Schenectady, NY– Schenectady County officials today joined with the Town of Niskayuna to announce that a new full-service ShopRite supermarket will open in Fall 2011 at the former St. James Square, which will officially be renamed ShopRite Square. The store will be owned and operated by ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. (SRS), which has 29 ShopRite stores in New York and New Jersey, including recently opened locations in White Plains and Scarsdale, NY. SRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern Food Corp.
Judith Dagostino, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature said, “This is great news for Niskayuna and for Schenectady County. We are excited that ShopRite has chosen to invest in Schenectady County and we welcome them to our community. Filling the vacant space at St. James Square has been a top priority for our economic development team, and today we celebrate a new name and a great new future for this plaza located in the heart of Niskayuna.”
Niskayuna Town Supervisor Joe Landry said, “Our number one economic priority has been to bring new tenants to the former St. James Square. Since I took office, we have worked closely with the County on this project. We believe that ShopRite will be a great addition to our community, and we welcome them to Niskayuna.”
The site of the future ShopRite of Niskayuna will undergo a complete refurbishment and renovation before its planned opening and is expected to occupy a space of more than 55,000 sq. ft. Columbia Development and BBL Construction will work with ShopRite to completely renovate not only the store but also surrounding parking area, entrance roads, lighting and other facility upgrades. ShopRite expects to hire approximately 300 full and part-time employees at the new Niskayuna location.
In addition to a broad array of groceries and fresh produce, the store will have the services that ShopRite customers have come to expect including: a fresh bake shop; fresh meats; fresh seafood; full-service floral department; and pharmacy, as well as a broad selection of ethnic foods and natural and organic products in every department. The store will also offer a wide array of prepared foods including freshly made brick oven Pizza, Gourmet Coffee Bars, fresh salad and Mediterranean Olive bars and a selection of Japanese and Chinese specialties for dining in or taking out, as well as a fresh-made sushi bar.
For the convenience of its customers, the ShopRite of Niskayuna will offer ShopRite From Home delivery service or in-store grocery pick-up and will have the free services of an on-site Dietitian to help customers shop for healthy choices or specific diets. One unique feature of the ShopRite of Niskayuna will be the presence of a Wi-Fi lounge, where shoppers can have lunch or enjoy a cup of coffee while browsing the Internet.
The new store will feature the latest energy-saving and sustainable technologies in refrigeration and lighting, including glass doors on the dairy and freezer cases, LED and T-8 lighting and environmentally friendly refrigerant systems.
“We are very pleased to provide ShopRite’s commitment to customer service, variety, value and low prices to this new location and thrilled to be bringing ShopRite to Schenectady County,” said Dave Figurelli, President and Chief Operating Officer of SRS, Inc. “We look forward to partnering with the communities we serve and becoming your neighborhood ShopRite.”
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative, based in Keasbey, NJ and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 230 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than five million customers each week. A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated more than $24 million to 1,700 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999. As a title sponsor of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic, ShopRite has raised more than $23 million for local schools, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.ShopRite.com.
About Wakefern Food Corp.
From a small, struggling cooperative with eight members – all owners of their own grocery stores – Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative is comprised of 47 members who today individually own and operate more than 230 supermarkets under the ShopRite banner in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. In 1996, Wakefern introduced PriceRite stores, extending the company’s reach into Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Today, there are 45 PriceRite stores in five states. As the merchandising and distribution arm of both ShopRite and PriceRite, Wakefern, together with its member companies, employ more than 50,000 people; making it one of the largest employers in New Jersey. In addition, Wakefern also distributes products to other supermarkets throughout the northeastern United States and Bermuda. For more information, please visit www.Wakefern.com.
Contact:
Elisabeth Loeb
Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite
(732) 906-5156
Elisabeth.loeb@wakefern.com
Santina Stankevich
Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite
(732) 906-5932
santina.stankevich@wakefern.com