Wegmans retreats from Natick

They claim that because it is sold in the same part of the store as prepared sushi, it should be taxed. Which isn't the case.

Yes, that's exactly the case.

"Massachusetts charges a sales tax on meals sold by restaurants or any part of a store considered by Massachusetts law to be a restaurant."
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/sales-tax-on-meals

The sushi bar/sub shop/pizza counters at Wegmans are considered "restaurant parts".

"Restaurant part: A restaurant part is an area, section or counter, etc., within a store from which meals are sold. Any store that contains a restaurant part must charge a sales tax on those meals."

That's why those sections are always bunched together in the stores so that they can legitimately square off that area as the "restaurant part" and everything in the zone is sold with meals tax on it at the register.

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/sales-tax-on-meals

I've heard that out here at the end of the supply chain, the product is worse.

The only compliant I’ve ever had with an MA store is that Chestnut Hill used to feel more like a Whole Foods than a Wegmans, and only had ciabatta sub rolls when they opened (IYKYK). Generally speaking, fresh/perishable stuff like meats, premade food, subs, etc. are just as good as in NY. I can’t speak for fish I guess, not a seafood guy.

Source: I’ve shopped almost exclusively at Wegmans since they opened in the area; usually Medford but sometimes Burlington or Natick. I also spend 1/4 to 1/3 of any given year in Syracuse, where family also shops there exclusively.

What's your issue with Pottsville? It's a truck drive away.

I had a surprisingly good piece of fish in Salt Lake City once. How? Planes, every day. No different than a truck from Gloucester driving to Newton.

I go to Weggies occasionally in Northboro and it's a very nice store. Probably one of the nicer food shopping experiences around and it's always busy.

My take on Natick was that it was a bit of a gamble and it missed. I give them credit for trying something different. Nobody wants to deal with inconvenient parking when going food shopping.

All food outlets, be it a chain fast food restaurant or a national supermarket brand, use local purveyors to some degree. For example, I know that Wegmans uses pork processed by Catelli Brothers in Sutton, MA.

Going to the Natick Wegmans was rather confusing. Two levels, and things were spread out. It felt like I was walking to Framingham to fond what I needed. And, proud to say that I can navigate my local Wegmans in Westwood without having an anxiety attack anymore….And Chestnut Hill is very convenient when I have doctors appointments in Longwood and just don’t want to deal with the Trader Joe’s parking lot in Coolidge corner. (One of the circles of hell)
M

You go up a few levels and enter the store on the second floor. There's even that cute cart escalator in the middle.

I have to say that this is the Wegmans I've used the most, but then again for some odd reason I am at the Natick Mall more than I should be. I think I've only done a complete grocery store trip there once, so bringing the 5 or so items we bought to the other side of the mall wasn't too bad.

I disagree with you in that I think that having a grocery store there was a great idea. The point of a shopping center is to centralize commerce, so a grocery store fits well with the concept.
The Target at the South Shore Plaza does it's grocery business with no problem. At the end of the day, though, there are a lot of grocery stores a short drive from the Natick Mall, so that's a good point. If Wegmans had the loyalty here it has in Wegmans Land, it wouldn't be closing.

The Roche Bros. in West Roxbury is in a convenient location, but maybe not the best location for suburban planning. Maybe this was the problem with Wegmans in Natick in that driving there was too inconvenient for most people. I was in there once before Covid and the place was packed. From what I'm reading the store did not recover and I'm assuming worker shortage/low pay had something to do with it too. Like others have said, I think a Wegmans right on Rt. 9 with lots of easy parking and ground level shopping might do better if they ever plan on doing it again. But like Kaz mentions, maybe the area is just too saturated with supermarkets. I'm thinking of the Wegmans in Westwood though. There is also a Target there, a BJs AND Costco within a mile, a Walmart and Big Y one town over, a Roche Bros in the same town, and a STAR in Dedham Plaza (Across from whole foods in Legacy) with another Stop and Shop on the WR/Dedham Line. Add in Lamberts on Rt. 9 and the area is very saturated with supermarkets. I do think the lack of good Boston (the City) supermarkets impacts the area as well though.

Back to my WR hijack: Roche Bros is probably too big for Centre St. Hundreds of cars in there every day that weren't at the old Star across the street way back when. Heartland was the place, and I think the WVF (which has it's own rush hour traffic issues) would be a better place for a popular supermarket than Roche in terms of MV safety.