The Market Report

Jeannotte's Market Opened:  2000 under current ownership; 1899 previously Owner: Glynn Bingham Previous Tenants:  none Cooperative: Associated Grocers of New England Location: 2 Courtland St, Nashua, NH Photographed: October 10, 2021 One look at Jeanotte's Market makes it pretty clear that, although the store has a fresh new sign out front, it's not a new store. That's because it actually dates back to 1899, though it was taken over by the current owner in 2000. You can read a lot more about the history of the store on its own website here . At only around 2700 square feet, this is definitely closer to a general store than a full supermarket, but there's a surprising range of groceries available inside -- and locals' favorite Italian subs. The store's interior is old-school but kept up meticulously, with the famous deli at the back. They're a member of Associated Grocers of New England, and use Food Club items as a storebrand. Before heading into dow...

JD Foods Open: ca. 2010-ca. 2023 Owner: Sheryl Lyons Previous Tenants: West Main Market Cooperative: none Location: 192 W Main St, Hillsborough, NH Photographed: August 13, 2021 These days, Hillsborough only has one supermarket -- a Shaw's, which you can see here -- but until recently there was another smaller grocer in town. Previously the West Main Market and then JD Foods, this approximately 5000 square foot general store looks like it was in business for a very long time. JD Foods, which took over West Main around 2010, closed around 2023, shortly after I took this picture back in 2021. Tomorrow, we'll round out The Market Report's look at this region with two stops in Keene!

Laconia Spa Opened:  1925 Owner: Ricky & Patty Patel Previous Tenants: unknown Cooperative: none Location: 65 Church St, Laconia, NH Photographed: August 16, 2025 This might be a spa, but don't picture hot tubs and massages. Spa is a now mostly obsolete term for a small grocer in New England parlance. This 2600 square foot store goes all the way back to 1925, though it closed in 2010 before reopening under new owners the following year. The classic grocery store is right at the edge of downtown, on the water . Here it's a small river, running out from the south end of Opechee Bay. We're going to head to the other side of Opechee and nearby Paugus Bay to visit a supermarket in the next town over tomorrow!

Heritage Corner Market Opened: ca. 2015 Owner:  unknown Previous Tenants:  Northwood Country Market (closed ca. 2015) Cooperative:  Associated Grocers of New England Location:  1380 1st New Hampshire Tpk, Northwood, NH Photographed:  January 8, 2025 Just down the street from the Hannaford in Northwood is the Heritage Corner Market, which sits somewhere between being a full supermarket and a convenience store. It's definitely set up like a convenience store, but features a deli, a butcher, and a produce department along with grocery staples and the grab-and-go items you'd expect in a convenience store. It bears more resemblance to the general stores we saw recently in Maine, for instance, than either a typical c-store or a full supermarket. This store is around 7,000 square feet and attached to the Heritage True Value hardware store. As you can tell, Heritage Corner Market is relatively new, having been either built or extensively renovated around 2015. Previou...

Town Hill Market Opened: unknown Owner:  Alexandra Simis Previous Tenants:  unknown Cooperative:  none Location:  1339 ME-102, Bar Harbor, ME Photographed:  June 15, 2022 This little general store is one of just a handful of grocers on Mount Desert Island, which also has two full supermarkets. This is a bit of a specialty store, with natural and local products, fresh baked goods, and a small kitchen. There's also an ice cream shop attached! This store is only open seasonally, and the summer brings a lot of tourists through this area (myself included) as this is on the way into Acadia National Park. Downtown Bar Harbor is right at the entrance to the park, and that's where we're headed tomorrow for our final coastal Maine store. Also, don't forget to see today's other post here !

Merrill & Hinckley Open: 1800s-2023 Owner:  John Bannister Previous Tenants:  none Later Tenants:  none Cooperative:  none Location:  11 Union St, Blue Hill, ME Photographed:  June 11, 2022 One more general store before we get into the supermarkets here in Blue Hill. Merrill & Hinckley dates back to the 1800s -- I couldn't find a more specific opening date, unfortunately -- and over time was expanded to something between a general store and a supermarket, reaching its present 10,000 square feet or so. The historic grocer closed its doors in 2023 after a century-plus run, and you can read a lot more about the store's life and closing at this article . On Monday, we'll head over to the big supermarket in Blue Hill. Have a good weekend!

Northern Bay Market Opened: 1985 Owner:  Jamie MacNair Previous Tenants:  unknown Cooperative:  none Location:  177 Southern Bay Rd, Penobscot, ME Photographed:  June 11, 2022 and June 13, 2022 Despite the fact that we're starting to get pretty far north -- Penobscot is farther north than some parts of Canada, such as Toronto, and it's less than 100 miles from the Maine border with Canada -- this still isn't the extremely remote parts of Maine. We're only about 25 miles from Bangor here in Penobscot, a very small town where the Bagaduce River meets the Northern Bay on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The only grocer in town, though, is a small general store (and gas station) called the Northern Bay Market. Like T&C Market , some seriously old-school gas pumps here! Between the Keep Smiling chalkboard and the seafood one, yes, we're definitely in small-town New England! The Northern Bay Market has been open under its current ownership since 1985, but it's abundantly...

Original Grocery Tenant: Castine Variety Address: 3 Main St, Castine, ME Opened:  1920 Closed:  2011 Later Tenants:  The Breeze Photographed:  June 14, 2022 Just across the street from T&C Market -- you can see the proximity below -- sits a former general store, which for nearly a century was the Castine Variety store. This corner store is now more of a restaurant than a general store, as it's been taken over by The Breeze , a seafood restaurant. It also functions as a gift shop. It's time to depart from this incredibly scenic waterfront town, but up next The Market Report travels a bit north on the Blue Hill Peninsula for another small town general store!

T&C Market Open:  2014-2025 Owner:  Todd Tobey Previous Tenants:  unknown Later Tenants:  Auxford - The Market / Castine Market (2025- ) Cooperative:  Associated Grocers of New England Location:  12 Water St, Castine, ME Photographed:  June 14, 2022 We arrive at The Market Report's first stop on the Blue Hill Peninsula, Castine! It's a sleepy waterfront town of around 1300 people, and is served by one grocery store. Like several of the stores we've seen so far in Maine, it's not quite a full supermarket and is more of a general store. Also like several others, it doubles as a gas station. (In fact, it's the only gas station in town.) With some great old-fashioned pumps, no less! The roughly 3500 square foot grocer was T&C Market from 2014 to 2025, when it changed ownership and is now called Auxford - The Market (or Castine Market ). Not sure what it was prior to T&C. The interior is set up more like a convenience store than a supermarket, ...

Tozier's Family Markets Opened: 1967 Owner:  Dale Tozier Previous Tenants:  unknown Cooperative:  none Location:  127 Main St, Bucksport, ME Photographed:  June 13, 2022 Bucksport is The Market Report's final stop in this region of Maine. The craggy coastline has numerous peninsulas and islands here, so almost 50 miles south of Bucksport, you'll still be finding small islands like Isle Au Haut and Vinalhaven. Our next stop along the coastline will be primarily focused on those islands and peninsulas. But first, let's check out the small grocer here in Bucksport! This is the last remaining Tozier's, whose other locations closed back in 2024. At just 2500 square feet, this store -- closer to a general store than a supermarket -- is a quarter of the size of the Searsport location. The store has a few grocery aisles that run side to side, along with beer and wine. There's also a small deli. Not a full supermarket, but definitely all the essentials. In addition to ...