Aldi opens second Bristol store as Stop & Shop shuts Clinton location

Shoppers in Bristol and Clinton faced immediate changes in their grocery options this week. Aldi opened its second supermarket in Bristol on Thursday, while Stop & Shop closed its long-standing Clinton location on the same day. The simultaneous moves represent a rapid shift in the local retail environment.

The new Aldi occupies a 12,000-square-foot space in the Bristol Farms plaza at 1235 Farmington Ave. The store takes over the footprint formerly used by Big Lots. That discount retailer ceased operations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024. Aldi had announced plans for this specific location in April. It is the second store in Bristol, joining the existing location at 110 Middle St.

Meanwhile, Stop & Shop, the state’s largest grocery chain, ended operations at its Clinton Plaza store. The location at 215 East Main St. has been open since 1984. Stephanie Cunha, a spokesperson for the chain, stated that all 100 employees at the closing store will have the opportunity to apply for positions at other area locations.

The turnover extends beyond these two major grocers. Mom’s Organic Market, a chain based in Maryland, plans to open its first Connecticut store in Stamford in 2027. The grocer will lease 13,238 square feet in a shopping plaza at 689-699 Canal St. This space was previously occupied by Fairway Market, which closed in August 2020. Charter Realty, based in Westport, is marketing the property. Other committed tenants for the plaza include Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, Primrose Schools, and Club Studio. None of these tenants have opened yet.

Other new openings include a Juici Patties location at 604 Pequonnock St. in Bridgeport. The Jamaican fast-casual chain opened its first Connecticut site in the North Park Shopping Center. In Greenwich, Simon Pearce, a Vermont-based housewares brand, opened a store last week. Nothing Bundt Cakes also held a grand opening in Norwalk.

Several established businesses are also closing. Pedals Smoothie and Juice Bar announced the closure of its New Haven and Durham locations, though its Middletown store will remain open. SoNo Baking Co. said its South Norwalk location will close on Nov. 1. In Hartford, the owners of Banh Meee plan to close their downtown location in December to relocate to Simsbury. No specific closing date has been announced for the Hartford site.