3 Stop & Shop locations could be sold in merger with Hannaford

The union that represents Stop & Shop supermarket employees is investigating rumors that three mid-Hudson Valley Stop & Shop locations could be up for sale as a result of the merger between the chain's parent company and the company that owns Hannaford's supermarkets.

Stores in Wappingers Falls, Rhinebeck and New Paltz have all been rumored to be affected by the merger.

Chris Brand, external communications and public affairs lead for Ahold USA, a part of Royal Ahold NV, the Dutch retailer which owns Stop & Shop, said no store closures are expected as part of the merger, but declined to deny rumors regarding the three area locations.

In June, Royal Ahold NV and Delhaize Group, a Belgian company which operates Hannaford stores, announced a merger of the two companies. The merger is under review by the Federal Trade Commission and on track for completion by mid-2016, according to Brand.

"Ahold USA, Inc., parent company of Stop & Shop, continues to work toward the successful completion of the proposed merger between Ahold and the Delhaize Group," Brand said. "The merger is currently under review by the Federal Trade Commission and remains on track for completion in mid-2016. As part of any merger approval process where there may be store divestitures, store visits may be conducted by potential buyers but it's too early to speculate on the outcome of the FTC review process. We do not anticipate any store closures as part of the FTC review process."

Owners of Stop & Shop, Hannaford to merge

Rhinebeck Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia said she received assurances from an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission that while the potential loss of competition may require Ahold to sell stores as part of the merger, a condition of the merger will require that none of these stores are closed.

All three Stop & Shop stores are located nearby a Hannaford supermarket.

Rhinebeck's Stop & Shop, at 6726 Route 9, is about three miles south of Hannaford in Red Hook. The Wappingers Falls store, at 1357 Route 9, is located half a mile south of a Hannaford store. Stop & Shop at 271 Main St. in New Paltz is about eight miles north of Hannaford in Modena.

Harvey Whille, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1262 which represents Stop & Shop workers, said he's heard rumors from numerous Stop & Shop employees about three local stores potentially going up for sale or closed, but he hasn't received any official notice.

"We have not been notified by the company of anything official," Whille said.

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW