A rendering of the new Topsham Market Basket. Courtesy of Market Basket
Market Basket is expanding its foothold in Maine.
The Massachusetts-based grocery store chain on Wednesday broke ground on its third Pine Tree State store in the Topsham Fair Mall. The 80,000-square-foot store, which could open by the end of the year, will employ about 300 workers. The store joins Hannaford, Target and The Home Depot in the mall.
“We are grateful to be the newest member of the Topsham community and appreciate the support of the many officials who have worked together to make this project a reality,” said Normand Martin, Market Basket’s director of facilities and planning, during the groundbreaking ceremony. “We also appreciate the tremendous support from the community for this exciting project.”
The store will sell more than 50,000 items and contain a café with seating.
It will be Market Basket’s 90th store. The company also has stores in Westbrook and Biddeford.
“We’ve been well welcomed in the state of Maine,” said Joe Schmidt, Market Basket’s operations manager. He said the company doesn’t have any current plans to open more stores in Maine.
The Topsham Market Basket will have competition. The adjoining Target sells groceries and there’s another Hannaford in Brunswick; the town also has a Shaw’s.
“It is evident that competition is significant here in Topsham and we look forward to providing an additional shopping option for the community in a most sincere and humble way,” Martin said.
Topsham Select Board Chairperson Dave Douglass said he constantly hears from residents excited about the new Market Basket.
“The excitement is palpable,” Douglass said. “I have friends and family asking when it’s going to be open. … They almost have this cult following.
“I think they’re going to do well.”
Douglass said the 300 new jobs are a boon.
“They’re going to be a welcome addition to an already successful mall,” he said.
Market Basket is expected to spend more than $300,000 on road improvements, including crosswalks, speed tables, a traffic circle and the reconstruction of the Interstate 295 southbound ramp.
The first Market Basket opened in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1917. In addition to Massachusetts and Maine, the company has stores in New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
The chain gained international attention in 2014 when workers staged a weeks-long strike over the firing of CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. The company’s board eventually relented and sold the company to Demoulas, who remains CEO.
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