What’s Up With the Lone Maine Shop’n Save in Gray?

Hannaford is everywhere and then there's this one little Shop'n Save.

According to a 2001 article in Supermarket News, yes...there is a publication called Supermarket News, Hannaford decided to convert 12 Shop'n Saves to Hannaford.

The company said it plans to convert 12 stores in Portland, Maine, to the Hannaford banner in late fall, but declined to indicate the timetable for converting 33 other stores in Maine, 22 stores in New Hampshire, or six in Massachusetts.

But what about the one in Gray?

The Gray Shop'n Save is an independently-owned food market, and because of that have more access to a ton of suppliers. They are in essence the Mom and Pop grocery store that is slowly becoming extinct. They work hard to keep prices low, they have a super friendly staff and they are willing to get something in stock that you don't see.

As far as I can see, they are the only Shop'n Save in Maine. But they have two sister stores in New Hampshire. One is in Wolfeboro and the other is in Glen. What's fascinating is that they are still very much associated with Hannaford. A quick glance at the Gray Shop'n Save website will tell you that they are very much Hannaford-backed.

Whatever the reason, the fact that this market in Gray Maine remains family owned and operated is comforting. Shop'n Save had been the name early in the nearly 140-year history of this grocery chain. A lot of us still remember when Shop'n Save was where you shopped - and for some of us, it still is.