Hundreds of people came out Wednesday morning to mark the grand opening of the ShopRite at 875 Bridgeport Ave. in Shelton.
With shopping carts in tow, shoppers formed a long line near the entrance waiting for the store to officially open. Many were there to take advantage of opening day deals.
And once the red ribbon was cut, the long line of shoppers slowly made their way inside the store, where they were greeted by smiling employees.
“This is wonderful addition to our community,” said Shelton resident Richard Cummings, one of many shoppers waiting in line. “Now we have another choice, a better choice, for groceries.”
Carol Weisgable, of Stratford, said she is excited the supermarket chain opened in Shelton.
“This is my favorite store in the whole world. I’ve been going here for years,” Weisgable said. “They have the best prices. That’s one of the main reasons I shop here. Plus, I love their bakery.”
According to Bill Purcell, president of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, the opening of a ShopRite in Shelton is good news for the community.
“This is a great day for Shelton,” Purcell said. “This is wonderful family store. And because it’s family owned, they are going to want to support the community.”
Not only is the new ShopRite going to “be part of the fabric of the community,” Purcell said the 65,000 square foot store has brought some 200 jobs to the area and has filled a space that needed to be filled. The location formerly housed a Shaw’s grocery store.
“This is the second time the Cingari family has worked their magic in the Valley,” Purcell said, referring to the ShopRite in Derby, which had sat vacant for a long time.
Rocky Cingari, president of Grade A Markets, which owns and operates the Shelton and Derby ShopRites, said he is excited to be in Shelton.
“We are very happy we came to this community,” Cingari said. “It lends to our philosophy of doing business.”
