Shaw’s to Shutter 6 N.H. Stores

Shaw’s Supermarkets said this week that it will close six stores in New Hampshire no later than Sept. 2. The affected stores are in Keene, Seabrook, Goffstown, Manchester, Tilton and West Lebanon.

According to the company, “The stores identified have not been profitable for quite some time, and despite the best efforts of the company and our associates -- including recent pricing and marketing initiatives -- we have not been able to reposition them to better compete in the marketplace and don’t anticipate being able to change this trend.”

“We strive to ensure the success of all our stores; however, it is occasionally necessary for us to close those that are not meeting company goals or that do not fit into our long-term strategy,” Shaw’s noted, adding that the decision to close the underperforming stores “was made only after careful evaluation and was guided by what is best for the company’s ongoing success and future growth.”

The company said that the closures weren’t a reflection of the grocer’s overall financial health and that there were no plans to shutter any more stores, but the news comes on the heels of the planned closure of six underperforming locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by Aug. 3.

As well as declaring its intention to keep investing in its business as it strives to take back its mantle “as the pre-eminent grocer in New England,” Shaw’s “will be looking to transfer the majority of [affected] associates to other nearby stores, and will provide severance if needed,” Steve Sylven, the company’s external communications manager, told PG.

West Bridgewater, Mass.-based Shaw’s currently has 34 stores in the Granite State, out of a total of about 169 operating under the Shaw’s and Star Market banners across a five-state New England footprint.