Stop & Shop Supermarket

This is a fairly good supermarket. The deals are really great here; especially if you are willing to stock up on what they do have that is on sale. I find the service to be very good here, and above average vs other supermarkets. However, this location does fall short a little as I find the prices to be a little higher than this location’s counterparts in Somerville or Woburn, MA.

I understand Stop and Shop competes on price, not service, (and I do appreciate the new organic section) but why does the older man at the fish counter always have to be so rude? There’s no need for it. The fish at Stop and Shop is not usually very fresh anyway, (although it has gotten marginally better) but his unpleasant attitude just adds to the whole negative experience.

I shopped here for 20 Yrs, till I slipped and fell on puddle of water, and they didn’t even have the Common decency to call me and see if I was Ok. I’m not, so will NEVER SHOP HERE AGAIN. Elderly, be careful, they don’t care.

I cant believe these reviews I am reading. I’m thinking, can this be the same supermarket? I have been shopping here as long as I have been in Winchester which is about 18 years and its NOTHING like these people are describing either physically or as it relates to service. Makes it look like these were all written by shills from the competition.
Regarding Karen’s «Review» below about it being small and «poorly organized»:
— It’s not small, its a 58,000 sq ft grocery store (I broker the sale of shopping centers for a living so know that of which I speak). The average grocery store is 52,000 sq ft, with whole Foods at 35,000 sq ft and Trader Joe’s at about 15,000 sq ft so you figure it out. Obviously a larger store, a larger selection. Those saying the selection is «poor» are delusional. What I love is the breadth of selection as opposed to the local Whole Foods which is about 35,000 sq ft with a much more limited selection of brand names
Most prices are competitive, particularly as it relates to chicken and pork. I like smoking ribs and chicken and this store’s butcher Joe always goes out of his way to take care of me. And if they don’t have what I am looking for, Joe VOLUNTEERED to call other stores to find it and had it hold it for me. Poor service? I think not! In 18 years, I have never received bad meat here, but I did at the new Chestnut Hill Wegmans where I had to return 6 racks of ribs that were all bad… but to be fair… this can happen anywhere.
Also as it relates to service, there were a few items I was disappointed they didn’t carry anymore and within about 6 weeks they were back in stock (Orville stove top popcorn and large bottles of real lemon juice). You just have to tell them.
Plus recently they re-​did the produce section and added an expanded organics section. The fruits and vegetables always look fresh.
Now is this a Whole Foods or 140,000 sq ft Wegmans? No! And intelligent people dont expect it to be. It doesn’t have the liquor selection a Wegmans or prepared foods selection of a Whole Foods. But it also doesnt have Whole Foods high prices or Wegmans prepackaged only selection of meats (Wegmans doesnt have butchers, all the meats are pre-​packaged from a large distribution facility… don’t like what you see? too bad!).
All I can say is, don’t believe all these negative reviews and check it our for yourself. Large store, well stocked with big selection, friendly employees

It’s true everyone here is unhappy and completely odd. Yet some of them have worked here for 20 years. Can’t figure it out.

This place only survives because its the only supermarket in Winchester. And even then, I wouldn’t be surprised if a different company buys them out soon. They can’t be doing very well.
High prices. Poor selection. Careless teenager employees. Usually only 1 or 2 registers are open, thereby forcing you to use the self-​checkout. Then when self-​checkout fails, you need to yell and hassle a teenager to come help you. I spoke to the manager once to get a refund, and he was not very friendly. He acted annoyed that I wanted to return a product.
I only go here if I really have to. Like if I just want a gallon of milk. Or I don’t have time to drive to Market Basket or anywhere else.

This store is in a great location in Winchester center, but the selection and freshness are not ideal. I and many friends have experienced expired meat items, and the produce is often lacking. Fine for grabbing basic grocery items. Personnel are not customer oriented, I have had several watch me self check out, and stand doing nothing instead of helping to bag.

Why does Winchester have such a lame supermarket? Maybe most of its residents decamp for Roche or Whole Foods, and this place has just given up, so no one goes but the hoi polloi.
It’s small, and not very well organized, without much variety. The produce section has a lot of wilted vegetables, and there’s never anyone around to help you. The Asian and Mexican selections are limited, the floral section is tiny. I’m not a fan of the Stop and Shop bakery. The entrance is kind of awkward, it’s hard to see where the door is (sort of on the left) and there’s hardly any sidewalk, so if there are girl scouts or veterans or hopeful politicians collecting signatures, there’s no good place for them to stand.
One star for the location. It’s really convenient to Winchester Center. And it’s small so you can usually park close to the entrance.
One star for being the only place in the area that carries the Lindt 70% chocolate bars.
Otherwise, no reason to go here, move along.

Your standard neighborhood supermarket. Nothing wrong with the location, it is just on the smaller side and a little dated. I’ve been to other locations that had better selections and have a better look.

