Following the closing of Highland Park’s Stop & Shop grocery store in March, residents have found other ways to obtain their food and fresh produce. Residents’ grocery trips might now include a car ride or a weekly bus trip provided by the community center. The return of the downtown Farmers Market on April 7th has also brought about easily accessible produce and organic options within a walkable distance. Even the Park Deli, a local business, has expanded their selection to offer fruit, vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Though the closing of Highland Park’s main grocer has created uncertainty surrounding food security and affordability, the community has stepped up to provide solutions for each other, even if they may just be for the short-term.
In a locally conducted in-person survey of 43 residents, about 88% said that they used to go to Stop & Shop weekly. This included anything from large grocery trips to quick visits to get snacks. In an online survey conducted in the Highland Park Parents Group, 99 individuals reported that they now drive to another grocer, 25 use the Park Deli produce section, and 31 use a grocery delivery app. 230 residents in total responded and could choose more than one option. Though the surveys are not representative of the town as a whole, they remain a great way to gauge the impact of the Stop & Shop closing on the community.
There was a general sense that able-bodied and younger residents would be able to shift their shopping habits fairly easily with the loss of a local grocer. Still, many miss the communal Stop & Shop location they once knew. Highland Park sophomore Mickayla Ramrehka brought up the bulletin board adding, “[It] was another way to stay connected with the community.” She added that the closing has changed her family’s routine. “We do have to drive to mainly ShopRite for large grocery trips.” Agapi Kourkounakis, a junior, expressed the way the closing has affected her, too. “It is more of a hassle now to get groceries because Stop & Shop would send out coupons, but ShopRite doesn’t since it’s not in town.
On the other hand, some people’s habits were largely unaffected by the closing. “My family didn’t go to Stop & Shop that often. It was mostly a last resort or a quick stop for extras. We mostly went to Whole Foods,” said Highland Park resident and HPHS alumnus Stefan Segura. This experience seems to be less common. In the aforementioned survey of residents from the Highland Park Parents Group, just 2 respondents saw no change in their shopping habits.
As of now, the building that once housed Stop & Shop is set to undergo renovations to attract new grocery stores. The site may also be redeveloped to bring more businesses into Highland Park. Mayor Elsie Foster and other local borough officials have looked at providing tax incentives as part of the plan. Specific plans, however, remain unexplored. For the foreseeable future, the Highland Park community will have to rely on out-of-town grocers to stock their fridges and pantries.