Business & Tech

Shrewsbury's Retail Center Gets Power Back

Six days after Hurricane Irene hit the Jersey coast and knocked out power, stores along Route 35 get it back.

Retailers located in Shrewsbury’s largest economic center are reporting that power had been restored Thursday night, five days after it was knocked out following Hurricane Irene’s arrival on the New Jersey shore.

Businesses in the Staples shopping center and the Shrewsbury Plaza Shopping Center, which are nearly right across the street from each other, have been without power since Saturday night. Included among the dozens of shops are several restaurants, as well as two grocers, including the specialty store Trader Joe’s and an Acme Market.

The shopping centers are located on Route 35 between Shrewsbury and Sycamore Avenues in an area, some say, that power routinely goes out, even in less severe weather.

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Both markets were forced to dispose of their perishable goods, dumping their produce, dairy products, meat and frozen items into waiting dumpsters when power had yet to be restored by the middle of the week. Trader Joe’s remained closed while Acme stayed open, powered by a generator, offering non-perishable groceries.

According to representatives from both Trader Joe’s and Acme, restocking of perishable items was nearly complete as of early Friday afternoon.

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Power still remains out for some residents of both Shrewsbury and Red Bank. According to an outage map hosted by Jersey Central Power and Light, 115 customers remain without power. In Red Bank, the total is 223, though it’s unclear if that number represents customers in Red Bank proper or on the other side of the river in Middletown.


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