What a letdown. I've been shopping at the Caldwell Shoprite for over twenty years, and I was…read morelooking forward to the new location. As much as I liked the convenience and quick "in and out" quality of the smaller original location, the idea of a new, larger store with more inventory and variety was exciting, but sadly, all the negative qualities of this new store have discouraged me from shopping there, and frankly after shopping there just twice I don't plan to return. There are very few handicapped parking spaces, and they only exist at one of the two entrances. Although for reasons passing understanding, there's a solitary handicapped spot out in the farthest corner of the parking lot. What's that about? The main entrance to the parking lot is also at the exact spot where the main entrance and exit to the store is located, which causes an almost omnipresent bottleneck of cars waiting to get into the parking lot, while customers are entering or existing the store with their carts. The inside of the store is impressive at first glance, but that only lasts until you start actually shopping. The produce department somehow feels smaller than the old store with less inventory. The small produce bins are for the most part are equally sized, with no apparent thought given to what they would contain. For example, bananas are in the same size bin as the plantains. Which do you think they sell more of in Caldwell? So, the bins with the popular/everyday items need to constantly be refilled and are consequently frequently empty. Why they didn't make larger bins for bulk items like tomatoes, potatoes and onions is baffling. The deli counter is also smaller than the older store. It's now a small counter where both the customers and the deli people battle for space. In addition, the store has created yet another crowded bottleneck there. Customers who are waiting at the deli counter act as a human barrier to all the other foot traffic that can't get past them. Again, poor planning. The bread counter. Again, smaller than the old store. I've included pictures. The new store has a large dining area with tables that divides the produce area. It's nice idea in concept, since the store does have an upgraded hot foods counter and more prepared foods, but the reality is that the area seems mostly unused aside from the few Shoprite employees I saw eating there, and it acts as a sort dead zone right in the middle of the produce area. The Morristown Shoprite and Livingston Shoprite have similar dining areas, but are wisely located outside of the main shopping area. The aisles are another frustrating design choice. They are loooong. Why they did not make some sort pass-thru at the midpoint, just like the Morristown Shoprite did and Wegman's did with their long aisles is a question. There also seems to be an issue with where the store places it's products. Every supermarket in the country puts the ice cream cones with the ice cream (and Caldwell used to). Now the ice cream cones are at the opposite end of the store in the aisle with the crackers or cookies. It took three employees to find them. This counterintuitive placement of products seems to be a running theme of which that is just one example. On the plus side, the store does sell liquor and beer now, but again, they have chosen to place that section right at the entrance to the store, bisecting the food aisles, which is simply odd to me. The bottom line is the store is new and it is beautiful, but the planning and execution for real, everyday shopping is sorely lacking. Choosing style over substance was a bad choice. Hopefully it's one they can correct. Until then I'm driving to Parsippany, Livingston, or Little Falls (heck, even West Orange).
