Struggling supermarket chain closes more locations
The beleaguered grocery chain has been having ongoing trouble.
If you've made a trip to the grocery store recently, chances are, you've noticed a few changes.
For instance, there's probably some new designated parking spots closer to the entrance, which prioritize customers who prefer to pick up their pre-purchased items.
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Upon entering your local supermarket, you've probably also noticed the aisles are stocked with new items.
The beverage aisle, for one, has likely expanded pretty handily. And rather than new sodas lining the shelves, there are seemingly countless new brands of soda-like beverages which purport to offer benefits like immunity boosts or mood lifters.
In the meat section, there are items that look and taste like beef, but are instead plant based.
And then, of course, there are the price changes. 
The price of food is climbing
Once you're at the checkout at your local store, you've probably noticed the numbers on the receipt just keep climbing.
The latest data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are in, finding that the cost of key goods and services rose 0.2% for the month of February, compared to January's steep 0.5%.
Annually, prices were up 2.8%, which was slightly cooler than what analysts expected.
Here's a look at how several goods and services changed over the month:
- Food: increase 0.2%
- Energy: increase 0.2%
- Electricity: increase 1.0%
- New vehicles: decrease 0.1%
- Used vehicles: increase 0.9%
- Apparel: increase 0.6%
- Shelter: increase 0.3%
- Transportation: decrease 0.8%
- Medical care services: increase 0.3%
Breaking up the food category, several categories at the grocery store saw key changes.
"Driven primarily by a 10.4-percent increase in the index for eggs, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.6 percent in February. The beef index also increased over the month, rising 2.4 percent. The index for cereals and bakery products rose 0.4 percent in February, after falling 0.4 percent in January," the CPI found.
Top grocery chain closing locations
And now, grocery chain Shaw's is closing some of its struggling stores as prices continue to rise and underperformance makes business difficult.
The chain, which is owned by Albertson's, said it would shutter two locations in two different states. They are:
- Gloucester, Mass.: 7 Railroad Ave.
- Concord, NH.: 20 Fort Eddy Road
"Like all retailers, we're constantly evaluating the performance of our stores," a Shaw's spokesperson told local station WBZ-TV. "Closing a location is always a tough decision, but we're focused on continuing to provide the products and services our customers value most."
Shaw's has not indicated when it intends to close the locations, though it says it will offer jobs to employees affected by the closures at other local stores.
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