In less than two months, Plainsboro’s only supermarket will be gone, forcing many to travel elsewhere to stock their shelves and fill their prescriptions.
Due to “underperformance,” the SuperFresh in Plainsboro Plaza will be one of the three in the chain that will close its doors for good on Friday, January 11, according to Marcy Connor, a spokeswoman for A&P, the chain’s parent company. The other two SuperFresh stores are in Marlton and Westmont in southern New Jersey.
“While this is a very difficult circumstance for our associates, customers, partners, and the local communities, we remain focused on providing great value and service to our customers who shop in these stores,” said Connor.
According to Connor, the company notified its union partners on Friday, November 9, and started notifying employees on Monday, November 12. The Plainsboro SuperFresh is the town’s only traditional grocery store, which also includes a pharmacy. Without it, customers will have to find new places to get their medications and might need to drive out of town to get their groceries.
The only similar supermarket left would be the Asian Food Market in the Princeton Meadows Shopping Center on Plainsboro Road. The SuperFresh departure would also leave the mall with vacancies at each of its two anchor positions. The other end of the center, last occupied by Ace Hardware, is also vacant.
Township Administrator Bob Sheehan said Plainsboro was concerned and is hoping a similar supermarket will replace the SuperFresh. He confirmed the mall owner, the pension fund TIAA-CREF, is already marketing the property.
“We are disappointed at its closing,” said Sheehan. “We would like to see that service provided for the community in the community, but unfortunately it was a private business decision that we can’t influence.”
Ed Keenan, president of the Plainsboro Business Partnership, thought the store’s underperformance was caused by the SuperFresh being too big and reaching build out too soon. He is not looking forward to its closure. “It’s going to stink,” said Keenan. “There are a lot of residents in Plainsboro, and a lot of people are going to have to go out of their way.”
