeration systems, new lighting, state-of-the-art technology and other improvements, the statement said.

Stop & Shop cards and Gas Extra Rewards will offer customers savings when they shop. Peapod, the Internet home-delivery grocer, will also be available, according to the statement.

At Gala Fresh, an official said his store would focus on fresh and healthier food items. An Ideal official said that store plans to have an expanded inventory of international foods.

The uproar over supermarkets began this summer, when A&P, which also owns the Baldwin Pathmark, announced that it was closing both stores. Waldbaum’s was purchased by Stop & Shop. Pathmark, at 1764 Grand Ave., remains closed, and the fate of the site remains unknown.

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