Sept. 18 marked the first-month anniversary of the Market Basket grand opening in Biddeford. This is their first store in Maine. As one of the local people, I am pleased to see the opportunity for Maine local jobs and economic attraction for Route 111 and Route 1.

Since Lowe’s closed in 2011, the area has been left with a big, empty warehouse. More than a hundred employees were laid off when Lowe’s closed its doors. This greatly impacted the area; there wasn’t really a reason to go to that plaza anymore. People have been going to Walmart, Home Depot and even traveled to New Hampshire to shop.

Recently, I have seen a big change since the Market Basket opened; it has brought more than 400 new, part-time jobs to the city. This has helped decrease the unemployment rate and made this area alive again. The new market offers reasonable prices, diversity of choices, and a good location.

I hope the store’s management will have good ideas to gain more customers, and also support the community in Maine. In general, I’m hoping Market Basket can help increase opportunities for growth in Maine, especially York county.

Thanh Nguyen,

Vietnam