Wish I could give a zero. Produce section is a joke, Last week there was no broccoli. i’ve seen them out of Bananas!!! Staff is rude and always talking to each other. I was in one day on crutches while 3 of the clowns chatted while i bagged my own groceries. Never get there early as they typically have the shelves stocked (if you call them stocked) by 11am when they open at 7am. Go to Stoneham S&S. Prices are better and you can eat the produce.

This is the worst supermarket in the area. It’s tiny, the selection is lackluster, and the service is horrendous. The parking is terrible for anytime other than late at night. It’s better than nothing, so the one star makes some sense, but if you plan it out there are plenty of other choices in the surrounding towns to get food from.

wow, people really hate this branch.
yeah, it is kind of shitty. I wish it was a Trader Joe’s too– but that’s just not gonna happen.
It closes at 9pm on Sundays, so 3 stars is all it’s getting.

I have to say that although this is my local grocery, I’m getting tired of being treated at the checkout as if I am an interruption. I just had a problem with my S&S card scanning and although I was perfectly capable of entering the number, a cashier came over, took my card and tried entering. She was in such a hurry and so annoyed that she kept missing digits and had to start over. I offered again to do it myself but she just said «No».
When she finally finished she just handed it back to me and huffed off to whatever she was doing, which was obviously more important.
Note to Stop&Shop: Start treating your customers like guests or they will travel to where they feel more welcome

I don’t understand how a major supermarket chain can have such a sucky produce section.
Sure, it may LOOK better since that remodeling they did, but they are still out of stuff all the time. No mushrooms?! Huh? And the lack of fresh herbs is ridiculous.
This place is good for stuff that comes in a box, jar, or is frozen. Fresh stuff– forget it. Find a local farmstand, if they still exist…

When someone told me this S & S had recently reopened after a remodel, my first thought was «Damn, what kind of dump was it before?». The produce department is lame — it’s this little cluster of fruit and veggies that look like the leftovers from a real grocery store. If you don’t know what’s on sale, don’t necessarily trust the sale signs hanging off the shelves, as I have found ones from one or two weeks prior. The worst offense, in my opinion, is not having Diet Coke. Who doesn’t have Diet Coke??? Every store on the planet should have it on the shelves at all times. ‘

Mehhhhhh.
No offense, Winchester Stop & Shop, but you kind of suck.
Your prices are pretty week and often times I find your shelves empty and barren, just like my soul. Lots of times you are out of what I need and that is pretty bush league.
That being said, I will continue to go to you on occasion when I just need a few things because you are convenient and sometimes I am lazy.
One time I called you up to see if you had any white chocolate chips. Whoever the jerkface was that I talked to assured me that there were plenty but when I showed up about 30 minutes later, surprise surprise, there were no white chocolate chips to be found within a 3 mile radius. I felt kind of cross.

Cramped aisles and difficulty finding items from the circular. I even asked the customer service person if they could help me find my huge chicken wing bag that was on the front page of the circular. Bear in mind, this is the first day of the specials week.
She calls out to the meat department and they tell me if I don’t see it in whatever aisle, then they are all out. «Are you sure? I have already been down there and there weren’t any at all.» Woman — «Then, I guess we’re out.»
Stupid customer service and their feeble attempts to actually be productive. For a ritzy town and an expensive supermarket, they can’t pay for better employees?!
The only plus side is their new hand held scanner that you can pick up at the door to tally your groceries. Plus, they give YOU 5 cents back for every bag you don’t use.

The best example of the worst customer service possible! Unfortunately I am forced to go here for last minute items on occasion. You can be the only person waiting by the customer service booth, while two employees chat with each other, and be completely ignored for at least 5 minutes or more, until they are good and ready to start giving you attitude and sniping at you for interrupting their important conversation about the party they just went to. The meat/​deli counter is just as bad. The «take a number» machine has never worked yet they still insist on leaving it on display for their own amusement, as unsuspecting customers try to get numbers out. I dread having to deal with the deli employees! There can be 3 or 4 employees behind the counter milling about and two customers in line, and they will go out of their way to avoid eye contact. Seriously, I was to the right of the worst employee back there (the only female I’ve seen behind the deli counter) and I was considering suggesting she go to the eye doctors to get that blind spot checked out! When I first encountered her I gave her the benefit of the doubt and thought, well maybe she just has PMS. Since I have been shopping there for a few years I have come to realize that they probably rearrange her work schedule so she is off during that time of month since the extra hair and fangs were really scaring away the customers. I am always amazed by the superiority of the cashiers, with their wonderful surly demeanor, as they like to point out how stupid most customers are and will gladly make their rude and nasty comments while anyone is still in earshot. No one ever smiles. No one is ever helpful. Everyone I have encountered (with only a few exceptions) has always been extremely discourteous. This is the most HORRIBLE shopping experience around. Julia Robert’s character in «Pretty Woman» had a much nicer shopping experience the first time she tried to buy a dress on Rodeo Drive. Ahhh, if only one could be treated as well at the Stop & Shop in Winchester.