Village Super Market Inc. has officially opened its new, 72,000-square-foot ShopRite at Blue Star Shopping Center, continuing the grocer’s decades-long presence at the Route 22 retail hub and marking a major step in the property’s transformation.
The grand opening on April 13 included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and day-long celebration. Village Super Market, a member of the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative, has operated at Blue Star since 1980 and committed to an expanded lease and in-center relocation in 2023.
“We are excited to open our doors to a beautiful, modern supermarket that delivers quality, convenience and premium groceries to Watchung shoppers,” said Perry Blatt, director of e-commerce and business development for Village Super Market Inc. “The new ShopRite of Watchung is designed to bring an elevated shopping experience to the community.”
The new store features chef-prepared meals, grab-and-go items, an expanded produce department, hand-rolled sushi, over 600 varieties of cheese, and specialty counters for seafood and meat. The layout also includes soup and coffee bars with offerings from Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market.
The supermarket’s debut is a key milestone in Blue Star’s broader redevelopment led by Levin Management Corporation (LMC), which serves as the property’s leasing and managing agent. Alongside ShopRite’s new construction, LMC has implemented a multi-million-dollar modernization that includes a renovated central courtyard and updated common areas.
“This new store is absolutely gorgeous, and the overall transformation of Blue Star Shopping Center is keeping pace,” said Matthew K. Harding, CEO of LMC. “The result will be a source of pride for our team, the property’s ownership, every tenant and the entire community.”
Blue Star Shopping Center spans 420,000 square feet and draws more than 2.8 million annual visits, according to Placer.ai. The center’s tenant roster includes Kohl’s, Marshalls, Dollar Tree, The Children’s Place, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, and Five Guys. LMC recently signed Planet Fitness and KidStrong and is in negotiations with additional national brands. Available retail spaces range from 1,200 to 50,000 square feet.
North Plainfield-based LMC oversees more than 16 million square feet of retail space across 125 properties in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
