New investigation by the Hyde Square Task Force reveals Stop & Shop still appears to be over-charging families in inner-city neighborhoods

“We urge Stop & Shop to lower prices…and ensure that it is charging all Massachusetts families fair prices for the food they work hard to put on the table.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02), pressed Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize — parent company of Stop & Shop — on the chain’s progress lowering grocery prices at stores across Massachusetts. A new investigation from the Hyde Square Task Force found that, following pressure from the lawmakers regarding potential price gouging at its urban store locations, Stop & Shop lowered prices in its Jamaica Plain store — but the grocer still appears to be overcharging working families at other Boston locations, including Grove Hall, South Bay, and Mission Hill.

“That which gets measured gets done, and thanks to the intrepid work of young organizers at the Hyde Square Task Force, we have the receipts,” said Rep. Pressley in a statement alongside the letter. “While Stop & Shop heeded our call to lower prices at their Jamaica Plain location—it’s clear they’re still ripping off families in predominantly low-income and Black and Brown neighborhoods across Massachusetts. I’m proud to keep up my push with Senator Warren to demand answers and accountability, and ensure corporations aren’t making record profits off the exploitation of ordinary people.”

“It’s good news that Stop & Shop lowered prices at its Jamaica Plain store after we pushed them for relief, but we’re still seeing higher prices for families at other inner-city locations. It’s no coincidence that working-class communities are getting stuck with sky-high prices,” said Senator Warren. “We’re keeping up the pressure to make sure Stop & Shop isn’t overcharging families for the food they work hard to put on the table.”

Following an initial Hyde Square Task Force investigation revealing price disparities between urban and suburban Stop & Shop store locations in Massachusetts, the lawmakers sent a letter to Ahold Delhaize, Stop & Shop’s parent company, raising concerns about potential price gouging at the Jamaica Plain location. Stop & Shop, in response to the letter, said it had “launched a multi-year strategy to invest in pricing and lower everyday prices” across its Massachusetts locations.

To better understand why Stop & Shop is still not providing fair and low prices in all communities in the Commonwealth, the lawmakers are pressing for answers as to why prices appear to be higher for groceries in low-income communities in Massachusetts; details on Stop & Shop’s “multi-year strategy”; and why Stop & Shop has closed seven stores in Massachusetts since the September 2024 letter. 

“We urge Stop & Shop to lower prices at its grocery stores in Grove Hall, South Bay, and Mission Hill, and ensure that it is charging all Massachusetts families fair prices for the food they work hard to put on the table,” concluded the lawmakers.

The lawmakers requested a response to their questions by May 14, 2025.

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