LUDLOW, Vt. – Nearly a year after closing, having lost all its inventory and sustained significant damage in the flood of July 2023, Shaw’s in Ludlow held its grand reopening on Friday morning, June 28, at 9 a.m. The long-empty parking lot was full to capacity, with many residents, town officials, Shaw’s employees, and members of the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Some appeared to already be taking advantage of the ability to shop for groceries in Ludlow for the first time since the flood.
With the adjacent Rite Aid electing not to reopen, Shaw’s has now expanded into the space which the pharmacy chain formerly occupied, adding its own Shaw’s Pharmacy in its place. The wall separating the spaces has been opened, creating a seamless transition from the main grocery store to the new pharmacy area. The pharmacy opened at the same time as the grocery store, managed by and is Dillon Sutherland, Pharm. D.
During the grand opening celebration, store director Mark Largerberg furnished two $2,500 donations to the Black River Valley Senior Center and Black River Good Neighbor Services, local organizations serving the Ludlow community.
“On behalf of Shaw’s, we thank the Town of Ludlow for partnering with us on the grand reopening of the store,” said Jim Sussmann, Shaw’s Vermont district manager, in a provided press release. “We are extremely proud of our Ludlow store, and today’s grand reopening is an exciting day for our employees, vendors, and community partners.”
The proposed flood wall, part of the flood-proofing measures meant to keep the building from being inundated in any future floods, did not appear to have materialized as of the reopening. When contacted for comment about the flood mitigation measures, Shaw’s spokesperson Teresa Edington stated that, “We will continue to work with FEMA and the Town of Ludlow to comply with related requirements.”