Hannaford Supermarkets

Worst supermarket I ever been to!!! First of all. The employees are not friendly at all. Even the lady with the short hair. I dont know if she is the manager or what i know shes an employee there but thats the worst part of this place and the crowds in the summertime are unbelievable! All winter long they had a «big» renovation and it feels like NOTHING has changed. Everyone is still crowded all over the whole store and the fact you would see many people blocking aisles to chat. Wow i rather go to the bigger one in damariscotta than this one. Try to avoid this hannaford as much as you can because everything here is overpriced compared to other hannafords because they have no competition in Boothbay.

When you are down the peninsula on the Maine coast, you get what you get, if you know what I mean.
In the past, the Boothbay Harbor Hannaford was exactly that — you got the essentials and got back to the cottage. If you needed to do real shopping, you went to the large Hannaford over in Damarsciotta that is more of the mainland version.
Surprise, surprise when pulling up the first night in to find not the 1960s version of a store, but a new front façade and entrance. I walked in and noted that the entire place had been transformed. The area in the front seems larger with a better produce and meat selection. It still had that small grocery store feel, but the layout seemed thought out this time and not thrown together and added on like the original store setting.
Overall the selection worked and the quick check was, well, quick. Definitely happy not to have to trek all the way back up the peninsula any more.

Have you ever been to prison? Me neither, but I can imagine that the prison commissary is a bit like this. When you are way down on the peninsula, there are no real options and you take what you can get.
The employees know who the new inmates are (those from away, or like me, the summer resident) and have special favors for the long-​timers that are not extended to the rest of us – oh, the line is too long? a magic lane opens, but only for the two locals in front of you still in their footie pajamas, and as you sneak in behind you will be greeted with, «You better only have 14 items.»
Express checkout lane apparently equals personal checks, no baggers, and the slowest of the employees that puts you neck-​in-​neck with the customer in the regular lane who had 147 items – so much for being in a hurry. I should know better, and remember that I am in the slammer. (Courtesy star for my insensitivity)
The selection is pretty good, although with such small shelves, the aisles are filled with restockers throughout the day in the busiest season, nearly sending some customers to blows as they jockey for position. I swear I saw one with a shiv.
The 2015 remodel is appreciated, and likely a commentary on the community, as the most notable expansion is the quadrupling of the liquor section, and an elevation from the corner of the store to the widest central aisle – frankly, I could use a drink after surviving a stint on July 3.
Will I be back? Of course, recidivism is 100%.

Quirky
and
convenient
The first Hannaford’s was sort of started back in 1883 when Arthur Hannaford sold rutabaga and other veggies and fruits from his cart on the docks of Portland, Maine. Over the years the idea expanded until now there are about a hundred and eighty stores employing over 26,000 people. Most of the stores are in New England but a few are scattered across upper New York state.
Most Hannaford stores tend to be on the small side and feature local items. This particular Hannaford in Boothbay Harbor just went through some pretty major renovations and although still smallish, has a nice, new feel to it. The aisles are still kind of narrow and things are still kind of organized in an odd, Maine type of way, but the store is very pleasant to shop in and has a friendly, small town feel to it.
Hannaford’s certainly isn’t anything like the «super» groceries that are popping up all over, but then it doesn’t try to be. It’s a quirky, pleasant and very useful store that is designed to serve the local community. And this it does very well.

i questioned whether it was tourist in the store that were rude, or whether it is the locals dealing with the tourist that may have been the rude ones; however, i believe this store captures the epitome of grabbing a shopping cart only to realize there are just 3-​wheels to get you through the very tight and discombobulated display of groceries.
i never knew how confusing a grocery store could be, and they carried food that i had no idea existed.
they have what you may need, but it is truly the biggest grocer in this area… good luck.