Congratulations to Swampscott residents Vivian and Marc Iannotti on opening their second grocery store in Lynn and expanding food-price options and selections for local residents.
The Iannottis’ new Stop and Compare store, on State Street, is a welcome addition to a section of the city that includes the downtown; the St. Mary’s, St. Stephen’s, and Wall Plaza senior residences; and neighborhoods off lower Summer Street.
Stop and Compare greeted shoppers on Sept. 11 with a “soft opening” and the Iannottis celebrated their new store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. The store occupies the former Shaw’s location in the State Street shopping plaza.
Shaw’s 2019 closing left residents who walked to Shaw’s to buy groceries confronted with the option of walking, if they didn’t own a car, or taking a bus to Price Rite, Stop & Shop, or Market Basket.
The closing also underscored Lynn’s status as one of the 10 Massachusetts communities facing large “grocery gaps,” according to a 2017 Massachusetts Food Trust report. Fewer grocery stores translate into fewer options for people without cars to purchase fresh fruit and produce, the report stated.
Following the Shaw’s closing, Ward 5 City Councilor Dianna Chakoutis moved quickly to arrange transportation options for residents and to start conversations about bringing another grocery store to State Street.
Business challenges posed by the pandemic did not prevent the Iannottis from signing a contract in July of 2020 to open the State Street store. They have operated the Stop and Compare on the Adams Street extension since 2005 and Vivian’s mother, Betty Calvo, opened the family’s flagship store in Chelsea in 1996.
The Iannottis reassigned experienced employees from those stores to the State Street store and hired 45 new workers. During their new store’s ribbon cutting on Tuesday, they praised Lynn Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC/Lynn) and the North Shore Latino Business Association (NSLBA) for providing assistance in making the State Street store a reality.
“We worked very closely; we knew there was a huge need in this area,” said NSLBA President Frances Martinez.
Stop and Compare’s website states: “Our customer base is diverse. We try to serve the tastes of the ethnic population of the neighborhood. In Chelsea, most of our customers are from Central and South America. Lynn’s customers hail from Santo Domingo and Guatemala.”
Marc Iannotti called EDIC/Lynn “integral in our development.” Stop and Compare’s commitment to expand in Lynn strengthens the city’s business backbone and the collaboration between City Hall, a community organization, and entrepreneurs to improve Lynn is a tribute to the spirit of cooperation that so often defines the city.