Village Super Market Inc. recently unveiled its new 72,000-square-foot ShopRite at Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung, following an expansion and a move within the iconic property on Route 22. — Courtesy: Levin Management Corp.
By Joshua Burd
Village Super Market Inc. has opened a new ShopRite at Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung, delivering the centerpiece of a plan to update and expand the landmark property.
Executives with Levin Management Corp., which is spearheading the complex’s renovation, were among those on hand recently to mark the debut of the 72,000-square-foot store on Route 22. The firm noted that Village Super Market has owned and operated ShopRite at Blue Star since 1980 and, in 2023, committed to a new, expanded lease and relocation within the 420,000-square-foot center.
ShopRite continued to serve customers in its original space while the new store was built, maintaining its presence in a location that draws more than 2.8 million visits annually.
“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 ecommerce and business development for Village Super Market, a member of the retailer-owned supermarket cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. “The new ShopRite of Watchung is designed to bring an elevated shopping experience to the community, with expanded offerings, fresh meal and to-go options and specialty items that cater to all our customers’ needs.”
Dubbed the “New Star of Blue Star,” the store features fresh, chef-prepared meals, global flavors and specialty and premium items, according to a news release. The operator added that expert butchers and fishmongers staff the meat and seafood counters, while an expanded produce department boasts a mix of organic products and freshly cut fruit and vegetables.
Customers will also find chef-prepared grab-and-go options, including sushi, gourmet meals and sandwiches, more than 600 varieties of cheese and unique soup and coffee bars featuring favorites from Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market.
LMC, meantime, said ShopRite’s opening marks a significant moment in the multimillion-dollar update of Blue Star, which sits between Terrill and Bonnie Burn roads. Alongside Village Super Market’s construction of its new store, Levin has taken major steps to redevelop, renovate and re-tenant the legacy open-air property with features such as a new central courtyard, which served as a gathering spot during the ShopRite grand opening festivities.
Based in nearby North Plainfield, LMC is also Blue Star’s longtime leasing and managing agent and noted that the recent transformation has sparked substantial leasing interest. Following recent commitments with Planet Fitness and KidStrong, the firm is in active negotiations with several more national brands that would join a tenant lineup that already includes Kohl’s, Marshalls, Dollar Tree, The Children’s Place, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa and Five Guys, among others.
“It is always gratifying to accommodate longtime, valued tenants like Village Super Market Inc. as their needs evolve,” said Matthew K. Harding, LMC’s chief executive. “This new store is absolutely gorgeous, and the overall transformation of Blue Star Shopping Center is keeping pace. It is clear that the end result will be a source of pride for our team, the property’s ownership, every Blue Star tenant and the entire community.”
LMC currently is marketing remaining availabilities from 1,200 to 50,000 square feet.
