The Market Report

Shaw's Opened: May 22, 2026 Owner: Albertsons Companies Previous Tenants: Victory Markets (late 1990s-2004) > Hannaford (2004-2025) Cooperative: none Location: 193 Boston Post Rd W, Marlborough, MA Photographed:  June 29, 2026 Welcome to the newest Shaw's (and more importantly, happy 4th of July and 250th anniversary of the United States)! What better way to celebrate the birth of our country than to tour a supermarket -- although honestly that's probably how I'd celebrate any occcasion. This 52,000 square foot supermarket was built around the late 1990s as a Victory Market, part of a local chain here in central Mass and southern New Hampshire, and Hannaford acquired the whole chain in 2004. Apparently, the landlord didn't renew Hannaford's lease when it was up, and Shaw's moved in after extensive renovation. This is the first new Shaw's in nearly a decade. The second most recent one opened in Hudson, MA -- about three miles north -- in 2017, al...

Patel Brothers Opened: ca. 2012 Owner: Mafat & Tulsi Patel Previous Tenants: non-grocery tenants Cooperative: none Location: 504 Boston Tpk, Shrewsbury, MA Photographed: May 14, 2026 Happy summer break ! I'm going to try to catch up on news posts I still need to do during this break, so stay tuned. We return to the Shrewsbury Patel Brothers for a quick update! The store has undergone an expansion and a small renovation, bringing it from around 14,000 square feet to a bit over 20,000. That's in advance of the massive former Stop & Shop across the street becoming a super-sized Apna Bazar , which I'm sure is on Patel Brothers' mind. One other minor change: they've dropped the "Farmers Market" from the name here, and that appears to be because Patel Brothers uses the Farmers Market brand for smaller locations. And now that this one is larger (though still not very big), it no longer qualifies as a Farmers Market. The layout inside is slightly d...

Today, it's time to take a trip back to the Worcester area! This is the area I lived in for most of the time I was in Massachusetts, so this will be a long post. Click on any of the headings to see the stores in that area. West of Worcester Brookfield, MA  - Some scenes from the gorgeous and tranquil Quaboag River at White's Landing, about 16 miles southwest of Worcester. Main Street in Worcester becomes route 9 west of the city, which winds its way through the small towns of Leicester , Spencer , the Brookfields ( North Brookfield is about four miles north of route 9), and Ware before turning north and heading towards the Berkshires. East Brookfield, MA  - There are a lot of beautiful lakes in this area between Worcester and Springfield, too, including Lake Lashaway here in East Brookfield. Route 9 actually runs right alongside the lake for a while. Brimfield, MA - Brimfield is southwest of the Brookfields, not far from Sturbridge. It's best-known for its massive flea ma...