Saker ShopRite May Open in October at Dover Mall

The big yellow signs along Routes 166 and 37, one of the most traveled intersections in town, tell of things to come: a Super ShopRite, to be exact.

Saker ShopRite plans to open a new "state-of-the-art" supermarket in the Dover Mall, according to Ed Turkot, Senior Vice President of the company.

"The store will bring nearly 300 jobs to Toms River-- we look forward to having a positive impact on the community. Saker ShopRites have a longstanding tradition of serving the needs of its loyal customers in Ocean County," he said in an email.

Matt Casey of Matthew P. Casey & Associates studies the local market, offering advice to retailers in the pharmacy and supermarket industries.  He says that, while other stores continue to struggle, ShopRite's decision to open a new location is not a surprise. 

"The chain is much stronger than most. They have a low price image with their customers, and they offer big stores with great services and amenities," he said in a telephone interview.

The l , closed for more than a decade, as a self-standing grocery store with Spirits Liquors, toward the back of the property, which is where the will be rebuilt. As part of the construction, the old supermarket was completely torn down last week.

According to Casey, ShopRite's new location shouldn't really affect their nearby stores., or competing supermarkets. A Super Foodtown sits across the street on Route 37.

"At one time that store (Route 37's Foodtown) was one of the highest volume grocery stores in the state,” Casey said. “That intersection has proved to be a good place for a store, so it makes sense that they'd want to get into that territory."

The Saker Family of stores began in 1916 in Freehold with a single grocery store before developing its first supermarket in 1956. Saker ShopRites, Inc. now owns and operates 27 supermarkets throughout central New Jersey, such as the Brick and Lakewood ShopRites in Ocean County.

Perlmutter ShopRites exist at Fischer Boulevard in Toms River and at Colonial and Route 70 in Manchester.

The Dover Mall ShopRite is expected to open in October, according to Township Councilman George Wittman, in his report as a member of the Planning Board during a recent council meeting.