Shelton ShopRite Unveils Major Renovations, New Additions

SHELTON, CT — ShopRite in Shelton officially unveiled the results of a months-long renovation project during a grand reopening celebration at the Bridgeport Avenue supermarket this week.

The remodel of the store, which first opened in Shelton in 2009, focused on expanding product offerings and upgrading customer amenities, including adding new lighting and décor to provide a fresh look and feel.

Tom Cingari Jr., vice president of Grade A Markets, told Patch many of the new additions to the store were the result of listening to Shelton customers over the past decade and a desire to enhance their shopping experience in Shelton.

"That store has been such a success story for us, and we really fell in love with the town once we started doing business there," Cingari said. "It's just such an incredible town, and it's really for the customers that are there."

Enhancements include a new prepared foods and deli section offering a wide variety of ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meals for customers looking to grab a quick meal on the go.

"We essentially tripled the offering that we had previously to what we have now," Cingari said.

Additionally, a hot food bar featuring a chef-inspired buffet of ready-to-eat items has been added, something customers are already responding to, according to Cingari.

"You can now walk into our store, and there's between 10 and 12 different hot food items just ready to go for lunch and dinner," Cingari said. "I would say the hot foods department really is the highlight of the store with all the new renovations."

According to a news release provided by ShopRite, the store's renovated seafood department features a vast selection of fresh fish, shellfish and more, while the updated meat and produce departments provide customers with a greater selection of high-quality meats, fruits and vegetables.

The bakery offers fresh-baked bread, cakes and pastries. The store's sushi and floral departments have also been expanded.

"Shelton is probably our crown jewel [store] at this point," Cingari said. "It just came out so nice, and the customer response has been incredible."

The renovations come just months after ShopRite added similar upgrades to its flagship Norwalk store. Cingari said both projects are part of the company's goal to update each of their stores over the next three to five years.

He also noted each renovation will feature some aspects that are unique to that specific store, and the Shelton store was no exception.

"The offering is slightly different in every neighborhood that we're in and every town that we're in," Cingari said. "So over the years we've been in Shelton, we've really listened to what the customer really wanted in that town. It may look the same as Norwalk, but the offerings in each of our stores really skew a decent amount depending on the neighborhood that they're in."

On Tuesday, the Cingari family hosted a grand reopening celebration to officially unveil the renovated store to the community. Mayor Mark Lauretti and Bill Purcell, president and CEO of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, were both in attendance.

According to Cingari, the new enhancements at the Shelton store are only part of what sets ShopRite apart from other area grocery options, along with the family-owned and operated company's commitment to quality and the customer experience.

"When I say customer experience, I really mean personal, nice customer service," Cingari said. "That's the one thing that our company was really founded on...high quality products and incredible customer service. That's what really makes us stand out from everybody that's out there in the grocery business."