Shoppers Food to close 4 Maryland locations by October

Shoppers Food will close four Maryland locations by mid-October, the grocery store chain confirmed Thursday. 

The company has locations across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The grocer originally launched as Jumbo Food Stores in the 1940s before being acquired by another company in 1999. 

Currently, Shoppers has nearly 20 locations across the region, including seven in Baltimore. 

4 Maryland Shoppers stores closing 

A spokesperson for Shoppers said the following locations will close by October 11: 

• 2286 Middlesex, 1200 Eastern Blvd., Essex, MD
• 2339 New Carrollton, 7790 Riverdale Rd., New Carrollton, MD
• 2349/2414 Waldorf, 1170 W. Smallwood Dr., Waldorf, MD
• 2374 Westminster, 551 Jermor Ln., Westminster, MD

The company did not give a reason for the closures, saying in a statement, "Like any other retailer, we're constantly working to optimize our footprint, which includes investing in stores as well as closing stores where necessary so we can operate as effectively and efficiently as possible."

The company said it will support its team members through the transition. 

Retail theft in Maryland 

While Shoppers did not specify the reason for its store closures, some other retailers in the Baltimore area have taken steps to combat theft. 

Last year, two Giant grocery stores in Baltimore implemented a youth supervision policy after a rise in thefts. 

Under the policy, shoppers under 17 years old are not allowed without an adult after 6 p.m. at two locations in the city, one of which also has a ban on large bags in place. 

In January, some Maryland business leaders and advocates called on lawmakers to crack down on organized retail theft. They argued that the thefts cause reduced inventory, higher prices and eventually, store closures, meaning fewer jobs. 

"It hurts because it leads to higher prices, it hurts because it limits access, availability of goods and merchandise that is surely needed, and it causes our residents to be fearful for their own personal safety at times," said Pastor Bobby Williams, from St. Paul Church in District Heights. 

A Capital One Shopping Research report found that retailers lost nearly $1.4 billion in revenue to theft in 2022.