Shoppers Steer Away From Shaw’s

Elizabeth D’Oliveira was a loyal Shaw’s supermarket shopper until last year, when she began checking prices at other local grocers. The Charlestown mother of two says she never recovered from the sticker shock.

On all the basics — eggs, milk, bread, pasta, and juice — Shaw’s had the highest prices, according to D’Oliveira. “It just blew me away. Shaw’s was more expensive than everyone else, except for maybe Whole Foods,” she said.

And with that, Shaw’s, once one of the region’s dominant grocery sellers, lost another customer. D’Oliveira ditched her regular visits to the Somerville location and started making a longer trip to Market Basket in Chelsea.

Multiply D’Oliveira by thousands of other consumers and you get an idea of the problem Shaw’s is facing. During the past decade, a growing number of the West Bridgewater-based chain’s devotees have defected. Some say they left because of steep prices, poorly-trained staff, dingy stores, and better alternatives.

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