Lakewood Emerges as Leading Kosher Market with Three New Stores to Open

13
>>Follow Matzav On Whatsapp!<<

gourmet-glattLakewood NJ – The relocation of the ShopRite to nearby Howell, NJ, last week caused quite a stir in the community and in the media, but the real story is the store that will replace the supermarket. Gourmet Glatt, with stores in Cedarhurst and Boro Park, is reported to be one of three large independent kosher supermarkets that will open in Lakewood in the next 12-18 months. The other two will be Evergreen of Monsey, NY, and Seasons, which currently has four stores in Queens, Long Island and Manhattan.

Kosher food manufacturers and distributors are not surprised by this development, because Lakewood, NJ, along with Monsey, NY, are two of the fastest growing kosher communities in the nation. It is estimated that of a population of 100,000 in Lakewood, nearly 60,000 are Jewish and almost all kosher consumers.

Sources say that as many as 900 new families moved into the community in 2014, a number that is likely to repeat itself in 2015.

What began in the 1940’s as a small Yeshiva community has emerged as a major community for Orthodox Jews.

Some in the kosher industry say that sales to Lakewood have increased by nearly 50% over the last five years, by far replacing other communities with declining Jewish populations. The prospect is for continued growth which is why the industry experts expect that the new stores will do well, perhaps at the expense of several smaller mom-pop stores.

Industry sources say that ShopRite with their Kosher Experience stores in many locations including the Marboro store which is 15 miles away, is one of the leading chains when it comes to kosher. Its 90,000 square foot new store in Howell will still carry a broad variety of kosher foods, though not as extensive as their Kosher Experience stores.

One industry source said that the ShopRite decision was “purely economics.” He noted: “They recognized that kosher customers tended to use the store for the discounted items but did a good deal of their shopping at one of the other kosher stores.” They may also have calculated that with the arrival of the large kosher independents the competition would become even tougher.

There are approximately a dozen kosher stores in Lakewood with the largest being NPGS which has three stores in the community. Other stores include Shloimy’s, Kosher Village, Farm Fresh, Kosher West, and Quality. For Lakewood shoppers who already face traffic congestion on many thoroughfares, the emerging retail landscape in the community will no doubt offer unprecedented choices.

KOSHER TODAY

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


13 COMMENTS

  1. Why does everything today have to be about “freezeru”? Amoligitzeit, we ate food to serve HKB”H. Today its all about taava. What’s the next new dish I can try. Insane.

  2. Thank you for the updates. But, why is the media so full of championing competition, or bringing NY stores to Lakewood or other communities. Similar stores are slated for other communities such as Baltimore, Monroes, etc.

    B”H, Lakewood, Monsey, Baltimore, etc. have local families, and local businessmen that send their children to local schools, support local Mosdos HaTorah and Mosdos HaChesed, give jobs to hundreds of frum Mispochos (men and women, and even children at risk). Besides the Halacha issue of going into someone else’s city to compete withe local stores, the concept that mega G’virim are entitled to all the money in the world, and can push around – in this case more than 18 local grocery stores, some stores which are quite small, will be badly effected, why is this a virtue?

    This is not only a problem in the “grocery” business, but local suit shops, flower stores, dress boutiques, etc, who have spent years building a business, suddenly get beat with well financed stores, from out of town – pushing out the locals. Will these out of town businessmen then support the local Mosdos? Will they heed to the P’sakim of the local Rabbonim, and will they impose their values and try to erode the local values.

    Will they not bring in Cholov Stam products which no local sells, create the atmosphere of lust and indulgence, or will they help preserve the communities that they are entering?

    Yes, the claim will be that they will lower the prices, etc. etc. It is well known that none of these “competitors” have cheaper prices than KRM or local stores that they competed with in BP or Flatbush. The new store in Monsey, that claimed that they opened to lower food prices in Monsey had great prices, yes, for exactly three months, and then .. walla, they are now one of the most expensive there, etc.

    Of course, Parnasa come from HKBH, and no one will take someones Parnasa, ever.

  3. and the traffic congestion will only get worse. how did any zoning commission allow a store to open on the 9 near leisure chateau?

  4. #2 I’m confused by your comment. Do you believe that these people will lose their parnassah or do you believe that hashed will take care of them one way or the other.

    Personally, I hope that prices come down, and that we all realize that just look we can create a local economy and demand in Lakewood, it can also be done in EY. Do you know what am impact it would have on klal yisrael if Lakewood relocated, everyone all together to EY? Local businesses would move with the clientele, and yeshiva tuition would get far cheaper. Not to mention cheaper real estate, and yes, cheaper groceries (for the basics).

  5. Chaim, If you are so concerned about the parnosa of the locals, any number of them could have got together to either create a new store where shop rite was or to form a partnership and combine some smaller stores together. B”H the lakewood community is growing and needs more food. BH the mosdos are thriving with people learning and BH we have it so good that there is a need for it. But shope rite closed because of economics – so will it last? will all these stores survive? only time will tell, but my guess is that will all will do very well.

  6. i hope the one coming on the chateu is going to be big enough to accommodate all residents in the south side there is no other supermarket in the area unlike the north side there 12 groceries.

  7. These stores will have great prices, free giveaways etc for a few weeks. May three months. Once they’ve undercut the local stores, they will then charge the exorbitant prices that the Boro Park stores charge!! Guaranteed!

    Lakewood, brace yourselves for high prices.

  8. don’t excuse your self says a word about taava look at your life i promise you have plenty of taava in your own life so look at your self first thank you gouret glatt welcome to Lakewood please keep your store as clean as the bp store

Leave a Reply to redd Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here