The long-vacant Stop & Shop on Boston Turnpike is finally getting a new life. Apna Bazar plans to turn the former supermarket at 539-571 Boston Turnpike into a large South Asian grocery, filling all 70,000 square feet and creating what the company says would be its biggest U.S. location. If all goes according to plan and approvals land on time, company representatives are aiming for an opening around the start of June, restoring a full-service supermarket to a busy commercial strip that has been without one since Stop & Shop closed last year.
Inside the plan for the old Stop & Shop
According to the Community Advocate, Apna Bazar’s proposal would use the existing 70,000-square-foot building as is, transforming it into the chain’s largest U.S. outpost if the project moves forward. Plans call for an extensive selection of Southeast Asian groceries, a full deli and meat counter, and an in-house bakery. The store’s footprint would stay the same, with only cosmetic upgrades inside and out, and no changes are planned for the parking layout. Company officials told the outlet they are still circling the start of June as their target opening.
How the site opened up
Stop & Shop placed the Shrewsbury store on a list of 32 “underperforming” locations slated to close in mid-2024, and the store officially shut its doors later that year, as reported by CBS Boston. The closure left a yawning retail gap along Boston Turnpike, and developers and grocery operators have had their eyes on the property ever since the lights went out.
Town review and fast-track potential
As reported by the Community Advocate, discussion of the project at a March 18 meeting wrapped up on a positive note. Because Apna Bazar is not proposing major site work, attendees said the company may be able to avoid full hearings before the planning board, zoning board of appeals and conservation commission. Reporter Joshua Lee Smith noted that this limited-scope approach could speed the supermarket through local review and help keep that early June opening goal within reach.
What Apna Bazar brings to town
Apna Bazar traces its beginnings to a small shop in Jackson Heights and has since expanded into a multi-state grocery chain, according to reporting on the proposal. The company already runs at least one Massachusetts store in Norwood, per Apna Bazar Norwood, and opening in Shrewsbury would significantly expand its footprint in central Massachusetts.
What happens next
If local approvals come through and the tenant fit-out stays on schedule, Apna Bazar is still aiming to open by the start of June. That would bring a replacement supermarket, along with new jobs, to the Boston Turnpike corridor. In the meantime, residents and local business groups are keeping an eye on town filings and any remaining permit dates to see whether the ambitious timeline holds.
