Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to Shoppers Food, a very beloved supermarket chain. The company has confirmed that 8 of its stores will permanently close before November, leaving many customers sad and worried about losing a place where they have bought for years. So, let’s see why Shoppers Food is closing.
Shoppers Food history
Shoppers Food & Pharmacy is a regional chain of supermarkets that started in 1949 under the name of Jumbo Food Stores. With the passage of time, it grew in several parts of the U.S. and in 2018 was purchased by United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), an important grocery wholesaler.
Now, Shoppers Food has more than 40 stores in Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, which is the state with most stores. However, due to the hard competition, economic changes, and low sales; the company has decided to close some of its stores.
Shoppers Food stores that will close
UNFI, the parent company of Shoppers Food, announced that 4 stores in Maryland will definitely close before November 8. These are the unlucky stores that will no longer be in this state:
- 4720 Cherry Hill Rd., College Park, MD
- 3441 Laurel Fort Meade Rd., Laurel, MD
- 18066 Mateny Rd., Germantown, MD
- 4801 Marlboro Pike, Capitol Heights, MD
These closures follow four other Shoppers Food stores in Maryland that already shut down earlier this fall:
- 1200 Eastern Blvd., Essex, MD
- 7790 Riverdale Rd., New Carrollton, MD
- 1170 W. Smallwood Dr., Waldorf, MD
- 551 Jermor Ln., Westminster, MD
After all these closures, Shoppers Food will continue functioning with only 13 stores in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, as a UNFI spokesperson reported.
What’s more, the partner company also operates other supermarket brands, like Club Foods in Minnesota, which runs about 50 supermarkets and 20 liquor stores under the names Cub Wine and Spirit and Cub Liquor.
The reason behind the closure
Even though UNFI didn’t exactly explain why it decided to close those 8 sores, there are several factors that help understand the situation. In the last months, the company has experienced some financial issues, and slow sales. During the fourth trimester of the 2025 tax year, which ended on August 2, the railing sales of UNFI lowered almost 9%. This proves that Shoppers Food stores weren’t selling enough to be worth their opening.
What’s more, the company faces a huge competition against other supermarket chains and online shopping, along with general economic difficulties. This is why UNFI said it’s taking action to strengthen its retailing business and optimize its presence by closing the least rentable stores, while improving customers’ experience in those that will remain open.
Theft issue
Another factor could have been the increase of thefts at their stores. In Maryland and other areas in the U.S., supermarkets have reported a growth of both individual and organized thefts. Some competitors, like Giant, have already started implementing measures to deal with this issue like: restricting access with big bags or making youngsters to be accompanied by an adult. Owners of local businesses have asked the government to take actions, since thefts affect prices, product availability, and customers’ safety.
Last year, retailers in the entire country lost about $45 billion due to thefts, which is a figure that has increased since the pandemic because of inflation and other factors.
A sign of a bigger problem
Shoppers Food closures are part of a trend in the U.S. and experts warn about the possible closure of 45,000 physical stores in the country in the next 5 years.
In the last couple of years, well-known brands like Foot Locker, Tuesday Morning, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams y Bed Bath & Beyond have closed their stores or have filed for bankruptcy. However, some companies like Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target are expected to remain strong.
So, for many Maryland communities, the loss of their local Shoppers store means more than just another closure — it’s the end of a local grocery option they’ve depended on for decades.