27. Anderson’s Market, April 1937
In April 1937, Anderson’s Market celebrated its twenty-fourth year in business. To mark the occasion the owners produced a booklet called The Story of Anderson’s. Functioning as an extended advertisement for the store, it provides a vivid description of an enlightened Concord business on the cutting edge of food merchandising trends and customer service.
Even during the Great Depression, Anderson's Market was well-stocked with a variety of fresh, attractively displayed products. In addition to Lars, Leslie, and Esther Anderson, they employed twenty-one people. The market was the sole local supplier of Birdseye Frosted Foods, as freezing was still a relatively new method of food preservation. Produce was kept fresh via mist, and the meat department employed five butchers. Behind the scenes was an assembly room where a gravity conveyor transported boxed grocery orders into one of five available delivery trucks.
Meanwhile, Anderson employees made Lanson’s mayonnaise (their store brand) and assembled gift baskets for those traveling on cruise ships. The Andersons also maintained a separate warehouse for storing staples such as flour, sugar, soap, and paper. They even utilized the Mill Brook running beneath the building to cool the condensers used in the refrigeration equipment.
