Upgrades Coming For Nearby NH Liquor & Wine Outlets

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) is continuing efforts to upgrade its New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets in order to provide customers with an enhanced shopping experience and greater selection of wines and spirits.

NHLC announced today that it will relocate its New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets in Milford and Bedford and open a new store in Manchester on South Elm Street.

Early next year, the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet in Milford will be relocated approximately two miles from its current location in the Granite Town Plaza to the Market Basket Plaza on Route 101. The upgraded New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet, behind the Division of Motor Vehicles, will occupy a 7,400 square foot space formerly the home of Blockbuster. Work will begin on the new store in late January 2013. 

NHLC will also move its New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet in Bedford from its Colby Court location in the Bedford Grove Plaza to just west of the intersection of Route 101 and Route 114, across from the Bedford Public Safety Complex. The store will be prominently visible given its proximity to Route 101 and positioned at the main entrance to the Bedford Hills commercial mixed-use development. Current tenants include the Copper Door Restaurant and Bellwether Community Credit Union. Plans call for a newly constructed 13,000+ square foot standalone building.

In addition to relocating its stores in Milford and Bedford, NHLC will lease a brand new 12,000 square foot freestanding building as a New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet on South Elm Street in Manchester. Located just north of and on the same side of the street as Chalifour’s Flowers, the project is part of Phase II of River’s Edge. The site will provide convenient and easy access with entrances at the front and rear of the main plaza. Ample parking will also be available for the exclusive use of patrons and licensees.

NHLC is bringing the very latest in wine and spirit merchandising to Hillsborough County in the Milford, Bedford and Manchester initiatives just as it has as part of its goal to upgrade and enhance stores statewide. The New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets in Bedford and Manchester will resemble NHLC’s flagship store on Coliseum Avenue in Nashua, while Milford’s traditional inline retail elevation will be similar to other recently remodeled stores. However, all three locations’ interiors will incorporate an open concept design with state-of-the-art amenities.

The stores’ significantly expanded retail floor space will allow for a greater selection of products and a more engaging experience for shoppers. Spacious aisles and curved free-standing shelving will enhance product presentation and visibility. Each New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet will be illuminated with energy saving and high efficiency contemporary overhead, pendant and accent light fixtures. Exterior signage will feature LED “dark sky compliant” components and display the familiar New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet logo.

“The Commission is responding to consumer shopping habits and retail trends with our ongoing retail store upgrade and relocation plans,” stated New Hampshire Liquor Commission Chairman Joseph W. Mollica. “Our guests are excited about the changes we’ve made at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets across the state and this is proven by increases sales.”

Mollica explained that retail sales at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets for fiscal year 2013, starting July 1, 2012 are $233 million, up $19 million, an increase of 9.21% over the previous fiscal year. Mollica credits the success to improvements made to several stores across the state including Nashua, Portsmouth, North Hampton, Manchester, Lebanon, Merrimack, Peterborough and Concord and the new store at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.