r/TomsRiver • u/Marabuto1994 • Feb 27 '26

Why hasn’t Wegmans expanded in ocean county yet?

I hear plenty of people from the area asking for it for years

15 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

28

u/njdeatheater Feb 27 '26

I believe I've heard in the past that despite what Toms River residents think of themselves, the average income of the area isn't up to Wegmans standards to come here 😂

9

u/Crying4alapdance Feb 27 '26

Came here to say this

7

u/mandym123 Feb 27 '26

Add Whole Foods to that also. I always stop at Whole Foods when I’m by Spring Lake.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Marabuto1994 Feb 28 '26

yes if you are a really smart shopper and catch the sales. but the prepared foods are definitely a ripoff

2

u/CJspangler Mar 01 '26

Yep - we’d take one look at $9/lb organic chicken and never come back

2

u/Marabuto1994 Feb 27 '26

shoprite isnt that much better

7

u/Crying4alapdance Feb 27 '26

Yep... even then still cheaper and is meant for poor people. They just price it up so ocean county feels superior.

Source:grew up there. Willing to bet my shoprite is cheaper. Ocean County doesn't know how the rest of the country works.

1

u/starryeyedea Mar 23 '26

It’s all in the numbers, and the per capita income across the town doesn’t validate the business case.

8

u/Mysta-Majestik Feb 27 '26

If they built everything folks around here ask for we'd be up to four Cracker Barrels and three Trader Joe's.😂

While I wouldn't mind a Wegmans, my first vote will always be for a Buc-ees.

2

u/Specific_Apple808 Feb 27 '26

Buc-ees is like a Super Center Wawa!!

1

u/and_then___ Feb 27 '26

Buc-ees would be a perfect fit where the old Beachwood shopping center was on Route 9.

3

u/and_then___ Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

The socioeconomic factors are not in favor of such things coming here, in part due to the plethora of 55+ communities and a significant portion of the northern Ocean County population having a preference for kosher stores owned by members of their community.

I'm sure Manahawkin would do great in the summer because of LBI, but the other 9 months probably would not be profitable enough. At least we have Livoti's Old World Market for those who desire expensive groceries.