Stop & Shop — Local services in Town of Hyde Park

Editing this from my previous review below. Management seems to have truly taken my complaint to heart. Not only is there now a smaller, but better selected gluten-free section, but the section has several items I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. There are also more gluten-free frozen options available, and I appreciate that, too. I don’t eat gluten-free to be trendy, but because of severe health/digestive reasons. I came to this as an adult, so I have a lifetime of memories of how delicious foods with gluten are, and what a wide range of foods there are that contain gluten. I still want to eat those kinds of foods, and I’m willing to pay for them, and I’m not alone—as evidenced by the very expensive gluten-free restaurant in town. Think about me and people like me when you’re placing your store orders! We’ll be there to shop! Thanks for paying attention and making changes. I’ll be back!

PREVIOUS REVIEW: It’s true the store has been due for a remodel, and I like that there are now more self-serve check outs. But that won’t matter because in the process of remodeling they decided to do away with the gluten-free section of the store. Now all the gluten-free products are mixed in with regular products, so what used to be convenient and customer-friendly is now a fruitless Easter egg hunt. I searched for the bread in the long and extensive bread aisle. Without exaggeration, I would estimate that there are probably 50 different kinds of regular bread on that aisle. Different brands, different types, different forms. Sliced bread, rolls, baguettes, buns… Gluten-free bread? One brand (that I don’t like), on a display stand in the aisle like an afterthought, in a few different flavors. That’s it. Imagine going into a store to buy bread, and all there is are a few loaves of WonderBread. You can have white, you can have whole grain, or you can have cinnamon and raisin, but you’d better like WonderBread! And you don’t. Would you go back? I won’t. If there are any of the several other gluten-free breads they used to carry, I sure the heck couldn’t find them. If customer service is really about customer service, they’ve gone in the...

Unacceptable Experience at Stop & Shop – Hyde Park, NY

I returned to this store after several years, hoping for a smooth and helpful shopping experience. What I got instead was confusion, disregard, and a complete lack of empathy.

Prepared with digital coupons and a store flyer, I asked an employee named Dan A. in the frozen food aisle where to find a specific product. He gestured vaguely and later told me I was "in the wrong store," going so far as to draw a map on his palm and suggest I drive miles down the road. I asked repeatedly which store I was in, but he ignored me. Another nearby employee confirmed she wasn’t the manager—but also refused to answer. Frustrated and confused, I raised my voice just to get a basic answer: “What store am I in?” Still, no one cared to help. Dan A treated it like a joke! I was told later that he’s a member of Union 1500 and that explains a lot. He certainly acted like he was beyond contempt or reproach and he probably is.

I spoke to the customer service manager (Joseph K) and general manager (Lois Bruggemann) afterward. Neither offered an apology, nor acknowledged how upsetting the experience was. I even confronted Dan a second time and told him his attitude was unacceptable. His response? Cold indifference. Not a word.

Now here's what makes this even more disheartening: I'm a senior, and I’ve started experiencing memory issues—something I disclosed to all three employees. Yet not one offered patience, empathy, or even basic human courtesy. Especially Dan, whose stone-faced demeanor showed zero compassion, even after I explained my situation.

This isn’t just poor customer service—it’s a failure of decency. I will not be returning. And I sincerely hope this store reconsiders how it trains its staff to treat people...

Genuinely alright to shop here. It's frustrating when they don't have things I need that I know they carry. Some of the staff is happy and helpful. Others not so much. Updated 2/8/22 It's nice to see the new setup and the new items especially for those of us that have special diets. Some items are still hard to acquire (not the fault of the store) and it can be a bit frustrating. Produce has gotten better as far as quality. Some of the staff need a lesson in how to pack groceries. I wish staff was more friendly. Updated 6/16/22 Still finding moldy fruits on the shelves. most things are stocked which is nice. Navigation since the change around is a bit of a struggle. Some staff is not as friendly as I hoped. Updated: 8/21/22. I dropped this down to two stars which is being generous. I ordered a cake from this bakery. The cake was 98% wrong. I asked for a garden gnome (where the only part of his face was his nose) the girl took a picture of the gnome picture I showed her on my phone. The cake was supposed to be green like a green grass garden with flowers and the gnome that I asked for. The bottom layer was supposed to be chocolate and the top layer marble with a raspberry filling. The only thing right to this cake was the raspberry filling. This is the second cake I have gotten here. The first fell apart before I even left the store because the cake was assembled while still got. Absolutely horrible cake. Completely disappointed. I will never again buy a cake from them. The only reason why they got 2 stars is because the manager tried to make it right and the rest of the store has been making improvements. Don't bother ordering a cake from there. Save your money and go...