Twenty-eight supermarkets have closed across New Jersey in the past two years, and Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council, said the losses concern the organization and need to be a priority for policymakers.
“Stores are feeling the affordability pressures,” Doherty said. “The continued loss of New Jersey grocery stores should serve as a warning because the cumulative impact of bad public policy has broader implications on access to healthy foods, job loss and community giving. Grocers must have a seat at the table in this new administration.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill took office in January.
Heading into 2027, Doherty described growth in the state’s food retail industry as uneven. Food and beverage sales continue to post small gains, she said, while food prices remain elevated at about 3 percent.
“While still spending, the purchasing power of shoppers remains an issue, and lower income households are feeling it the most,” Doherty said. “Overall, New Jersey’s economy is slow growing, and it is not expected to change much in 2027.”
Rutgers University’s New Jersey State Policy Lab projects a similar pace. Its Summer 2026 R/ECON forecast calls for state GDP growth of 0.9 percent in 2026 and 2027, about a full percentage point below the national pace. Employment is expected to edge up 0.2 percent in 2026, with job growth rising to 0.5 percent in 2027.
New Jersey’s unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent from July to August, equal to the state’s lowest level since June 2023. Of the states with year-over-year unemployment rate decreases, New Jersey posted the largest, down 1.2 percentage points from August 2025.
At the same time, preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show payrolls fell by 1,700 in August, following a revised loss of 21,900 jobs from June to July.