MOM's New Store Opens Over Holiday Weekend

Organic grocer MOM's Organic Market is holding the grand opening of its seventh store, in Timonium, Md., over the Memorial Day weekend. Festivities to mark the debut of the company’s first location in the Baltimore area start on May 28 and continue through the 29th and 30th, with such offerings as goodie bags, free food samplings, local vendor demos, kids’ activities, face painting and raffle drawings.

The Rockville, Md.-based food retailer bills itself the only regional provider of 100 percent organic produce, in addition to an ever-expanding variety of organic grocery and wellness items. The banner also carries bulk foods, local meats, raw foods, 100 percent sustainable seafood options, pet products, gluten-free foods, and environmentally friendly household products.

“We believe we are the most environmentally responsible grocery chain in the country,” said founder and CEO Scott Nash. “As we enter the Baltimore area, we will have a greater ability to support our Purpose 'to protect and restore the environment.’”

The Timonium store, formerly the site of a Food Lion and a Giant Food Store, and flanked by such competitors as Mars, Giant Food, Walmart, Target and Trader Joe’s, will provide two electric car-charging stations at no charge to customers and will use 100 percent wind power, skylights with automatically dimming lights, energy-efficient closed-door coolers, and LED lighting throughout. The location will additionally offer recycling to shoppers for batteries, CFL bulbs and other items.

Baltimore-based grocery observer Jeremy Diamond noted that despite its nearby rivals, MOM’s was the only organic grocer, affording it some ability to differentiate itself from the grocery pack.

MOM's other stores are located in Rockville, Md.; College Park, Md.; Alexandria, Va.; Jessup, Md.; Bowie, Md.; and Frederick, Md.; with additional locations slated to open in Herndon, Va.; Waldorf, Md.; and Merrifield, Va.