Durham Marketplace owners Chuck and Betsy Cressy announced earlier this month that they have sold the downtown grocery store to the Maine-based Hannaford supermarket chain.
Cressy and his wife have owned the supermarket since 1994. The store has been one of Hannaford’s wholesale customers for the last two decades. In that time, Durham Marketplace built a reputation for offering locally sourced foods and contributing to causes in Durham and around the Seacoast.
Cressy did not return calls seeking comment. In a statement released through a Hannaford spokesperson, Cressy said, “Aside from sincere gratitude to the greater Durham community, most important is my grateful thanks to the staff at Durham Marketplace. They are responsible for the store’s success. It’s hard to say goodbye, but I believe the time is right and that Hannaford will be successful in serving Durham as it continues to grow.”
Hannaford operates 186 stores throughout New England and New York. The grocery chain is owned by the Delhaize Group, which is based in Belgium. In late June, the company announced plans to merge with another European grocery conglomerate, Royal Ahold, which is based in the Netherlands and owns the Stop and Shop supermarket chain. The merger is expected to be completed in 2016, if approved by regulators. Combined, the two companies will have more than 6,500 stores in Europe and the United States. — Larry Clow