Newest Seacoast liquor store continues ways of 'power alley'

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New Hampshire Business Review, May 9, 1997, p.4

Reprinted with permission of the New Hampshire Business Review

A year ago, the Liquor Commission opened a liquor store in Hampton on the northbound side of Interstate 95 to alleviate the congestion at the other two Seacoast highway stores. During that year, the store sold more than $11 million in liquor and the outlet quickly became the state's third-best seller. No. 1 and No. 2 are the Hamptonstore on Interstate 95 South and the Portsmouth Traffic Circle store. Greg Leng, a commission spokesman, calls it the "power alley."

"For many years we've been seeking permits to build a store there," said Leng. "We wanted to alleviated the burden of the other stores, particular the one at the traffic circle, because it's sometimes so hard to get in there. We wanted to put the product where the people are, and not make it difficult to get to."

The store is in a perfect spot for those going through New Hampshire on the way to Maine, but it isn't just location. The 16,000-square-foot store is the largest of the state's outlets. The red-and-white barn-like structure -- supplied by Construx of Plymouth and built by North Branch Builders of Henniker -- earned it the designation "Building of the Year" by Package Industries, a pre-engineered metal manufacturing company located in Sutton, Mass.

The store also instituted a shelf management program that monitors sales movements and highlights the best-selling brands, reducing the facings of poorer-selling items.

There's also a computer kiosk for questions about wine and other products, including food pairing suggestions.

And this store has enough room for a 80-seat training facility, equipped with television and overhead projector, so staff members can keep up their end of the conversation with both the wine connoisseur and the novice.

North Branch, Audley Team Up In Liquor Store

New Hampshire Business Review, April 12, 1996, p.12A

North Branch Construction Inc., Henniker, and Audley Construction of Bow have completed a new 20,000-square-foot, $4.1 million state liquor store facility on the northbound side of Interstate '95 in Hampton.

Audley handled site improvements, including the exit and on-ramp system, and North Branch was responsible for construction of the store itself. The store, designed to look like a New England barn, is a pre-engineered steel building with fiberglass-based asphalt shingles and vinyl siding adding to the effect.

The new facility opened March 8th.

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