Stop & Shop ends bag fees in most Massachusetts stores: "We have heard our customers loud and clear." - CBS Boston

By Neal Riley

Updated on: November 8, 2024 / 4:34 PM EST / CBS Boston

QUINCY - Stop & Shop customers who forget to bring their reusable bags to the supermarket are no longer being charged for paper ones at most stores across Massachusetts.

A spokesperson for the grocery chain said the 10-cent bag fee was removed in October.

"Stop & Shop is taking our customer feedback very seriously and are making changes to improve their experience in store," the company said in a statement. "We have heard our customers loud and clear and, as a result, have decided to eliminate the 10-cent paper bag fee in most of our Massachusetts stores."

It was only a little more than a year ago that Stop & Shop instituted a 10-cent charge for paper bags and eliminated single-use plastic bags at all stores in the northeast. The company said at the time that the move showed a commitment "to sustainability and helping to protect our environment."

The bag fees remain in place at Stop & Shop locations in a few cities and towns that require stores to charge customers for bags in an effort to encourage more sustainable shopping.

Stop & Shop also ended bag fees in Rhode Island last month, and company president Roger Wheeler said in a message to customers "we're going to continue to listen to your feedback and will, over time, make even more changes across all areas of the store."

On Oct. 31, Stop & Shop permanently closed seven supermarkets in Massachusetts. The company had announced back in July it would be shuttering 32 "underperforming" stores across five states in the northeast.

The remaining food at the closed stores was donated to local food pantries.

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

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