Aug. 11—The state's newest Liquor & Wine Outlet is set to open at Exit 17 off Interstate 93 in Concord Thursday, and a new store in Manchester won't be far behind.

In a push for more standalone locations, the outlet at the Westside Plaza on Northwest Boulevard in Nashua will relocate into the former Pier 1 Imports in the same plaza. The plans call for a 3,456-square-foot expansion of the 9,000-square-foot building for additional space and a loading dock, according to Nashua Planning Board documents.

The Manchester location is expected to open next month.

The new Concord location will offer more than 4,000 wines and spirits in the 12,000-square-foot outlet. The outlet is located in a new development at Concord Crossing, 11 Merchants Way, alongside an 80,000-square-foot Market Basket. Other businesses on site include Home Goods, Service Credit Union and Wendy's.

The location will better serve the greater Concord area and travelers visiting the Lakes Region, said Joseph Mollica, New Hampshire Liquor Commission chairman, in a statement.

"Over the past 10-plus years, we have made a commitment to upgrade, enhance and modernize our Outlets to best serve our 12 million annual customers today and for decades to come," he said.

More than 34,000 vehicles per day are expected to pass by the development.

Since 2012, the commission has renovated, relocated or constructed new Outlets in 30 cities and towns. Over the past year, new locations opened in Rindge, Claremont, New London and Littleton.

The 13,000-square-foot store in Manchester, located at 850 Gold St. off South Willow Street, is expected to open in September, according to meeting minutes. The outside features "coming soon" and "we're hiring" signs. The store is close to Hannaford, Walmart, Home Depot and BJ's Wholesale Club.

The new stores have been modeled after other recently opened stores and feature wooden beam entrances

E.J. Powers, a spokesman for the commission, is on track for an opening date selected months ago.

In June, the commission announced more Liquor & Wine Outlets will close earlier because they don't have enough workers. Several of the state stores are now closing at 6 p.m. on weekdays — including Elm Street in Manchester, Lebanon and New London.

About 60% of the stores remain open to either 7 or 8 p.m., according to the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.

Hiring has not impacted the new opening, Powers said.