Long Island City Stop & Shop To Close This Month, Company Says

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The Stop & Shop supermarket on 48th Street in Long Island City will close permanently later this month, the company confirmed Monday, depriving the neighborhood of an affordable grocery option.

The Oct. 20 closure, first reported by the Queens Post, will bring to an end months of uncertainty that have followed the publication's initial report in February that Stop & Shop could be closing its doors.

"After a detailed review of the operating performance of our stores, we have made the difficult decision to not renew our lease at our store in Long Island City," Stop & Shop spokesperson Stefanie Shuman told Patch.

All of the store's employees will be given the opportunity to work at other Stop & Shop locations, Shuman said.

The company did not offer an explanation for the closure. The large supermarket is just south of Northern Boulevard, part of a shopping complex that also includes Five Below, Marshalls and Party City.

Stop & Shop had previously told Queens Gazette that the closure, which came after the company decided not to renew its lease, would be delayed until early 2023.

"We’re screwed if it closes," one longtime customer told the newspaper.