Market Basket expands footprint in Granite State

Aug. 28—For more than a decade, Concord officials have worked to bring a supermarket closer to Penacook Village.

Market Basket answered the call by opening its third store in the state's capital city — and it didn't hold back on any of the offerings. The 81,000-square-foot store officially opened on Friday at Merchants Way plaza at Exit 17 off Interstate 93.

"We are right off Route 4; an extremely busy, busy road," said David McLean, operations manager for Demoulas Super Markets Inc., which operates Market Basket. "We are anticipating this being a very busy store."

The store will also draw customers from Boscawen, Loudon and Canterbury, he said. The development includes a New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet, which opened earlier this month. Home Goods, Wendy's, Jersey Mike's and Service Credit Union are confirmed tenants. The developers, David and Laurie Rauseo, worked with the city to make the project happen.

The city invested nearly $5 million into roadway improvements, including the installation of two roundabouts. Nearly 30,000 vehicles drive by Merchants Way every day.

In the future, a separate residential development is planned to bring more than 600 units that will connect Whitney Road to Sewalls Falls Road.

Store Director Caleb Owens, who was previously director at the supermarket's Fort Eddy Road store, said many would drive miles from Penacook to shop at that location.

The new store offers more than 50,000 grocery items and amenities such as Market's Kitchen and Cafe. The kitchen offers brick oven pizza, dinners, sandwiches and sushi made by Niji Sushi. Market's Butcher Block features certified angus beef steaks, roasts, chops, burgers and marinated steak tips. Ready to cook meats include stuffed pork, chicken, kabobs, sausages and pub burgers.

A self-service soup station and a fresh doughnut case are among the new offerings. Fresh bread and other bakery items are baked in store.

The store has about 350 employees, 300 of whom are new hires.

The store is larger and more modern than the two other stores in the city, which both opened in 1982. It features the store's classic beige-and-salmon vinyl flooring colors and a large analog clock hanging in the front of the store. The company is standing by its decision not to offer self-checkout.

The two other stores in Concord will remain.

The chain — known for its slogan "More for Your Dollar" — was founded in 1917 as a small "grocerette" in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Eight years ago, employees walked off the job and customers boycotted after the firing of CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. A two-month standoff demanding his return resulted. In the end, Demoulas returned when he brokered a reported $1.5 billion deal with feuding family members.

The brand quickly bounced back and continued to offer generous benefits to employees, including its profit-sharing program and scholarships for employees in college.

Market Basket now has 87 stores in four New England states with 51 in Massachusetts, 32 in New Hampshire, two in Maine and two in Rhode Island. The chain has a revenue of about $5.8 billion in 2021, according to Forbes.

The chain continues to grow with a new store under construction in North Conway.

Newest location

Carlos Baía, deputy city manager for development in Concord, said the Rauseos worked with the city to make sure the project reflected the vision of what residents wanted for the parcel.

"The extension of Whitney Road will allow for future development, which will generate taxes and vitality," he said.

Construction delays of the double lane roundabout on Route 4 slowed the opening of the Market Basket, but with training taking place, the store couldn't wait any longer to open, McLean said.

A few days before the grand opening, employees finished stocking shelves, filled balloons and prepared to-go meals. A group of workers got training and practiced making pizzas in the store's brick oven.

The store — No. 92 — already features fall decor and Halloween decorations.

The sizes of the stores jumped from about 60,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet about 15 years ago — an evolution of sorts. Some, such as Manchester's, are even larger at 100,000 square feet.

"Food sourcing is global," operations manager McLean said. "And the food palate for customers is as diverse as it's ever been. There are people looking for products I've never heard of or tried in my life."

In the dairy aisle, yogurt products alone take up 52 feet of refrigerated shelf space at the new store.

"People want distance. People want to come in and not be shuffled along. They want to read the fine print. They don't want to feel like there is a carriage on their heel and they have to keep moving," he said. It became a benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing became a way of life.

Demoulas sources from 100 different farms in New England, including Contoocook Creamery.

Supply chain issues during the pandemic have mostly rebounded, but are still not 100%, McLean said.

"I think some of the companies eliminated some of their varieties to focus on their top sellers," he said.

Kevin Daigle, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Grocers Association, said Market Basket is known for its high-volume stores and "great service and low prices." A lot goes into the placement of a new store, including market research.

"The suburbs around there are growing, and it's an ideal location," he said.

Grocery sales continue to outpace restaurant sales, Daigle said. More people are buying prepared to-go meals at the supermarket.

"I think that trend is continuing," he said.

New Hampshire roots

Demoulas opened its first New Hampshire store and sixth overall in 1964 at 265 South Broadway in Salem.

In 1975, a second location opened 0.4 miles away and was the first store to use the name "Market Basket." For many years, the chain operated under both banners.

A third Market Basket opened at Tuscan Village just down the street in 2019.

"All three of them are busy," McLean said.

Store director Owens, 44, is the third generation to work at Market Basket, and his daughter, Abigail, 15, who works at the Epping location is the fourth generation. His father, Mark Owens, was a store director for 20 years.

Owens often came into the stores as a child with his father and got his first job at the Plaistow store. He has been with the company for 28 years.

"It is a sense of family," he said. "It is a family company."

Many customers and workers still talk about the "summer of '14."

"It was just people protecting the culture," McLean said. "It was real simple, 'We back Artie T.' because he was the protector of our culture."

Baía said he noticed that culture during a recent tour conducted for local officials.

"I was really most struck by the people of Market Basket," he said. "The whole team has vast experience and lots of years with the organization. There is a real sense of commitment to the communities they serve."

Arthur T. Demoulas stopped by the store last Wednesday to check out the new digs and returned on opening day to greet customers. Demoulas mentioned to employees how two and three generations have worked and shopped at the Concord stores since they opened 40 years ago.

"These are the families who have to build our business," McLean recalled Demoulas saying.