Village Super Market to Debut Latest ShopRite in New Jersey
Residents of Watchung, N.J., are gearing up for a new state-of-the-art ShopRite.
Located in the Blue Star Shopping Center at 1701 US-22, the new ShopRite will open its doors on Wednesday, April 9 and host a grand-opening celebration with special giveaways on Sunday, April 13. The existing ShopRite of Watchung will close April 8.
Dubbed the “New Star of Blue Star,” the new 51,000-square-foot ShopRite of Watchung in the Blue Star Shopping Center will offer customers fresh chef-prepared meals, global flavors, and specialty and premium items. Customers will find chef-prepared grab-and-go options, including hand-rolled sushi, gourmet meals and sandwiches, and unique soup and coffee bars featuring favorites from Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market.
“We are excited to open our doors to a beautiful, modern supermarket that delivers quality, convenience and premium groceries to Watchung shoppers,” said Perry Blatt, director of e-commerce and business development for Village Super Market Inc., which owns and operates the new store. “The new ShopRite of Watchung is designed to bring an elevated shopping experience to the community, with expanded offerings, fresh meal and to-go options, and specialty items that cater to all our customers’ needs.”
Blatt is a third-generation grocer and member of the Sumas family. The family’s company, Village Super Market, is a member of the retailer-owned supermarket cooperative Wakefern Food Corp.
Other features of the new Watchung ShopRite include:
- The Fairway Market Artisanal Cheese Shop: More than 600 cheese varieties and a skilled cheesemonger to help provide suggestions.
- A full-service butcher and seafood experience: Custom-cut meats, store-made specialties, fresh seafood, oyster tastings and whole-fish cuttings.
- An expanded produce department: Organic produce, premium picks like specialty berries and grapes, and freshly cut fruits and vegetables, all delivered daily.
- Bakery delights: Freshly baked breads, NYC-style bagels and the exclusive Holy Cannoli section.
Designed with the environment in mind, the ShopRite of Watchung also incorporates energy-efficient refrigeration, LED lighting and eco-friendly initiatives. Also, as part of Village Super Market, the store is committed to supporting local communities and food banks through initiatives like ShopRite Partners In Caring.
Grand-opening festivities will kick off on April 13 at 6 a.m., with the first 250 customers in line receiving special swag bags and a free carton of eggs. Watchung’s early risers will also be treated to fresh coffee and store-made pastries, which will be served from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The Sumas family will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by a community celebration with a DJ, food tastings, food trucks, giveaways, a caricature artist, face painting and special surprises for shoppers.
The Sumas family and their Village Super Market team – part of the Watchung community since 1969 – will also present the Dudley House Veterans Transitional Housing Program in Plainfield and the Food Bank Network of Somerset County with $5,000 donations as part of the grand-opening celebration.
Springfield, N.J.-based Village Super Market currently operates 30 ShopRite supermarkets throughout New Jersey, New York and eastern Pennsylvania, as well as four specialty markets under the Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market brands in Manhattan.
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, N.J. The company comprises nearly 50 members that independently own and operate 365-plus supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market and Di Bruno Bros. banners. Wakefern is No. 31 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
