It’s been a fun five years, but Wegmans announced on Thursday, June 1, that it will close its Natick Mall location later this summer, with an exact date TBD.
A memo on the Wegmans corporate website said that the store’s 365 employees (142 full-time and 223 part-time) were notified of the decision throughout the day and were assured that their positions with the company are secure, albeit at other area Wegmans’ locations.
Wegmans has five additional stores in the Greater-Boston area, and approximately 2,700 employees. Corporate says Wegmans does not have plans to close any other stores.
Wegmans customer Lindsay Diamond Cary wrote to us that “I find it hard to believe that they were unable to attract enough shoppers to the space -it is ALWAYS packed when I am there, weekends or weekdays. How can we start a petition to keep the store??!” She added that “everyone that I know in Wellesley and Natick is not happy about this and agrees the store is always crowded. We speculate that they probably have high OpEx and are being squeezed out by the incoming Moms in Sherwood Plaza and the rumored Amazon Fresh in the Shopper’s World Plaza.”
Natick Report readers have been reacting to the surprising news on social media:
- “Wegman’s has been my go-to’ grocery store since they opened. It always seemed busy so this news is truly shocking!”
- “Prices are high but love shopping there. Garage parking in winter, easy access, great customer service, fresh foods, good bakery. Fixed costs are high there, I guess they need more customer traffic. Bet Stop and Shop and Roche Brothers are happy. Maybe the Stop and Shop will improve their customer service but won’t hold my breath.”
- “What the F?!”
Natick has no shortage of grocery stores with Roche Bros., ALDI and Stop & Shop, and is about to get another at Sherwood Plaza, with a possible Amazon Fresh store going into a location vacated by Barnes & Noble.
Small area package stores might breathe a sign of relief, as a big box competitor goes away.
THANK YOU to all who forwarded the Wegmans letter to us. We appreciate your efforts to help us report the news. Please send news tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com
Crap
This stinks. I shop there weekly. I can’t believe this!
Never went there. Mall traffic and hassle were not attractive to me.
I agree I shop sometimes 2 x a week there , I truly believe that with the
Ever so growing grocery stores it hard but Wegmans has the best foods there got to be something we can do ???