Latest news with #Stop&Shop
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
High grocery prices? Grocery stores blame the thieves
If you continue to shell out more and more for groceries, one major grocery retailer says: blame the thieves. Stop & Shop, which runs more than 300 markets across the Northeast, has penned a letter to Congress saying retailers like them are operating on 'razor-thin' margins and are 'struggling with the vast impact of organized retail crime.' The company is urging Congress to pass the 'Combating Organized Retail Crime Act,' which has now been reintroduced. The bipartisan legislation specifically targets flash mob robberies and what it calls 'intricate retail theft schemes.' It cites data from the National Retail Federation showing larceny incidents increased by 93 percent in 2023 compared with 2019. The letter says that in recent years, 'criminal organizations have increasingly turned to retail crime to generate illicit profits, using internet-based tools to organize flash mobs, sell stolen goods and move money.' 117 arrested in retail theft crackdown across California Stop & Shop says it does not, 'under any circumstances take a neighborhood's demographics into consideration when setting prices. The specific process for setting prices is highly confidential and competitively sensitive for any major retail business.' But theft has been weighing on retailers. Albertson's, which operates Vons and Pavilions, referred an inquiry about the retail theft trend and its impact on grocery prices to the California Retailers Association. Similar requests were sent to Kroger, parent company of Ralphs, and also to Whole Foods. The California Retailers Association says online that it's committed to working with all stakeholders interested in solutions to retail theft and that this issue 'is too important to the safety of employees, customers, and communities.' It does not address the specifics of how those retail thefts may be increasing grocery prices. Here in Los Angeles, District Attorney Nathan Hochman has launched a new campaign to crack down on retail theft, speaking in front of a 7-Eleven recently ransacked by dozens of teens. The district attorney also reiterated that the tide has changed in California. Proposition 36 makes certain thefts a felony, and the district attorney says thieves will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Thefts prompt Southern California grocery store to change bag policy Consumer Confidential's David Lazarus calls it a big and growing problem, saying 'theft, particularly involving brazen mobs of shoplifters, have become all too common among merchants selling everything from clothing to electronics.' As for what can be done about it? Lazarus says, 'At this point, the retail industry is responding with new security measures, such as limiting the number of customers inside a shop or hiring more guards. For consumers, this only adds to costs — and provides another reason to shop online. Whether lawmakers in Congress can address that in a meaningful fashion remains to be seen.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ahold Delhaize sees sales and comps increase in Q1
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Ahold Delhaize recorded comparable-store sales growth excluding fuel of 3.1% in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025, as severe winter in areas the company serves helped bolster its performance. Net sales for the quarter came in at about 13.9 billion euros ($15.8 billion), an increase of about 2% at constant exchange rates compared with the same period in 2024. Online sales rose year over year by 17.9%. The closure last year of more than 30 Stop & Shop stores held back Ahold Delhaize's sales during Q1 by about 100 basis points, but the chain has shown signs of improvement, executives said Wednesday during an earnings call. Volumes have been trending upward at the more than 40 Stop & Shop locations where the company has taken steps to bring down prices, a sign that the grocer's efforts to revitalize the Northeast chain are beginning to bear fruit, Ahold Delhaize President and CEO Frans Muller said during the earnings call. Stop & Shop has also made significant progress in renovating its store fleet and has completed remodeling projects at about 200 of the chain's approximately 360 locations, Muller said. The company completed renovations of four stores during the first quarter, he said. Muller added that the company has shifted to a less capital-intensive strategy for renovating additional locations. 'Going forward, remodels are focused on making investments that will have the greatest impact on the in-store shopping experience and [are] combined with enhancements to the customer value proposition,' Muller said. Ahold Delhaize has stepped up price investments at Stop & Shop because stores are mostly in good condition, CFO Jolanda Poots-Bijl said during the call. According to Muller, the company has benefited from its decision to concentrate its online fulfillment operations in its stores. 'The full store is at your disposal, which is rather unique for online. And it's your own full store, with your own cultural and ethnic assortment,' he said. Muller added that Ahold Delhaize has not yet seen a significant impact on discretionary and non-food spending from the tariffs the U.S. government has recently imposed, noting that most of the food it sells is sourced locally. 'I think, therefore, [we're] less vulnerable,' Muller said. 'And at the same time, we do not see that customers are stocking up [on] food products because they are afraid [of] tariffs or increases there.' Food Lion remained Ahold Delhaize's best-performing banner in the U.S. during Q1, Poots-Bijl said. The chain has now posted 50 straight quarters of comparable sales growth and saw digital sales rise during the quarter by almost 40%, she added. Food Lion opened one new store this past quarter and has five additional locations in the pipeline for 2025. Hannaford, meanwhile, turned in its 15th consecutive quarter of comparable-store sales growth. Recommended Reading Ahold Delhaize confirms data stolen after threat group claims credit for November attack Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ahold Delhaize Jumps as US Shoppers Prioritize Food Spending
Ahold Delhaize shares hit a fresh 23-year high as US consumer spending on food and health products held up in the first quarter, despite mounting concern about President Donald Trump's tariffs. The Stop & Shop owner's 3.1% comparable sales increase in the US was better-than-expected, while the underlying operating margin, a closely watched figure for that market, came in at 4.4% as expected. A strong sales performance in Europe also boosted its numbers, with the company's stock rising as much as 5.9% in early Amsterdam trading, extending recent gains to hit their highest point since January 2002.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers seek answers: Why is Stop & Shop still charging higher prices in Massachusetts low-income communities?
BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts lawmakers are looking for an update from Stop & Shop's parent company on the progress of its promises to lower grocery prices for Massachusetts residents. In September 2024, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with Representatives Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley, addressed a letter to CEO Frans Muller of Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Stop & Shop, concerning higher prices in minority and working-class communities in Massachusetts. 'These types of price discrepancies place significant burdens on already-struggling consumers.' Smithland Pet & Garden Centers to close all locations after 40 years in business A 2023 study by a group of Boston youth volunteers at the Hyde Square Task Force revealed that Stop & Shop was charging 18 percent more for groceries in a largely minority and working-class area of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, compared to the store location in Dedham, a more affluent suburb. Lawmakers requested that Ahold Delhaize explain the reasons for the price difference and the pricing algorithms used by the company. They would also like to know if there are any steps taken to lower prices and improve consistency across all 124 Massachusetts locations. Stop & Shop responded in December, saying they 'launched a multi-year strategy to invest in pricing and lower everyday prices across all our stores,' including in each store in western Massachusetts and 'select locations in the Boston market,' including the Jamaica Plain location. The study group returned to the Stop & Shop locations and determined that the prices had been lowered however, they are still charging higher prices at the other inner Boston locations. Examples from Stop & Shop in Grove Hall, South Bay, and Mission Hill vs. Dedham included: Stouffer's Swedish meatballs were $1 more Freschetta Pepperoni Pizza were $2 more One pound of Black Label Hormel Bacon was $0.50 more 'It's good news that Stop & Shop lowered prices at its Jamaica Plain store after we pushed them for relief, but we're still seeing higher prices for families at other inner-city locations. It's no coincidence that working-class communities are getting stuck with sky-high prices,' said Senator Warren. 'We're keeping up the pressure to make sure Stop & Shop isn't overcharging families for the food they work hard to put on the table.' Massachusetts lawmakers are requesting that Stop & Shop answer the following questions by May 14th on its promise to lower prices in all locations: Why does Stop & Shop still appear to be charging higher prices for groceries in low income communities in Massachusetts? In response to our September 30, 2024 letter, Stop & Shop said that it had 'launched a multi-year strategy to invest in pricing and lower everyday prices across all our stores,' including in each store in western Massachusetts and 'select locations in the Boston market,' including the Jamaica Plain location. Please provide a summary of how this project has worked so far. How did Stop & Shop select the Massachusetts store locations would be included in this strategy? Please list all of the Massachusetts store locations that were selected to be included in the price reductions. Specifically, which 'select locations' in the Boston market were included in this strategy? Please list each store location. Were the Grove Hall, South Bay, and Mission Hill locations included in this strategy? If not, why not? Please provide, for the 18 items included in the Hyde Square Task Force's study, the five highest and five lowest prices that they are currently being sold for in Massachusetts Stop & Shop locations and provide the locations of each group of five. Since our September 30, 2024 letter, Stop & Shop appears to have closed seven store locations in Massachusetts. What impact, if any, has this had on Stop & Shop's pricing decisions? Why did Stop & Shop decide to close these stores? Warren, lawmakers_follow-up_letter_to_Stop & ShopDownload Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Jurors see key piece of evidence during Day 9 of witness testimony in Karen Read trial
For the first time in Karen Read's second murder trial for the death of John O'Keefe, jurors were able to see a key piece of evidence. Retired Canton Police Lieutenant Paul Gallagher displayed a broken cocktail glass from where John O'Keefe's body was found outside 34 Fairview Road on January 29, 2022. Gallagher, one of six people who took the witness stand Monday, says he found the glass and several drops of blood in the snow with a leaf blower. The blood was collected in red solo cups and placed in a paper Stop & Shop bag. Canton firefighter Katie McLaughlin testified she heard Karen Read incriminate herself at the scene. 'She repeated. 'I hit him. I hit him,'' McLaughlin detailed 'How do you remember she made those statements?' special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked. 'I won't ever forget those statements,' McLaughlin replied. Defense attorney Alan Jackson asked why McLaughlin failed to document the alleged confession. 'You're also aware that not a single police officer out at the scene wrote that down either?' Jackson asked before Brennan objected. Ryan Nagel told the jury he saw a woman believed to be Read parked outside 34 Fairview when he drove by around 12:35 am. Hannah Knowles, a forensic scientist and toxicologist at the Massachusetts State Police crime lab, testified that Read was still intoxicated the morning after O'Keefe was killed. She analyzed a blood sample Read gave around 9 in the morning. She says the reading was right around the legal limit of .08 at that time In addition, she calculated that Read would have been 2 to 3 times the legal limit after midnight, when police allege she struck John O'Keefe with her SUV. The defense asked Knowles if she was asked to test anyone else's blood: 'Were you ever asked to determine the blood alcohol level of Brian Albert?' asked David Yanetti. 'No,' Knowles replied. 'Were you ever asked to determine the blood alcohol level of Brian Higgins?' 'No,' said Knowles. 'My only involvement with this case in my unit, was the request to perform these calculations on this individual.' Read has not denied drinking vodka sodas that night. None of the six people who testified remembered seeing John O'Keefe on the lawn or entering the home. Read did not speak to reporters at the end of court today but her father called it a good day for the defense. A full day of testimony is scheduled for Tuesday. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
