Nashua back on Whole Foods’ new store list

Whole Foods is once again setting its sights on Nashua for a new store.According to website of the Austin, Texas-based national natural foods supermarket Nashua is listed as a site for an upcoming store.”Yes, we have indeed announced that a store is coming to Nashua,” said Heather McCready, public relations manager for the chain’s North Atlantic region. McCready, however, she said she didn’t have any further details, such as square-footage or the number of employees for the proposed store.In Whole Foods’ second fiscal quarter 2011 financial filings, the company said it “signed nine new leases averaging 32,000 square feet in size. … These stores are currently scheduled to open in fiscal year 2012 and beyond.” A store in “southern NH” was listed among the nine.The chain said it plans to open 61 new stores through fiscal 2014.Four years ago, Whole Foods sought to be an anchor tenant with a store in the proposed Nashua Landing “lifestyle” center. Developers of the center pulled the plug on the project in mid-2009, largely due to the flailing economy – and Whole Foods did the same on the Nashua store.Planned development on River Road in Bedford between Macy’s and the old Bedford Mall also was once rumored as a site for a Whole Foods anchor.While significant construction has begun at the former mall, with a new building for Staples and a proposed Kohl’s department store going in, McCready said she also did not have any information about a proposed Whole Foods in Bedford.Whole Foods had sales of approximately $9 billion and currently has 304 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. – CINDY KIBBE/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW