Hannaford Debuting Prototype Store

Hannaford Supermarkets plans to open a 68,000-square-foot store in Bedford, N.H., on June 18, which the Delhaize America banner said would feature more amenities as a “new design concept” supermarket, according to a published report.

The store will offer made-to-order meals, pickup of online orders through the Hannaford to Go program, and customized cutting of fruits and vegetables, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.

“This is going to be a learning laboratory to figure out just how effective certain services are when put together and offered in a large store,” Eric Blom, a spokesman for Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford, told the newspaper. “This will really inform the design and remodels of large Hannaford stores in the future.”

Additional features will include a brew room with more than 230 varieties of craft beer, along with a large wine selection and a grab-and-go area stocked with popular items.

The new store – the largest Hannaford location in the state – will employ 175 associates. Local competitors include Whole Foods Market, Walmart and a soon-to-open Aldi.