TOUR: Hannaford - Leominster (Twin City Plaza), MA

Hannaford
Opened: 2004

Owner: Ahold Delhaize

Previous Tenants: Victory Markets (ca. late 1980s-2004)

Cooperative: none

Location: 927 Merriam Ave, Leominster, MA

Photographed: April 7, 2023

Another Worcester County Hannaford, another former Victory Market. In fact, every Hannaford in Worcester County was previously a Victory but one. Victory, a local chain (you can read about its history and see a few pictures on Wikipedia), built this store in the 1980s at 44,000 square feet, and just before Hannaford's acquisition in 2004, it was expanded to its present 64,000.

It has the latest Hannaford decor package looking beautiful inside. The grand aisle is located in the expansion on the left side of the store, with produce in the front part, bakery in an island facing, and prepared foods, deli, and seafood in the back-left corner. The facade is new, probably installed around the time the inside was redone; the outside was previously much more 1980s.

Meats are on the back wall with a large liquor store, pharmacy, and HABA in the first few aisles, taking up the space I imagine was the original grand aisle. Dairy lines the back wall and continues down the last aisle, along with frozen foods on the right side. You can see how the fixtures and the lighting of this decor package really bring out the colors of the food.

I really like this decor package overall, and I think it makes great use of bold, bright colors on the walls combined with focused lighting and appealing fixtures and flooring.

Wine, pharmacy, and HABA are behind the bakery here. There's also some great local merchandising, although some of those products are more local than others.

The deli and service seafood counters line a somewhat rounded area in the back corner of the grand aisle that, again, I think is exceptionally well-designed. This grand aisle previously looked very different before the renovation. I like both designs very much.

And meats extend from that area. Below you can see where meats (orange wall) transition to dairy (yellow wall) on the back.

And the liquor store is around the corner from the grand aisle. To be clear, I suppose I should say I don't remember whether this is a full liquor store or just beer and wine, which I think is more likely.

And pharmacy is in the front facing the grocery aisles. Same setup as the other, smaller, Hannaford just across town.

Hannaford has likely done some pretty extensive renovations here over the years because this store feels much more like a new-build Hannaford than a converted store from a different chain, like many of the other Victory conversions. Then again, this store is newer and larger to begin with.

Here's a look across the back wall...

Dairy continues down the last aisle with frozen foods in the front right corner.

It looks like many of these fixtures are new, and until recently, this area was set up with rows of coffin cases rather than upright cases.

Here's a look at the grocery aisles on the right side of the store. Only 13 aisles in total (excluding the grand aisle), but because the store is very deep they're longer than the average supermarket's aisles.

And a look across the front-end...

This is a beautiful, very nicely-renovated Hannaford, and we'll see several more like it. But our next few stops are small stores in southern Fitchburg!