​Westminster retail shops are shutting down

By Timothy Cox
For Westminster Patch

WESTMINSTER, MD -- In recent months, a steady wave of retail stores have been shutting its doors in the Westminster local area.
Earlier this year, a Big Lots retail operation closed its business. Unfortunately, earlier this month, another retail outlet also located in the Village Shopping Center, as was Big Lots, also announced it will shut down operations next month.
The grocery outlet, simply known as SHOPPERS, has announced it plans to cease operations by mid-October. The Westminster store is located in a plaza at 551 Jermor Lane, just off the main, busy four-lane thoroughfare known as Maryland State Route 140.
In addition to the Westminster store, three other SHOPPERS outlets will also cease operations next month, according to United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), owner-operations of the food outlets. Other Maryland-based SHOPPERS set to close are located in New Carrollton, Waldorf and Essex.
Though originally announced that the Westminster store would close on Oct. 11, a notice to customers at the store's entrance, states the shuttering will officially occur on Saturday, Oct. 18.
An unidentified clerk at the Westminster store, said she and her co-workers did not receive "adequate" notification about the store's closure. "It's hoped that we can get some sort of severance," said the clerk, who claims she's worked at several SHOPPERS locations in the past 10 years.
"We can only hope and pray for the best," the young woman added.
A month prior to scheduled closure, several shelves remain empty, as it's been stated that management is not in the process of ordering new stock, at this point. Thirty-percent price-break signs are located on certain merchandise in aisles throughout the store.
In another Westminster shocker, Facebook viewers were notified that the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, at 830 Market Street, has abruptly and permanently closed for business. The eatery's website confirms this reality. Initially, several employees at the popular restaurant, made the closure public - adding that employees did not receive a pre-warning that the restaurant was scheduled to close. In fact, it was noted on Facebook that employees arrived for work sometime on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 18, only to view a closure notice through locked doors.
The Westminster Greene Turtle location has reportedly been in business since 2008. It's primary competitor in Westminster, was Applebee's, which is located less than a mile from the Greene Turtle, which is also located in a plaza along with a BJ's bulk grocery store chain.
An unidentified visitor who came to confirm the Greene Turtle's closure, along with his wife, said he blames slow customer traffic on a poor location. "You see where it's tucked away in the cut, so it's really hard to find," he said. Other Carroll County retail closures this year, include the Rite Aid pharmacy formerly in the Carroll Plaza and the JO-ANN fabrics store, formerly in the Westminster Shopping Plaza.. Ironically, both are located near the intersections of Englar Road and Highway 140.Both operating agencies target bankruptcies as probable cause for their 2025 shutterings. Chains have closed natonally, not just in Westminster.

(Editor's Note: According to published reports, all Big Lots Maryland locations are now closed statewide, due to slow sales and bankruptcies.)

(ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Timothy Cox is a Westminster resident and a seasoned journalist. He can be reached at teacawks2@gmail.com).