CARIBOU, Maine — Hannaford’s Grand Opening celebration on Saturday morning was well attended with at least 250 folks turning out for the store’s first hour; typically, a Saturday morning will bring 30-40 customers during that same time.
Store Manager Dana Corbin said that the transition from Shop ‘N Save involved many changes for the staff, but the process went very well. Shop ‘N Save received their wholesale groceries directly from Hannaford before the store changed hands this fall, meaning that the diversity and availability of products customers have come to expect has stayed the same.
There have been some changes in how those same products are arranged in the store, and Corbin’s heard positive comments from customers about it.
“There are a lot less displays I the aisles, and the customers like that openness and airy feel,” he said on Saturday.
One of the Grand Opening features customers were pretty fond of was a gift card give away; the first 200 customers on Saturday morning received gift cards with randomly loaded amount between $5 and $200, and tables of free samples were set up around the store.
A raffle drawing for a $1,000 gift card will take place on Thursday, Jan. 1, but the biggest give-away took place during the Grand Opening celebration when Corbin presented Food Bank Manager of Catholic Charities Maine in Caribou Fred Schieber.
“I just thought it would be a good idea during the holiday season,” Corbin explained. “It’s a good thing to give to them year-round to help folks, but being so close to Christmas we gave them $2,000.”
Employees of the Caribou Hannaford even sold hot dog lunches on Saturday, with the proceeds benefiting Catholic Charities as well. The sale helped generate an additional $328 donation.
Folks who weren’t able to partake in the fundraiser can still help out; the local grocery store is selling Helping Hands boxes for $10 and the proceeds go right to Catholic Charities Maine.
