Newsday to stop publishing Hometown Shopper in January

Newsday Media Group will stop publishing Hometown Shopper in early January, resulting in the loss of an undisclosed number of jobs, company officials announced Monday.

The weekly publication, which includes advertising circulars for area grocery stores, is delivered to 917,000 homes on Long Island, on average, via the U.S. Postal Service, and for Newsday subscribers, inside their newspaper.

Newsday is ceasing publication of Hometown Shopper because its printer, The Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark, New Jersey, plans to close its commercial printing operation. Newsday was unable to find a printer that could economically produce Hometown Shopper, according to publisher Debby Krenek.

“The decision by [The Star-Ledger] was a huge surprise to us and we have spent the past couple of months investigating alternative options,” Krenek said in a message to employees. “We have exhausted every viable option to continue Hometown Shopper because the increased cost to produce it makes it economically unsustainable.”

Krenek said the weekly’s final edition will be Jan. 9.

The affected employees will be laid off, effective Dec. 29. All will be provided severance packages, she said, adding the newsroom is not affected by the cuts.

“Layoffs are always a last resort. We would not be where we are today without the contributions of those employees affected by this, and their commitment and dedication over the years,” she said.

The company’s workforce totals about 570 people, but spokeswoman Tara Rogers said it would not disclose the number of people losing their jobs.

Newsday plans to continue to deliver grocery-store circulars to Long Islanders who subscribe to the print newspaper. It is exploring alternative delivery options for nonsubscribers, according to Rogers.

She also said Hometown Shopper is one of the last weeklies of its kind in the country.

In 2010, Hometown Shopper was redesigned and the name was applied to the former Yankee Trader, Shopper's Guide Pennysaver and Huntington Pennysaver, based on an ad from the period. Each edition of Hometown Shopper has 80 versions targeting communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties. 

“We do have many other products to help our advertisers and will be working with them to meet their needs," Krenek said.

"Our brand is strong and continues to grow with new audiences. We are confident in Newsday’s future as a strong, relevant and healthy institution serving our community,” she added.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.