It may be the last of a dying breed of family-owned and operated corner stores in the town of Amesbury, but with its slate of intensely loyal customers and brisk grocery business, Vermette's stands as a shining example that some "old-fashioned" things never go out of style.

At a time when small groceries are struggling to compete with the big box market brands like Stop & Shop and Market Basket, the effect those mega-chains have had on Vermette's bustling business has been negligible, manager Gerry Morin said.

In fact, instead of downsizing, Vermette's is currently investing in the improvement of its sidewalk appeal, renovating its outer facade to give the store a more clean, Colonial-style feel. It's indicative of the small modernizations Vermette's has made to its store throughout the years to keep a balance between the old and the new.

"We had a new roof put on last year, and we're replacing the windows and siding and redoing the entryway — going toward a Colonial theme," Morin said. "The enclosure is coming down and will be replaced with a new one."

The modest grocery store has stood on the same Pond Street corner since Eddie and Mabel Vermette opened for business in 1943, and it is still in the family under their daughter, Elaine Fowler. Through the decades, it's managed to stay modern enough to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated clientele, yet somehow retain enough of its old-world charm to keep customers coming back year after year.

There are no scanners bleeping at the checkout, and every product is hand-priced and entered by hand into the cash register ¬’— a fact that customers of Vermette's appreciate, since the electronic varieties are notorious for discrepancies, Morin said.

Morin first entered Vermette's as a boy in the neighborhood looking for a place to drop 25 cents on a bag of penny candy. When he was 16, he took a job there as a stock boy, and 22 years later knows a good deal about what people in Amesbury want.

"Any successful business you want to run is basically run on one concept," Morin said. "Find out what the people want and then give it to them."

He cites as an example a product he purchased and set up just yesterday at the urging of his customers — K-cup coffee makers and the line of various single-shot coffee flavors.

"If you go to Market Basket, they're selling these for $99," Morin said of the coffeemakers. "You can get them here for $79."

Morin's excitement for the newfangled coffee maker and its assorted brands of coffee flavors is contagious.

"This is going to be a big Christmas present this year," he said. "It can get a brewed cup of coffee in one minute."

Morin and the Vermette's crew keep things fresh in other ways too, like through the sale of pre-made foods, a practice they began some 15 years ago well ahead of the pre-made food trend that stormed the industry in the last decade.

"This is what people want nowadays — something prepared and ready to cook," said Morin of the packages of beef Florentine and stuffed chicken breasts that line the back shelves of Vermette's. "A lot of stores can't justify the manpower that goes into (pre-made foods). We probably sell 150 packages of beef Florentine a week."

Some of the modern products folks can find at Vermette's include a full section devoted to liquors and trendy wines, including South Hampton's own Jewell Towne Vineyards. Jewell Towne director Rich Collins said that Vermette's is the only retailer in Amesbury where shoppers can find one of their wines to take home with them for dinner.

Other favorite brands include baked goods made by The Pie Guy and a new line of Amato's Italian pre-made pasta dishes and gourmet pizzas.

"Doesn't that look good?" Morin said of an Amato's broccoli pasta dish.

But while the modern foods offer something for the sophisticated palates, it's perhaps the things that haven't changed since 1943 that keep clients loyal.

The full-time meat department staff is always ready to trim down a filet to fit a family's need, and while the market carries a large selection of foods, the aisles aren't overstocked with hundreds of varieties. And a number of employees have worked there for 20 years or more, and they know most customers' names.

"We know most of our customers," Morin said. "That's what people like."

Per its online history, Vermette's Market has been expanded several times over the years to meet the growing customer demand. Throughout that time, it's achieved a history of its own, as seen in its wall of winning lottery tickets located near the grocery checkout. Vermette's touts itself as one of the winningest places to purchase a ticket, and just last year won bragging rights to a $10 million winning ticket. It's the $50,000 commission they earned from the win, in fact, that's paying for the renovations out in front.

Despite the transformation taking place on the storefront, which will include a new Colonial-style sign to take the place of the one that's graced the building for decades, Vermette's isn't changing what's inside. And that's good news for some of its longtime local shoppers.

"I remember being a little girl, just 6 years old, and my grandmother would give us a dime to bring her grocery list down to Vermette's," recalled Amesbury native and Town Clerk Bonnijo Kitchin. "We'd bring the list to them, and they'd deliver it to her, and we'd get to spend the 10 cents. For 10 cents, we could probably buy a Fudgsicle or a soda, or a lot of penny candy."

Vermette's hasn't lost its appeal for Kitchin since those days, and apparently a lot of people feel the same.

"I was down there last night, and I couldn't find a place to park," Kitchin said.